role of the African-American teacher: Why it's essential in the school system, The

Black Collegian, Oct 2000 by Brown, Gilbert

Fewer people of color in the classroom also signals to students that teaching is not a viable career option for them, added Rose. "We need to make sure that the minority adults in the building are not just cafe workers, maintenance staff and teacher's aides," she says. "African-American professionals in our school buildings counteract illusions presented by the mass media."

Initiatives for Better Incentives

Although teaching has never been classified as a lucrative field, school districts across the country are making an effort to beef up their incentive packages to attract qualified teachers. In states such as California and North Carolina, educators receive financial incentives to successfully achieve certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, reports the AFT. Baltimore officials pay many new teachers a $5,000 housing allowance. And just recently, Vice President Al Gore urged the federal government to work with the states to come up with the funding necessary to entice veteran teachers to work in poor urban and rural communities.

While pleased with these initiatives, Conway-Turner, also a professor, stresses to students that their decision to teach should not be solely based on income. "Students," she says, "should take a serious look at what they want to do with their lives and consider what they have to contribute. It's not just about the money. Unfortunately, in life you're not going to get paid for every worthwhile thing that you do. If you have the gift to teach, you should really think about the kind of impact you can have on a child's life."

The Roles They Play

Sometimes viewed as surrogate mothers and fathers, teachers-particularly African-American educators-assume many important roles in the public school system and have numerous opportunities during a typical nine-month school year to shape, and even redirect their students' futures. As educators, they play a pivotal role in helping children, especially first generation students, thrive in academic settings and acquire the social capital necessary to attend and graduate from college. And as mentors, they instill in students a sense of pride as well as the capacity to be good learners.

"Teaching is a field that has rippling effects," says Conway-Turner. It gives you an opportunity to enhance the lives of several children-children who will one day themselves influence other generations.

What's most appealing to secondary teachers like Nicole Rose is the daily interaction and give-andtake with creative, open minds. "Incredible personal relationships develop between Black students and teachers," she says, adding that her students are very inquisitive about the path that led her into their lives. "They ask me 'Ms. Rose, when did you decide to be an artist? How did you become a teacher? Did you like the same things that I did as a child?...

Assistant Principal Diana Hanks, also can attest to how sharing one's life and personal achievements can help influence information- hungry youth. "Telling my own story of how teachers helped me to be an academic success influences a lot of students," says Hanks, who works at Tri North Middle School in Bloomington, Indiana. "I have through my teaching and later administration career been able to give back and nurture students today."