Words to Black Male Teachers: You're Surely Qualified, But We're Going in a Different Direction

 By Don Allen, Editorial Opinion

This is an often-espoused goal: the quest for educational diversity and representation, yet far too elusive for way too many exceptionally qualified Black male teachers seeking a job in dominant culture school districts. Having the credentials, skill sets, and proven abilities to successfully educate does not avert the all-too-common response heard by so many of these educators: "You're certainly qualified, but we're going in a different direction."

The troubling phenomenon is not simply personal but reflects a systemic problem that persists in undermining the educational landscape. Black male teachers bring unique perspectives, modeling and mentoring students who otherwise may not have that type of representation within their academic environment. Their presence can, indeed, do much to enhance the cultural competency of all students and create an inclusive, enriched atmosphere toward learning.

In far too many dominant culture school districts, the hiring process subtly maintains biases against Black male teachers. Without question, many times, the concern is raised as to whether a Black male can fit into the culture of the school or the expectations of the predominantly White staff and parents. This skepticism can be founded in centuries-old stereotypes and prejudices calling into question a Black man's professional capabilities and classroom management skills. The silent question that would follow thereafter is how a Black male teacher would be able to navigate the complex dynamics prevailing in a predominantly white school.

Black male teachers also have to confront the reality that there is less than honest commitment to diversity in too many of these districts' hiring practices. For many schools, there is mere rhetoric about diversity initiatives and equity policies that are never followed up with meaningful actions. An addition of diversity statements in job postings, like a token, does little to change deep-seated biases ruling hiring decisions. It's crucial that we move beyond rhetoric and take real, Meaningful actions to ensure diversity in our schools.

The implications run deep. By missing out on qualified Black male teachers, students are missing out on a variety of role models who can inspire and guide them. A lack of Black male teachers solidifies a monocultural educational environment where students are barely set up to function in a multicultural world they will eventually be a part of. Such exclusion is also bound to bring a discouraging message to aspiring Black male teachers and totally turn them off from the whole education career pathway.

To do so means that districts overwhelmed by the culture of power must seriously initiate an inclusivity drive in their recruitment practices. This is more than summaries of diversity efforts that touch the symptoms of the problem, and as such, it requires an honest critical look at the biases informing hiring decisions at the root. In doing so, schools must be called upon to ensure an established culture of inclusivity that values and supports the input of Black male teachers. This will be achieved through focused recruitment, mentorship programs, professional development activities oriented towards cultural competence, and anti-bias training.

Beyond that, school districts should develop accountability measures to ensure that these diversity goals are not only met but sustained. This would include transparent reporting of hiring practices and outcomes, including solicitation of feedback from Black male teachers in the identification and addressing of barriers encountered. When school environments are fostered in which Black male teachers are not only welcomed but empowered, schools can begin to enrich the educational experience for all students.

In short, the refrain that's going to have to be overcome ad nauseam is, "You're certainly qualified, but we're going in a different direction." Well-qualified Black male teachers can transform classrooms and communities; their talents are too often overlooked. Major school districts dominated by white culture need to make sure that diversity and inclusion are not merely rhetorical but lived. It is only then that we can come up with an educational system genuinely representative and beneficial to the different societies in which we live.