By Cedric Jones | Word In Black
(WIB) – I remember sitting in a small classroom in Barrows Hall at U.C. Berkeley when I learned of my acceptance into Teach For America, a national education nonprofit that supports public school systems by sourcing talent to lead as anti-racist educators within the classroom.
Then — as is the case today — only about 2% of teachers nationally are Black men. I was both charged to make an impact and also curious if there was infrastructure to nurture my presence as I entered TFA as one of 22 black educators in the 2014 Bay Area cohort — about 11 of the entire Bay Area class of new TFA teachers that year.
While I felt excited at the prospect of joining TFA as a teacher, a corps member as we’re known — and following in the footsteps of my grandfather, a school teacher in Mississippi — I also became increasingly nervous about my finances, my preparation, and my overall ability to enter and sustain myself within this field. I saw from a young age the impact my grandfather had on his students, and I knew wholeheartedly I wanted to continue his legacy. But I also knew it was critical for me, as a Black male educator, to feel seen and supported in this work.
Nearly a decade later, it’s clear that my time in the classroom was one of the most profound professional experiences I could have chosen. Now, as the Director of Southern California Recruitment & Retention at TFA Los Angeles, I often reflect on what drew me to the classroom and what about the recruitment process engaged me — and I use those learnings to help me recruit more teachers that reflect the students we serve in L.A. and across the country.
Building Relationships
I met my recruiter, Raquel Lucente, for the first time at a Black Community event on campus. Seeing folks I looked up to engaging with her authentically and seeing her meet with folks for coffee on my way to classes, it was clear her focus was on creating relationships and going into the spaces where Black students felt most comfortable. While career fairs, resume workshops, and club meetings can be a fine way to meet prospective teachers, I’ve observed that recruiting Black folks into the field requires a more genuine connection, transparency, and support that feels equitable.
Following in Raquel’s footsteps, so much of my time in my current role is dedicated to hosting both one-on-one sessions with Black folks who are interested in joining TFA, as well as those who have already applied. I also hold space for weekly office hours, where folks can pop in to receive specific support or simply process what an offer from TFA might look like for them uniquely.
Addressing Financial Barriers
When candidates are offered admission to the corps, I always like to address the challenges and barriers to joining TFA head-on. Finances, an area of concern for many, including myself, come up often. Many Black applicants are financially supporting family members or are burdened by student loan debt. In fact, the average student loan debt is more than $37,000, almost the same as the average starting teacher salary. Given the racial wealth gap, Black applicants, as a whole, want to make sure they can sustain themselves and avoid entering — or reentering — a cycle of poverty.
Though, as an organization, we’ve been able to provide more than $12 million annually in transitional support grants, as well as emergency and need-based financial aid, the average entry-level salary of teachers can still leave recent college graduates anxious about their future.
In many states, credentialing exams for subject matter and basic skills competency exacerbate the financial barriers to entering the profession. I’m proud of the efforts TFA has made to address these concerns in the short term through grants, as well as our work to advocate for legislation that improves teacher pay, reduces educator student loan debt, and investigates innovative ways to make teacher housing more affordable.
Listening and Integrating the Comunity
Nationwide, actively listening to the needs of our Black applicants has resulted in salary negotiations with our school districts and charter management organizations, clustering corps members at sites with strong retention of Black teachers, and placing folks where pro-Black programming is on-site.
In 2022, I launched our School Partner Pipeline initiative, which supports instructional aides and paraprofessionals who already have a bachelor’s degree and work in one of our partner schools to earn their teaching credentials. These folks, who often come from the community, are then able to continue as classroom teachers in a setting where they already have deep relationships with students and their families.
Black perspectives must inform the evolution of the teaching profession to make it a more inclusive and sustainable career path for us.
By taking an individualized approach to recruiting Black educators, I’m positioned to invest in those ready to inspire — and educate — our youth. I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is for those closest to the communities we serve to be at the forefront of educational change and accountability.
The country’s schools, classrooms, and students need more Black educators. To make that possible, Black perspectives must inform the evolution of the teaching profession to make it a more inclusive and sustainable career path for us. I’m proud to have not only followed in my grandfather’s footsteps, but also built upon his legacy by working with TFA and our school partners to create a pathway for more Black educators to thrive.
Cedric Jones is Teach For America’s Director of Southern California Corps Member Recruitment & Retention.