Education Week - May 17, 2023 - 18

UPDATED 4/17/2023
PRESIDENT & CEO Michele J. Givens
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Beth Frerking
To Recruit Black Teachers,
We Need Black Leaders
To the Editor:
While Black people only make up 7 percent of the teaching
profession, Black males are an even smaller minority, and statistics
show that they are also the subgroup that struggles the most
academically ( " Stop Recruiting Black Teachers Until You Can
Retain Them, " April 26, 2023). I believe it is essential to focus on male
educators to address this disparity. The school where I've worked for
the past 12 years has been successful in recruiting and retaining Black
male teachers, and I believe two factors contribute to this success.
Firstly, our principal, Rashid F. Davis, who is a Black man,
MANAGING EDITOR Lesli A. Maxwell
OPINION
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prioritized hiring Black males in all positions, resulting in a staff in
which white employees are the minority. I teach in the math department, where 4 of 6 teachers are Black
and three of those are male. Most of us have been working in this school for several years without any
intention of leaving.
Secondly, our principal hires men in support positions, such as attendance teachers, long-term
substitutes, and school aides, and encourages and supports their career advancement. Several were
hired originally without certification and were given the opportunity to go to school and complete their
required qualifications. Some of us are also being supported in our pursuit of school building leadership.
To increase the number of Black teachers, we need more Black administrators making hiring
decisions. Additionally, we need to be willing to hire and develop people into roles in which they are
not yet qualified. Being a teacher requires several steps of academic success, which can be a hurdle
for young Black people growing up. If we invest in their potential and give them the support and
opportunities they need to succeed, we can build a future where more Black males see education as
a viable and fulfilling career option.
Brian Lewis
Math Teacher
Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH)
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Treat Teachers Like Human Beings to Avoid Burnout
To the Editor:
With respect to the essay, " 5 Strategies to Empower Teachers to Be Leaders " (www.edweek.org,
March 28, 2023), these strategies are ideal ... in a perfect world.
I am an educator for the New York City school district and an aspiring administrator. The essay shares
excellent strategies that can be employed in places where nepotism is not at play, all schools are equitably
funded, all scholars have equitable access to a fair curriculum, and there is no teacher shortage.
Of course, we want to empower teachers to be leaders, but in order to do that, we need to begin
by offering teachers what they need so that teachers can be teachers. Administrators, families,
politicians, and outsiders all forget that teachers are already leaders. The mounting pressure, extensive
responsibility, and blame that is put on teachers do not foster growth or leadership. They are what cause
the root of the problem: burnout.
As an educator for the country's largest school system, I experience and witness this on a daily basis.
Due to the teacher shortage, I and other educators are picking up classes we are not licensed to teach.
Does this show that we are exhibiting leadership skills or that schools are so poorly managed that they
cannot retain enough teachers to teach these subjects?
Teachers, as leaders, will do their best to provide these scholars with the best education possible. But,
without training and content knowledge, are scholars being provided an adequate education?
As schools consistently get inadequate funding and other resources and remain understaffed, that
burden falls heavily on teachers. The best strategy to empower teachers to continue being leaders is to
treat them like human beings while understanding their limitations and strengths to utilize their skills in
ways that drive their passion rather than burn them out.
Kristina Persaud
Teacher
New York, N.Y.
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Teachers Are Being
Set Up to Fail
Instead of scapegoating teachers, focus
on the lousy school systems, ignorant
officials, or out-of-touch administrators,
writes best-selling author and teacher
Alexandra Robbins.
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Read the essay > edw.link/TeacherBurnout
4/17/23
18 | EDUCATION WEEK | May 17, 2023 | www.edweek.org/opinion
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Education Week - May 17, 2023

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