By Tamara Williams | Special to The OBSERVER
(OPINION) – Black students have been left behind in school. Black students in public schools have trailed their white peers for the last 10 years based on data from California’s Local Control Funding Formula. And the COVID-19 pandemic widened the achievement gap.
During the pandemic, math scores declined by 13 points among Black students compared to 6 points for white students. ELA scores among Black students decreased by 7 points compared to 4 points for white learners.
It’s time to close the achievement gap for Black students, and that begins with hiring more teachers of color. Black teachers currently account for only 9% of all public school teachers, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Yet, studies show that having teachers of the same race improves students’ social, emotional and academic outcomes.
In response to this critical issue, the Fortune School of Education has spearheaded a groundbreaking initiative aimed at tackling the lack of diversity within the teaching profession. The program offers aspiring educators the chance to obtain a California teaching or administrative credential while training at a K-12 school within the Fortune School Consortium.
Through proactive recruitment and comprehensive training, at Fortune School we are actively committed to bolstering the diversity of the education workforce. This ensures that Black and Brown students have access to educators who not only understand their cultural heritage but also foster a supportive learning environment where they can flourish.
It has been demonstrated that Black students who have Black teachers score higher on tests. A Black student’s likelihood of dropping out of school declined by 29% if they had at least one Black teacher in the third through fifth grades. And we’ve seen direct evidence of this at Fortune School. Fortune scholars consistently outperform state averages in key academic areas and graduation rates, demonstrating the effectiveness of our teaching approach.
The impact of having a Black teacher is even more significant for Black boys — the probability of quitting school declined a whopping 39%. Having at least one Black teacher by the third grade also increased Black students’ likelihood of enrolling in college by 13%.
I think about teachers like Leon Brewer III, a Black male who started his career as a custodian at a Fortune School and is now a thriving music teacher at Hardy Brown College Prep in San Bernardino. Brewer is an example to kids every day of overcoming the odds and making your dreams a reality and impacts their lives through the power of music and sound. I am also reminded of Larcida Johnson, an exemplary preschool teacher who transforms the lives of our youngest learners and unlocks their potential in their first years in school.
These teachers, and all of the incredible staff at a Fortune School, ensure that our transitional kindergarten through 12th-grade scholars not only see teachers who look like them, but that they are introduced to the college-going mindset from the first day of school. Classrooms are named after colleges and universities to symbolize the bigger picture — college is where they belong. They see teachers and administrators who look like them walking the halls and standing in the front of the class. The foundation for our success is establishing a culture of high expectations for all of our scholars, teachers, and operational staff. From day one, we begin to show our students what’s possible and instill in them a college-mindset so they are prepared to succeed during their time at Fortune and beyond.
Black teachers know what it means to be Black in school because we experienced many of the same challenges in the classroom and in our communities. Black teachers offer a perspective others simply can’t. We consider how a student’s background impacts their achievement and are more likely to recognize and address the systemic barriers and implicit biases that exist in schools.
But, it doesn’t just stop there. Hiring teachers of color doesn’t just boost achievement among Black students; having teachers of color benefits all students. Exposure to teachers from diverse backgrounds supports the development of cross-cultural awareness and equitable social change.
It’s crucial that another 10 years do not pass without making critical changes in classrooms so that all students can enjoy a brighter future. Closing the achievement gap requires a collective commitment and “let’s do this” approach from each one of us. It can start with a single act to reshape the trajectory of a child’s life – enroll your child in an environment where they can learn and grow, learn more about educational opportunities and options in and around your community, or even take the leap and consider exploring a career in education. The sky’s the limit when we come together to ensure all students succeed.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Tamara Williams is a Principal Supervisor at Fortune School, a network of K-12 public charter schools in Sacramento and San Bernardino counties.