Ending the Shortage of Black Male Teachers in New York

Read the entire op-ed by E4E-New York member Ashley Toussaint on Gotham Gazette.

Every day I stand in front of my classroom, filled with black and brown faces, intensely aware that I am the only black man teaching at my school — but I am hardly the only one that feels this. New York City schools employ fewer black male teachers today than 20 years ago; only 3.7 percent of city teachers share my identity.

Without male teachers of color, thousands of students walk into schools each day where not even a single adult shares an important part of their identity. These students are missing out on the academic and social advantages of having a teacher of color. Studies show that having a race and gender match between student and teacher can help reverse some of the challenges black male students face — higher dropout and suspension rates coupled with lower likelihood to attend and graduate from college.

To read the complete article, visit Gotham Gazette.