Program Trains Black Male Teachers for Preschools - October 22, 2024

0:00The Leading Men Fellowship trains young black and Latino men to become early literacy teachers in preschool classrooms across the United States. The program aims to deal with several problems at the same time. First, officials say there is a shortage of educators for preschoolers. Another problem is there are few black and Latino male teachers. And there are many problems that boys face in schools because of their race and sex. Ivan Douglas is with The Literacy Lab, based in Washington DC. It is a non-profit group that operates the Leading Men Fellowship, which started in 2016. Douglas said, We're not only affecting change in the classroom with these school students, but we're also developing these young future educators.

1:20One of the fellows in the program is Devontaez Johnson. He is 19 years old and is currently gaining experience in a preschool at Dorothy I. Heights Elementary in Baltimore, Maryland. Fellows like Johnson are recruited after they finish high school. After a summer of intensive training, they go to work in school earning between $16.50 and $18 an hour. Johnson is unusual. He is a former high school offensive lineman in American football. It is a position held by the biggest players on the team. Some parents say he looks out of place in a classroom. Federal government information says that less than 1% of elementary and early education school teachers are black men. Johnson said that is part of the reason he wanted to teach preschoolers.

2:41I really thought it was a great opportunity, because I know if I saw someone like me, you know, in pre-K, I'd be pretty excited," Johnson said. The Associated Press recently reported on the Leading Men Fellowship. The AP says there is growing evidence that black teachers can help black students, especially boys. For example, boys are more likely than girls to be expelled from school. Some people are saying that having teachers of the same race is important for young Americans. The AP says there is research showing black students who have at least one black teacher are more likely to graduate from high school and less likely to get suspended or expelled. The AP also says research suggests that training found at historically black colleges might

3:57be part of developing an effective teacher. A recent study of elementary school students in North Carolina, for example, said black students performed better in math when taught by a teacher trained at an HBCU or a Historically Black College or University. Nicholas Papa George is an economist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He said his research shows that black teachers have higher expectations of black students than non-black teachers. His research also suggests that black students who have a black teacher are less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to attend college. Leading Men Fellow Johnson has found that singing and dancing are a big part of preschool education.

5:11He has been told that children learn best through repetition, and when they can link information with movements and music. Bridget Jeffries has Johnson working in her preschool classroom. She said she has been watching Johnson grow more confident with her students. It was so beautiful because usually you don't see men really get down to the child level, Jeffries said. She said the children see him as a big kid. Johnson is also studying political science at the University of Maryland Global Campus. He hopes to go into politics, but at this time his fellow teachers want him to stick with teaching. On a recent October day, Johnson worked individually with students to help them write their names.

6:22During free playtime he helped the student who was making an impression of a leaf on paper. She looked at him for approval and support for her work. You've done a wonderful job, Johnson told her. I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.