I Hope My Black Students Will Become Educators Too

This is the note. This is the note. Mr. Walters, my middle school choir teacher, took his love of music and teaching music seriously. He…

Will All the Black Teachers Please Stand Up?

Education remains one of the Black community’s most enduring values. It is sustained by the belief that freedom and education go hand in hand, that…

White Women Like Me Dominate the Teaching Profession. Here’s Why That’s a Problem

I can name the Black educators I had growing up on one hand.  One. Hand.  And if I add the ones I had in college…

At Freedom School Literacy Academy, Black Pride and Academic Achievement Go Hand-in-Hand

Erika Asikoye is the Director of the Freedom School Literacy Academy (FSLA) at The Center for Black Educator Development in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The FSLA, for…

5 Tips to Rid Your School Faculty of Racists

The insurrection of January 6, 2021 was a dark day in our nation’s history. What makes it even darker is that public servants took part…

6 Questions Every Black Teacher Should Ask When Joining a New School

For many teachers, the end of the school year not only serves as an opportunity to deeply reflect on how the year went, but also…

Black Principals Can Serve as a Bridge To Get More Black Teachers Into the Classroom

The research is clear on the impact of Black teachers on Black student achievement. Black students who have had at least one Black teacher are…

This Is the Moment to Tackle Teacher Diversity. We Can’t Wait.

President Biden has put our nation’s education system front and center, recently announcing plans for enormous investments in education from pre-K through college, in addition…

Most White Teachers Are Not Ready to Teach Black and Brown Students

Effective teachers can change and save lives, but being a great teacher is hard. The challenge is especially acute in our high-poverty, under-resourced public schools where teacher tenure is…

I Know What the Challenges Are for Black Teachers and How to Start Fixing Them

I will never forget the moment last year when a seventh-grade African American student came to my door and said, “Mr. Taylor, I just wanted…