African American male teachers: planning for the future - Last Word

Black Issues in Higher Education, May 8, 2003 by Chukwunyere E. Okezie

The lack of African American males in our schools has been well documented. This trend is perhaps most problematic in urban environments, where the challenge of reaching students has become more difficult for teachers who are often cultures and generations removed from their students. In a society where many women are single parents and positive male presence is lacking in the lives of some urban youth, the lack of male teachers as role models is even more profound.

Reasons for the lack of African American males in the teaching profession include:

* the watered-down education that minority students receive in elementary and secondary schools;

* strong competition from non-teaching professions that offer higher salaries and better status to top graduates;

* the increase in testing requirements in many states, which effectively discourages some minority men (those adversely affected by tests) from pursuing teaching careers;

* and the heavy reliance on loans in college financial aid packages.

Each of these factors can discourage African American males from pursuing postsecondary degrees and joining the ranks of the teaching profession. Yet, the presence of African American males in our classrooms is a significant factor in improving the educational outcomes for minority students, since these teachers can serve as important role models.

Some people in higher education are seeking to reverse the current trend. With help from the Council of Independent Colleges, Marygrove College--an independent, Catholic, liberal arts college in Detroit--has established an African American Male Initiative program known as the Marygrove "Griots." The program aims to train Black males from diverse backgrounds to become teachers serving the people of metropolitan Detroit and beyond.

Marygrove is partnering with the Detroit Public Schools in this project to better understand the needs of the school system and to match Griot graduates to those needs. The students go through the six-semester, 24-month teacher certification program in cohorts. This approach allows them to provide a climate of support for each other and to develop peer leadership and professional growth relationships. Prerequisites to admission include admission to the graduate school, an acceptable grade-point average and the passage of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Basic Skills Tests.

The varied backgrounds of students, many of whom are career changers, results in a unique environment where the men are more likely to question, examine and seek justification for current thrusts and trends.

The first three classes of Griots have already graduated, are certified and now work in the K-12 urban schools in Detroit. They also are mentoring the fourth group of Griots.

In creating this program, Marygrove College asked the question: If not us, who? If not now, when? According to a Chinese poet who lived around 500 B.C., "If you want to plan for a year, sow a seed. If you want to plan for 10 years, plant a tree. If you want to plan for a hundred years, educate people." This is the essence of Marygrove College's mission.

--Dr. Chukwunyere E. Okezie is an assistant professor of education and director of the Griots program at Marygrove College.