Series: Hard Truths About Diversity Efforts in Education: Part 1
What is the Role of the Black Administrator
Have you ever heard this statistic? Black men only represent 2% of the nation’s teaching base. It is a widely used statistic. In fact, every credible article that discusses the crisis of diversifying our nation’s teaching base specifically regarding Black men uses this statistic.
Do you know where this statistic originated? Former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan mentioned it on a 2011 panel referencing data compiled by the Department of Education. This statistic has not been updated, amended, or reconfigured in any way since. Has it changed or has it remained stagnant like many points of data referencing the nation’s teacher diversity crisis?
The diversity pipeline in education has one common understanding that transcends all disciplines; that understanding is when a person of color assumes a position of influence, they use that platform to elevate more diverse situations in their purview.
But I wonder if that is always happening
Don’t Assume that Black and Brown Administrators are Quick to Hire Diverse Talent
Black administrators or district leaders coming into prominence, realistically speaking, to flex their muscle and hire more black and brown teachers can be daunting. The questions must seep into their minds about what kind of look would that be and how will they be perceived. Yes, all administrators strive to hire the best educators regardless of color, but shouldn’t there be a burden, especially in the hearts of administrators of color, to ensure that diversity is a priority for their campuses? The understanding that this is being done is at the root of all programs centered on diversity and inclusion efforts.
For example, when a Fortune 500 company is struggling with the procurement of talented female executives within their company, they hire a female CEO with the intention of specific objectives — mainly to educate the company about the plight of females in a male-dominated environment — coupled with practices that would impact an increase in female talent at the company. This same model should be applied when Black administrators are called to lead schools.
Black Administrators Play a Role in Stifling Teacher Diversity Efforts
The infographic below represents a recent Johns Hopkins study that connects student success with having Black educators. Will the guilt of Black administrators and district leaders leave diversity efforts to non-Black administrators, who, in many situations, have the luxury of hiring without provocation?
The harsh reality is that nationwide teacher diversity efforts stop short when administrators of color devalue the need to engender, mentor, and recruit teachers of color. There are factors that contribute to this hesitancy including:
● Intimidation of other strong black educators sharing your space.
● General lack of interest in having a diverse teaching base on the part of Black administrators.
● Perceived scrutiny Black administrators may face by their non-black peers for hiring a bevy of black and brown teachers.
This is an important issue that we must wrestle with because it’s part of the disturbing trend that in many ways stifles the current incremental progress in teacher diversity efforts. For certain Black administrators, this is their badge of honor, to ensure there’s more diversity within their staff and further in leadership; but for far too many this is too low on the priority list during their tenures as heads of schools.
In this series, I plan to tackle hard truths about what could be hampering diversity efforts in education. These truths are for administrators, college and university leaders, teacher leaders, and district personnel to examine their current practice and ask critical questions within their circles about inherent fears, biases, and barriers related to their role in diversifying the teaching base at their own school sites.
