Why did I choose to write this article?

I visit many schools throughout the year.  Every time I had the opportunity, I asked teachers as well as administrators "how are our minority students doing in school?  The most common answer I received was, "not good, if only they had people who look like them, they will achieve better."  The answer resounded more than ten times and I could not accept it any longer because it had no merit and lacked evidence to support the claim "underachievement of minority students".  I refused to allow educators to maintain that belief and wanted to change the language and the practice nationwide.  I decided to write this article so that educators but most importantly teachers can begin to question their beliefs around minority achievement as well as institutional practices.  This will allow schools to address one more component of that affects the achievement gap (assumptions of educators) and inform teacher professional practice.

Should school districts nationwide be concerned due to a shortage of teachers of color?

It is imperative for me to address this issue as it may lead to false pretense and proliferate rigid systems throughout American public institutions, especially in K-12 settings.School districts should be concerned if teachers who are placed in the classrooms are under-prepared to teach the growing number of minority students.On the other hand, one should not believe that the decline of minority teachers nationwide will lead to poor achievement for minority students.There is no research that shows a positive correlation between high academic achievements and support by a teacher of the same ethnic background. Research does show, however, that academic success in the classroom depends on the quality of the teacher.Since teacher quality is a pivotal factor in improving student achievement, emphasis should be given less to the racial background, and more to the development of skills and attributes that allow one to be a more effective teacher.Reliance on a teacher of color as the solution to educating minority student is a myth and should not be considered as a factor for poor student performance.

It is an unavoidable reality that nationwide schools are facing a shortage of African American males entering the field of education.The reasons are many and are not the subject of this paper.However, some people believe that the lack of African American Male teachers lead to underachievement of some African American male students.Dr. Joseph White, author of "Black Man Emerging" echoes that "Black students will seldom see a Black male in a responsible educational role".Because black students often lack the exposure to black teachers, the perception becomes that education is a profession for white people.This is a perception based on what they do not see in the classroom.In other words, the lack of role models who look like them only prevent them from associating the teaching profession with black males.This being a reality, if the lack of black role models in education is in fact a barrier to our current reality or fewer black people entering are education, we are left to ponder an essential question; can white males become role models to African American males or minority students?

Lessons from history

From 1865 – 1954 the majority of teachers in American and African schools were white males.In his book "the White Architects of Black Education" Watkins describes the level of oppression the negro suffered and the determination that general Samuel Armstrong and his collaborators wanted to maintain.While in America we were entrenched by segregation, oppression of blacks the only alternative out of slavery was to gain an education, African Americans learned from white male teachers.At the same time, Colonialism in Africa allowed Africans to attend schools that were taught by white men and women who were Catholic priests or nuns.While it is true that not all the white teachers of that time cared about the educational development of the negro, many of them did and others advocated for inhumane practices.The results in both continents were similar; African American males like African males learned how to liberate themselves from dominance and colonial power through a learning process in the education system of the time.While some had parents who encouraged them to persevere, others came from single parent homes and managed to succeed.Where and how did this truth change?Many educators have developed a deficit belief and support those who believe that minority students are impacted because they do not have teachers of color.

Many current teachers like those who taught during the reconstruction and colonialism era in African share these common characteristics; they were qualified and ready to teach their students.There are six elements that define qualified teachers: high expectation, right mindset, proper strategies, peer support/ learning, receiving a proper induction and CARE.These elements are incomplete without the 6^th element, "CARE" (Cultural Appreciation for Racial Equality).A teacher who cares about his students can do great wonders beyond the imaginable.A caring teacher is one who is able to build relationships with students, understand their culture, ethnicity, social economic status, gender and life potential.A caring teacher who can relate to his/her students will be able to assist them by turning negative energy in life potential, complement the students competence and encourage learning.Caring teachers and role models come in every color; as long as they care and have the right mind set they can work with minority students.

Moving forward

How can school districts proactively address the issues of teachers of color?In Minnesota, a number of teachers of color entered the profession through an initiative supported by the Minnesota Department of Education program known as the Collaborative Urban Education grant (CUE).The CUE goal is to increase the number of underrepresented groups into the teaching profession by providing a stipend.Moreover, the CUE program continues to develop conscientious teachers who understand how to interact with a diverse body of students.As the state continues to reduce funding, fewer and fewer people have access to this program and the number of teachers of color continues to decrease.

These educators were in greater number females and are now in leadership roles throughout the state while others have left the field of education.Growing your own is a commendable practice for school districts to employ if they are committed to integrating their teaching staff.Current immigration trends suggest that there is an enormous pool of qualified individuals who are trained teachers in their native countries.Perhaps reaching out to the immigrant communities could potentially yield a large number of teachers of color.It is probable that some cultural aspect of the education may be better addressed by males who are respected within their own community.This is especially true for Muslims who come from a patriarchal community. This is by no means supporting the notion of academic success based on ethnic association.Furthermore, it is important for minority students to see people like themselves represented in these places of authority in order to stimulate their interest, boost their self-confidence and ignite their aspiration for the future.

It is not about color but all about CARE

Beware! Having a teacher of color may not necessarily be the answer.An adult who cares will lead to progress and change student's perceptions of who they are and what they can achieve.Angela Jerabek and Stacy Collins (white women) in St. Louis Park High School in Minnesota epitomize CARE agents and have successfully helped African American students to take Advance Placement (AP) courses, believe in themselves and enroll in Colleges and Universities across the United States of America.The High Achievement Program continues to flourish because of extensive support from the school and the Oscar Reed Boys to Men program.In 2005-06 20 African American students participated in the High Achievers program (HAP). The HAP program has since developed to include a representative number of minority students taking AP courses.The participation of students in the same program doubled the following year.

In Milwaukee Wisconsin, Dr. Christine J. Faltz, Founder/Executive director of Central City Cyber School of Milwaukee, a K-8 elementary school is reaching similar success.Dr. Faltz is white and her school is built inside the projects with 97% African American students.The school has few teachers of color and a majority of white teachers who demonstrate CARE and love for their students.The determination and passion the staff shows for the school and hope for their students is contagious and encouraging in spite of everyday school challenges.The success of the Cyber School is attributed to individuals who care about the students and posses the six characteristics of teacher quality.

"A diverse teaching and administrative staff in schools also gives minority students an authority figure that looks like them." James Stallworth & White 2005.This statement is true and only complementary to the role model theory.A role model inspires students to love learning, encourages them to get an education and to become or pursue what they enjoy professionally.The probability of becoming what the role model is depends on the internal motivation of the child and the environmental influences around him.African American males, like other minorities and those who become athletes, reach that potential because of their drive to succeed in life and their incentive to make money the legal way.They are not who they are because of the ethnicity of their coach but rather because the role model who supported and encouraged their learning cared about them.

I am not diminishing the value and influence that teacher or staffs of color have on some students.I would like to caution those, however, who potentially contemplate justifying the under-achievement of minority students to the scarce number of teachers of color to put a break on that self fulfilling prophecy.There is no research that shows a positive correlation between high academic achievements and support by a teacher of the same ethnic background.On the contrary, professional development leads to student learning regardless of the teacher's skin tone.Research confirms that teacher quality is a critical factor in improving student performance.A 1999 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report of ten schools in Atlanta demonstrated that all ten schools had black teachers and black students. Only 2 out of those 10 schools made AYP.

What you need to know

Teachers or staff of color may also negatively influence students of color as much as other white teachers or staff.This may happen if or when the staff of color believes that our children have been treated unfairly and deserve to receive the best, or when a mere belief that our students need to demonstrate higher aptitude than non-minority students.Furthermore, when we believe that only teachers of color can make a difference for minority students, we are concluding that white teachers are incompetent and cannot relate to minority students.History proves that many of the minority students who reached their full potential were supported, encouraged, and inspired by teachers who were predominantly white and not of the same race.This trend continues, in 1991 the Association of Teacher Educators reported that 92% of teachers were white female.A 2005 report by the National Center for Education Information sited that 85% of teachers are white and 82% are female.

What should our public schools do to support the achievement of minority students?Create awareness of each teacher's culture, provide professional development around cultural competency, connect each student with a caring adult, reinforce the notion that relationships precede learning and finally, promote the value of CARE.This can be accomplished by remembering the words of John Dewy, "Learning to know must always be accompanied by learning in order to do"Teachers who care enough will create relevance and meaning for the students they teach and will inspire and testify to the success of all children, minority included.

Respect and care make teachers more effective.Respect and care not only motivate leaders to teach, it makes them more effective in their teaching.Good teachers need to establish a caring rapport with their students, and passion for their subject.

References

White, J. L., Cones, J. H. III (1999).Black man emerging:Facing the past and seizing a future in America.New York:W.H. Freeman. (page 54)

William, H. Watkins, (2001).The White Architects of Black Education.New York:TeacherCollege Press (pages 55-57)

PROFILE OF TEACHERS IN THE U.S. 2005" http://www.ncei.com/index.html

Gail L. Thompson, 2004.Through Ebony Eyes:What Teachers Need to Know But Are Afraid to Ask About African American Students.San Francisco:John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Bondo Nyembwe is the Director of Strategic Planning at The Cilongo Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports educational initiatives in Africa and the USA and a Program Administrator for School Choice at the Minnesota Department of Education.Bondo can be reached at Nyem0002@umn.edu or 612-251-5559.