Black educators play an important role in the field of education by fostering inclusivity, creating diversity in classrooms, and reducing systemic barriers to Black educators. Only 20% of national public K-12 teachers identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.
The City Teaching Alliance presented their Championing Equity: Black Educators Initiative (BEI) Showcase and Q&A Wednesday evening. BEI is a program that helps empower ambitious Black educators who want to make a difference in the teaching community. The event, held over Zoom, was open to college students, teachers, advocates, or anyone interested in learning about the value that Black teachers hold.
BEI believes educators are the key factor in changing the educational system from what it’s historically known as oppressive and marginalizes students of color. BEI founders created a four-year model to train effective teachers to gain the cultural skills they need to run a classroom.
The first year in the program is known as the “residency year” which entails a gradual release into lesson planning and co-teaching a classroom. The second year is where you begin your first year as a lead teacher with a full-time salary and benefits. In year three you continue as a lead teacher and you’re able to get your teaching certificate for your state. Finally, in the fourth year of the program, you get additional leadership opportunities and still gain experience as a lead teacher.
Jamirious Mooney, a first-year educator through BEI’s program, shares the importance of having diversity in a classroom and opening one’s mind to a diverse society,
“In this world, you’re going to work with people who don’t look like you, but you have lots of things in common with them. If you never got passed those racial boundaries, then you’ll never understand the beauty of the world we live in.” Mooney said.
Going into an education profession it’s necessary to set boundaries for yourself and put yourself before your students so you don’t burn out, which is a huge issue in the teaching community. If you don’t advocate for yourself in the classroom, then you aren’t teaching your students to be intentional and to take care of themselves according to Mooney.
Mooney explains that creating a student-teacher connection involves raising the whole child and turning them into a learner,
“It begins with raising teachers and helping teachers see who they are in the classroom and how that shows up for their kids and to leverage that with the relationship you’re able to build because that’s what makes a classroom work.”
BEI is an important program for discovering and creating Black educators to reshape what education is. Black teachers contribute to a more inclusive and diverse educational society, which benefits all students by exposing them to a broad range of perspectives and experiences. This can lead to a richer educational experience and better preparation for a diverse world.
Alyssa Johnson can be reached at [email protected]