DiMauro Michele - How do we recruit and retain Black male teachers in K-12 education

Running Head: HOW DO WE RECRUIT AND RETAIN BLACK MALE TEACHERS IN K-12 EDUCATION?
HOW DO WE RECRUIT AND RETAIN BLACK MALE TEACHERS IN K-12
EDUCATION?
Michele S. DiMauro
MGMT 5805 CAPSTONE PROJECT – University of Connecticut
July 9, 2015

HOW TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN BLACK MALE TEACHERS IN K-12 EDUCATION?
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Table of Contents
Abstract 3
Introduction 4
Literature Review 10
Methods 15
Sample Study & Selection of Case 16
Validity Analysis 16
Data Analysis & Instrumentation 17
Case Description and Analysis Findings 20
Case Description 20
General Trends/Themes & Findings 22
Analysis of Findings 28
Recruitment Strategies & Local Policy 28
Retention Strategies 31
Expected Impact and Contributions 32
Limitations 36
Conclusions 37
References 41
Appendices 45

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Abstract
The recruitment and retention of Black male teachers has received the attention of school
districts nationwide. In February 2014, President Obama launched “My Brother’s Keeper”
which is a new initiative to help every boy and young man of color break barriers and get ahead.
In the fall of 2010, Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, launched a national initiative,
Teach.gov, to recruit the “next generation” of teachers. Duncan emphasized the following, “I’m
very concerned that increasingly, our teachers don’t reflect the great diversity of our nation’s
young people, and so making sure we have more teachers of color and particularly more men,
more black and Latino men, coming into education is going to be a significant part of this Teach
Campaign” (Bireda & Chait, 2011, p. 1). Black male teachers are largely underrepresented in
our nation’s classrooms, and it has been widely reported that they make up less than “2% of our
country’s teachers” (Nicolas, 2014). This paper will provide an overview describing the issues
that have lead up to this major problem, data and statistics, an analysis of a case study (African
American teachers in public schools: An examination of three urban school districts), and
recommendations for recruiting and retaining Black male teachers in K-12 Education such as
thinking differently about recruitment and retention and different pathways into teaching such as
alternative programs, community colleges, early outreach, growing your own, regional
educational service centers, and mentoring programs.

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Introduction
A burning issue facing public schools across the country is the shortage of Black male
teachers. There are compelling social and educational reasons for having a more diverse
teaching force and an undeniable benefit in exposing students to all sorts of role models (Gursky,
2002). It is critical for students to see Black male teachers as role models because if they don’t
see their own kind in positions of leadership, they have no one to aspire to become like, but
“that’s not to say that someone else can’t teach them" (Gursky, 2002, p. 28). Using data from
Project STAR (landmark study in Tennessee that boosted the case for smaller class sizes), the
results indicated that students assigned to teachers of their own-race generated substantial gains
in student achievement for both black and white students (Gursky, 2002). Even more evident, “a
year with a same-race teacher increased students’ math and reading scores by about 4 percentile
points” (Gursky, 2002, p. 28).
The need for Black male teachers is very clear and vital as Census data shows that
schools are increasingly comprised of Black and Latino students across the nation. The
projections are that “non-whites will soon be the majority of students in public schools. As of
2009, 47% of students were black, Latino, Asian and Native American” (Bryan, Ed.D. & Ford,
Ph.D., 2014, p. 156). However, this shift has not reflected in the teaching profession. An
analysis of the National Center for Educational Statistics (2012) data showed that black students
made up more than 45% of the PK–12 population, whereas black teachers made up only 17.5%
of the educator workforce (Institute of Education Sciences, 2015). It is possible for students
from all racial backgrounds to spend their years in school and never have a Black male teacher.

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This disparity doesn’t allow for Black male students to see themselves reflected in the teaching
profession.
Black male teachers serve as a role model for Black male students because they share the
same “cultural experiences and linguistic backgrounds” which allows the students to have that
familiar interactions with their teachers and serve as inspirational models for students to pursue
higher education (Madkins, 2011, p. 417). Ladson-Billings (2009) stated that all students need
to see teachers resemble them, who have shared their cultural and lived experiences, and who
can serve as cultural negotiators. Black male teachers have the power to “interrupt such negative
trends by serving as advocates” for Black male students (Bryan, Ed.D. & Ford, Ph.D., 2014, p.
159). The increased emphasis on recruiting and retaining Black male teachers is related to the
belief that Black students need the role models and that when Black students are taught by
teachers from their own/racial ethnic background they tend to perform better academically and
show improvements in their personal and social development (Howard, 2012).
In the Howard case study, eight (8) African American boys were selected who attended a
predominately African American public charter school, Angel’s Academy (Howard, 2012). In
this study there were interviews and informal observations that explored the relationships the
students had with African American male school personnel. The first interview was to seek out a
foundation for a relationship of trust and respect, while also gathering important socio-
demographic information such as family, interest and activity involvement (Howard, 2012). The
second and third interviews sought to identify the socializing methods they received from adult
males and how their relationships with these men informed the “boys’ masculine sense of self”
(Howard, 2012, p. 377).

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The eight (8) students were asked to identify adult males in their school with whom they
could talk to about personal matters, and they identified six (6) men as Black/African American
and one (1) Caucasian (Howard, 2012). These men varied in age, marital status, and number of
years teaching (Howard, 2012). The relationships were unique in the sense that race and gender
provided the opportunity for adolescent African American boys to expand the possibilities for
self as they negotiate the process of establishing an identity that feels most authentic and true to
self, and that African American boys can be further supported in their effort to develop a sense of
self that is authentic and to maximize their academic potential (Howard, 2012, p. 385).
Addressing the issues regarding Black male students and Black male teachers is essential
in order to arrive at the methods to recruit and retain Black male teachers in Education. For
example, some pertinent issues restraining back Black male students are limited options for
young Black men, high school drop-out rates, declining enrollment in post-secondary education,
increasing rates of incarceration of young Black males, increasing suspension and expulsion
rates of young Black males. As stated in the Article The Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys,
“Black boys lead the nation in suspension” and “maybe the real problems is that we don’t
understand that Black boys have a different learning styles” than white children (Hale-Benson,
Ph.D. & Moss, Jr. D.D., 1985, p. 34). The 2007 data shows that 25.6% of Black male students in
K-12 have repeated a grade, 49.5% of Black male students have been suspended which is the
highest percentage rate of all race/ethncity, and 16.6% of Black male students have been
expelled which helps to represent the issues that are occuring have lead to the missed educational
opportunities for Black males (see Figure 1) (Ponjuan, Ph.D. & Saenz, Ph.D., 2011).

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In its 2006 report, “the Schott Foundation for Public Education notes that on average,
58% of Black male high school students do not gradute in four years” (Harper, 2006, p. 2).
Nationally, more than two thirds (67.6%) of black men who start college do not graduate within
six (6) years, which is the lowest college completion rate among both sexes and all racial/ethnic
groups in higher education” (Harper, 2006, p. vii). Basically, there is a need to strengthen the
ties between post-secondary education and Black young male students through various reforms
(Harper, 2006). Achievement and educational outcome data at the national, state, and individual
school district level provide clear evidence of wide-spread, systemic failure across American
public schools to effectively educate Africa American young men (National Education
Association, 2010).
The issues pertaining to the shortage of Black male teachers historically started back in
desegregation which “marked the beginning of a long period of loss of Black teachers with the
profession” (Madkins, 2011). DuBois made the following statement about the desegregation of
public schools in 1960, “If and when they (Blacks) are admitted to these (public) schools certain
things will inevitably follow. Negro teachers will become rare and in many cases disappear” (Du
Bois, 1973, p. 151). Unfortunately, DuBois’s forecast of what would happen to Black teachers
became factual, and tens of thousands of Black teachers lost their jobs as a result of the
desegregation of American public schools (Madkins, 2011). This historical issue had a huge
impact on the loss of Black teachers; however, there are also some current and on-going
variables that have influenced the lack of Black males entering into the teacher profession.
As discussed in the article The Black Teacher Shortage (2011), several reasons for
shortages of Black male teachers are due to inadequate academic preparation for college entrance

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and graduation, increased opportunities for Black students to pursue more prestige and
successful careers, inferior school preparation, and the effects of standardized testing practices
(Madkins, 2011). Many Black secondary education students have received inadequate school
preparation and are less likely to finish and graduate from college. Those that do attend college
sway to other careers such as business, science, and careers that are considered more successful
or lucrative such as a professional athlete (Madkins, 2011).
At 21 flagship college and university institutions, “more than one out of every five black
men on campus was a student athlete in 2004” (Harper, 2006, p. vii). In the article, Identifying
New Sources of African American Male Pre-Service Teachers: Creating a Path from Student-
Athlete to Student Teacher, discusses a more innovative approach to recruitment which requires
teacher preparation programs to partner and collaborate with university athletic departments in
an attempt to influence and increase a larger pool of Black male potential teaching candidates
(Byrd, et al., 2011). Su stated in the journal, Teaching as a Profession and as a Career:
Minority Candidates’ Perspective, “that teaching has not been recognized as a profession by
many in the public and it has not enjoyed the same respect, social status, and economic
compensations as some other human service professions such as law and medicine” (Su, 1997, p.
328). Other issues such as low salary, constant challenges in the teaching profession, and the
misconception regarding a teacher’s work schedule were other contributors. Black males’
selection of education as a major in college is extremely low when compared to other collegiate
majors (Lewis, 2006). Ryan (2005) listed the following average monthly income earnings for
the top bachelor degree fields of study in 2001 was an Engineer at a monthly earning of $5,296,

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Business at a monthly earnings of $4,815; Science Medicine at a monthly earnings of $3,693;
Education at the lowest average earnings at $3,433 (Ryan, 2005).
According to Powell, the federal government does not provide the instructions for
recruiting teachers, especially teachers of color which means that state and local policies
affecting education are different nationwide, statewide, and districtwide. Teacher certification
requirements and guidelines are left up to each individual state with some particular federal
stipulations (Powell, 2009). Every state is allowed to create their own licensure process for
teachers – which has led to use of over 600 different teacher licensure exams throughout the
country which results in states not accepting each other’s teaching licenses, and teachers are
locked into working in the state where they began their career or they may be forced to start fresh
if they move to another state (Hiler & Johnson, 2015). This variation has played a major impact
on how Black teachers are recruited into field of teaching.
Nationally, several different recruitment models have emerged in an effort to increase the
presence of African American males in teacher education programs and to open up a talent
development pipeline to the field of teaching. The Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing
Students Toward Effective Role Models) Initiative was created in the fall of 2000 to recruit, train
and certify Black men as teachers in South Carolina’s public primary schools (Byrd, et al.,
2011). The Griot Program is geared toward the African American male career changer who
wants to a make a difference by serving as a primary role model for students in urban school
systems (Byrd, et al., 2011).
It is vital to consider all feasible passageways to teaching for Black males, and to
examine early recruitment efforts to encourage and promote potential future teachers while they

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are still in high school or even theoretically earlier on. It is important to do more to ensure
teachers represent the students they teach and “this includes thinking differently about
recruitment and retention and about how we as a country view teaching” (Hawkins, 2013).
Talent development is not just about recruiting, building, and retaining the best talent; it is about
being aware of the goals, vision, and culture of the organization and diligently planning and
anticipating the needs for talent in the future (Ready, Hill, & Thomas, 2014).
This review will identify the historical approaches both academic and practitioner studies
that were found that met the criteria of relevance, empirical nature, and quality. The historical
approaches regarding the issues that attributed to the shortage of Black male teachers, a
comparative of African American Male Teachers in Public Schools: An Examination of Three
Urban School Districts case study, a description of the cases and findings and what solutions
should be proposed, expected impact and contributions of the case/interventions, limitations, and
what still needs to be done or considered with a summary of the key findings will be discussed
later in this paper. With this in mind, next I will review the literature on the issue of the shortage
of Black male teachers.
Literature Review
There is a shortage of Black teachers in the workforce, and the percentage of Black
teachers has continued to decrease since desegregation (Madkins, 2011). During the era of
segregation, Black teachers taught Black students and White teachers taught white students
(Madkins, 2011) In 1910, there was a huge need for Black teachers especially in the South.
Teaching was considered an available and respected profession for Blacks, and many of the
teachers attended historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) (Madkins, 2011).

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Additionally, teacher candidates could attend training instituitions at the county level to become
teachers (Madkins, 2011). These teachers served as role models for the black students on how to
steer their future even though it was faced with racial inequalities and discrimination (Madkins,
2011). During this time, teachers were taught with the idea that the charge of teaching was to
ultimately inspire and elevate members of the race (Morris, 2004). Du Bois (1935) stated that
Black teachers provided a “sympathetic touch” because of their knowledge of their students’
culture, history, language, and community (p. 328).
By 1950, about half of all Black professionals working in the United States were
employed as a teacher (Cole, 1986). During this time, Black teachers were highly regarded as
professionals within the Black community, and teaching was considered a fundamental part of
the professional life for Black people (Gordon, 2000). In 1954, approximately “82,000 Black
teachers taught nearly two million Black students in the United States public schools” (Madkins,
2011, p. 419). According to Siddle Walker (2001), Black teachers were “preparing Black
students to compete in the desegregated world that did not yet exist” (p. 769). Siddle Walker
(2001) blended a variety of perspectives on Black teachers and identified five principles that
captured the beliefs they held about their roles: (1) Teachers should develop a relationship with
the community, (2) teachers should be committed to professional ideals, (3) teachers should care
about their students, (4) teachers should relate the curriculum to students’ needs, (5) in return
teachers would receive community and school forms of support.
Du Bois (1973) prediction of desegregation of public schools in 1960s unfortunately
came true and “tens of housands of Black teachers lost their jobs as a result of the Brown ruling”
(p. 151). In the eleven years immediately following Brown, more than 38,000 black teachers and

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administrators in 17 Southern and border states lost their jobs (Toppo, 2004). In Arkansas, no
Black teachers were hired in desegregated districts from 1958 to 1968, and in Texas five
thousand “substandard” white teachers were employed while certifed Black teachers were told to
go into other careers (Toppo, 2004). Administrators were impacted even worse as 90% of Black
prinicipals lost their jobs in eleven (11) Southern States (Toppo, 2004). In 1964, Florida had
Black prinicipals in all sixty-seven (67) school districts, and ten years later only forty (40) school
districts had Black principals (Toppo, 2004). The number of Black principals dropped from six
hundred twenty (620) to forty (40) principals from 1967 to 1971 (Toppo, 2004).
The percentage of Black teachers began to decline as in 1978 Blacks comprised only 12%
of the national workforce and has since declined over time (Madkins, 2011, p. 419). The number
of Black students who chose teacher education as a major declined by 66% in 1975 to 1985
(Tillman, 2004). Although many efforts to recruit minority teachers began with federal court
orders to diversify district staffs in the 1970s and 1980s, some districts chose to voluntarily
diversify staffs in response to increase student diversity (Madkins, 2011). New teacher
certification requirements and teacher education program admission requirements resulted in the
displacement of “21,515 Black teachers” (Tillman, 2004, p. 286). By 2001, Black teachers
represented 6% of the public school teaching force, whereas Black students represented 17.1% of
the public school student population (Tillman, 2004, p. 286). Desegregation helped to contribute
to a historical factor regarding the decrease in number of Black teachers (Madkins, 2011). Over
the past twenty years, recruitment efforts in many large urban districts have focused on hiring
more minority teachers through different programs such as alternative route to certification

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(Madkins, 2011). Despite these various efforts to recruit and retain Black male teachers, the
teaching workforce has remained the same (Madkins, 2011).
Since that time there has been a series of public policies in the last 25 years that have had
a negative impact upon young Black males (Harper, 2006). Some of the policies include the
abandonment of rehabilitation and treatment of drug users in exchange of using criminal
sanctions, state policies to divert youthful offenders to adult criminal systems, and the imposition
of zero tolerance policies to exclude youth with problems from public schools (Harper, 2006).
These policies have had a huge impact on young Black males such as increasing High School
dropout rates and it has also contributed to a decline in enrollment in postsecondary education
(Harper, 2006). Black males have been the victims of chronic system-wide levels of poor
performance coupled with class, gender, and racial problems that may arise while at school
(Davis, 2003). Black males who do excel may feel psychological pressure from the burden of
“acting white” (Boykin, 1992) (Ogbu, 2004). There has also been an increase in incarceration to
a significant degree, and the increase of suspension and expulsion rates at schools (Harper,
2006).
The chart in Figure 1 examines the trends across the entire public school educational
pipeline (K-12); the 2007 data shows that 49.5% of Black male students have been suspended
which is the highest percentage rate of all race/ethncity, and 16.6% of Black male students have
been expelled which helps to represent the issues that occuring that have lead to the missed
educational opportunities for Black males (see Figure 1) (Ponjuan, Ph.D. & Saenz, Ph.D., 2011).
As stated in the article The Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys, Black boys lead the nation in
suspension and the real problem is “that we don’t understand that Black boys have a different

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learning style” and for example “have a different walk, a different talk, larger ego, are more
agressively inclined, are more athletically inclined (Hale-Benson, Ph.D. & Moss, Jr. D.D., 1985,
p. 34). “Black english exists” and “their parents speak it and so do their friends” (Hale-Benson
et al., 1985, p. 34).
Figure 1: Percentage of Public Schools Students who have repeated a grade, been
suspended or been expelled by Race/Ethnicity and Gender 2007
An analysis of multiple data sources reveals the national trends and disparities: “In 2002,
black men comprised only 4.3% of all students enrolled at institutions of higher education, the
same as 1976” (Harper, 2006, p. vii). “Nationally, more than two-thirds of black men who start
college do not graduate within six years, which is the lowest college completion rate among both
sexes and all racial/ethnic groups in higher education” (Harper, 2006, p. vii). As stated in the
article Increasing Teacher Diversity (2011), “the dismal rate of high school and college
completion for students of color immediately minimizes the number of eligible candidates for the
teaching field” (Bireda & Chait, 2011, p. 5). Despite the underrepresentation of Black male
students in higher education, there is still a representation of Black male students that can be
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
White Black Hispanic Asian
Male/repeated a grade
Male/suspended
Male/expelled

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easily found on most college and university intercollegiate sports teams. This is an important
issue in order to discover why these students aren’t going into education. Partly, it's self-
perpetuating; if boys don't have male teachers, they are less likely to consider entering the
profession. Men also are deterred from teaching by lack of the profession’s social status, fear of
being charged of abuse, and relatively low pay compared to other professions. It is also
important for boys to have male role models, particularly when so many children live in homes
where the only adult is their mother or grandmother. All students need to see Black males in
authority roles in order to provide students with Black role models other than athletics,
entertainment, or, unfortunately, crime.
State and school districts have tried to create incentives to recruit Black male teachers
such as creating teacher education programs to produce teachers which correlates to the
following research questions. What recruitment strategies and local policy methods can be
incorporated in order to recruit Black male teachers in K-12 education? How can retention
strategies be successful in encouraging Black male teachers to remain in the teaching career?
Methods
To investigate the research question noted in my literature review, I selected a case study
by Lewis (2006) which was an analysis of African American Male Teachers in Public Schools:
An Examination of Three Urban School Districts. This case study examines the disproportionate
number of Black male teachers in K-12 public schools.

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Sample Study & Selection of Case
More specifically, this case study surveys 147 Black male teachers in three urban school
districts in Louisiana, who were in years one to three of teaching, in order to better understand
what strategies could be implemented to increase the presence of Black male teachers (Lewis,
2006). “The three school districts were selected because they employed 5% of Black male
teachers” during the 2000-2002 academic years (Lewis, 2006, p. 233). The state of Louisiana
was selected as a good benchmark to conduct the study since it provided one of the highest
percentages of Black males in the teaching population as compared to other states (National
Center for Education Statistics, 2003). I selected to analyze this case study for my research
project due to the variations of a mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence. My plan is to use
an explanatory approach which will desribe the most effective ways to encourage Black males to
enter and remain in the teaching profession.
Validity Analysis
Since Lewis (2006) used a survey instrument (see appendix 1) in this case study, it was
necessary for him to establish content validity of the new instrument. In the case study, a panel
of five experts received a draft of the survey for review along with a brief summary of the study,
a description of the sample group to be surveyed, known limitations of the study, and desired
beneficial results of the survey (Lewis, 2006). The five experts who reviewed the content and
the survey and made suggestions for the revision of the survey (Lewis, 2006). On the basis of
the experts opinion, there were six modifications of the survey until there was a collaborative
agreement determined which obtained content validity (Lewis, 2006).

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To ensure reliability, the survey was given out and teachers provided feedback regarding
the layout and the readability of the survey (Lewis, 2006). There was a sample of 50 Black
teachers from Louisiana which was used to pilot the survey instrument. The sample for the pilot
study was working closely with the Human Resources Department of the three school districts,
and then contacting the principals who had the Black male teachers with one to three years of
experience (Lewis, 2006). Those principals provided the names of the African American males
who met the criteria (Lewis, 2006) The Black male teachers in the sample pilot were contacted
by mail and provided with information describing the study and a consent form (Lewis, 2006).
After the consent forms were returned, teachers were mailed a copy of the survey to review for
readability and for layout (Lewis, 2006). These teachers recommended changes to improve the
formatting and readability of the survey instrument. After input from the teachers in the pilot
study, the instrument used in the final case study was finalized (Lewis, 2006).
Data Analysis & Instrumentation
The first section of the survey instrument had six (6) questions which requested
background information about the teachers, and the second section of the survey collected data
about recruitment and retention mechanisms that were viewed significant by Black male teachers
(Lewis, 2006). This section contained eleven (11) recruitment mechanisms and fourteen (14)
retention mechanisms that Black male techers reponsded to in a Likert-scale format (Lewis,
2006). The Likert-scale helps to create a balance of both sides of a neutral option and creates a
less bias measurement (Allen & Seaman, 2007). This question type is useful when you want to
get an overall measurement of a particular topic, experience, or opinion and collect data, specific
data, on the contributing factors (Allen & Seaman, 2007).

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The final section of the survey allowed participants to respond to an open-ended question
concerning the future recruitment and retention of Black male teachers in United States public
schools. Using a survey as a research instrument allows more samples to be collected in a timely
manner. The qualitative data provided a thorough understanding of the represented sample, and
allowed some generalizations to be made to the population. Generally speaking, there are a few
drawbacks to using a survey as a research instrument; however, a survey can be an effective tool
to gather data when there are time constraints. Research states that survey data can pose a
concern since some respondents may not be honest (Yin, 2009).
Lewis (2006) used standard descriptive statistics such as means, percentages, standard
deviation, and coefficient variation as a data analysis due to the nature of the survey instrument.
This provided data on what Black male teachers deemed important in the area of recruitment and
retentions.
The Mean
For a data set, the mean is the sumof the observations divided by the number of observations. It identifies
the central location of the data, sometimes referred to in English as the average. The mean is calculated
using the following formula.
Formula: M = Σ(X)/N
Where Σ = Sum of
X = Individual data points
N = Sample size (number of data points)
The Standard Deviation
The standard deviation is the most common measure of variability, measuring the spread of the data set
and the relationship of the mean to the rest of the data. If the data points are close to the mean, indicating
that the responses are fairly uniform, then the standard deviation will be small. Conversely, if many data
points are far fromthe mean, indicating that there is a wide variance in the responses,then the standard
deviation will be large. If all the data valuesare equal, then the standard deviation will be zero. The
standard deviation is calculated using the following formula.
Formula: S2 = Σ(X-M)/2 n - 1
Where Σ = Sum of
X = Individual score
M = Mean of all scores

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N = Sample size (number of scores)
Coefficient of Variation
By calculating howthe standard deviation relates to the mean,otherwise known as the coefficient of
variation (CV), you will have a more uniformmethod of determining the relevance of the standard
deviation and what it indicates about the responses of your sample. The closer the CV is to 0, the greater
the uniformity of data.The closerthe CV is to 1, the greater the variability of the data.
Formula: CV = S/M
Another limitation was that a total of 229 African American male teachers in the selected
sample (three school districts) were sent the survey for this case study; however, “one hundred
forty-seven (147) surveys (65%)” were returned in for analysis (Lewis, 2006, p. 234). Table 1
illustrates the response rates for the total number of Black male teachers in the selected three
school districts in the state of Louisiana. This data was obtained from human resources
personnel. In school district 1, there were a total of 45 Black male teachers who received the
survey with 27 of them responding back. In school district 2, there were 58 Black male teachers
who received the survey with a total of 42 responding back to the survey; and in school district 3,
there were 126 Black male teachers who received the survey with 78 responding back to the
survey. Twenty percent (20%) of the sample was no longer working in the three school districts
used in the case study one week following the mailings of the survey (see table 1). The major
themes from this section will be highlighted in the Case/Interventions & Findings section of this
paper.

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Table 1: Response rates of total number of African American Teachers in selected
school districts in the state of Louisiana who were within 3 years of teaching
School District Black Male Teachers
Surveyed
Black Male Teacher
Response
% of Total Response
School district 1 45 27 60%
Total 229 147 64%
Case Description and Analysis of Findings
Case Description
In revisiting my research questions, I would like to first briefly describe my case,
intervention, and data followed by what I found as far as general themes or trends as related to
research questions and my methodological approach. Specifically, as I had discussed in the
methods section, I explained that I would look at the case study African American Male Teachers
in Public Schools: An Examination of Three Urban School Districts for the following reasons.
The case study examines the disproportionate number of Black male teachers in K-12 public
schools. National data showed that Black male students constitute approximately 20% of the
public school population, while Black male teachers constitute 1% of the teaching force
(National Center for Education Statistics, 2003). More specifically, this case study surveys 147
Black male teachers in three urban school districts in Louisiana, who were in years one to three

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of teaching, in order to better understand what strategies could be implemented to increase the
presence of Black male teachers (Lewis, 2006). The state of Louisiana was selected as a good
benchmark to conduct the study since it provided one of the highest percentages of Black males
in the teaching population as compared to other states (National Center for Education Statistics,
2003).
The shortage of Black male teachers are prevalent because of economic, education, and
social cultural factors (Lewis, 2006). The economic reasons were due to low pay, too much
education for the return, and a wider range of career choices than previous generations of Black
males had. The educational reasons were related to insufficient K-12 schooling, negative
experiences in the school setting, and a lack of emotional and academic mentoring (Lewis,
2006). The social and cultural reasons factors were related to experiences of racism and lack of
support. Aligned with the educational pipeline notion, Brown and Butty (1999) noted:
the number of African American males who go into teaching is influenced by the number of
African American males who attend college, which in turn is influenced by the number of high school
graduates and so on…unfortunately the pipeline that moves African American students frompublic
school to public school teaching is a leaky one (p.282).
Lewis selected the state of Louisiana because it provided one of the highest percentages
of Black males in the teaching population as compared to other states (National Center for
Education Statistics, 2003). In this case study, there was a sample of one hundred forty-seven
(147) Black male teachers at three (3) different school districts in the state of Louisiana who
were within three (3) years of teaching (Lewis, 2006). The age range of the sample of Black
male teachers ranged from 21 years old to 40 years old (Lewis, 2006). A total of 85% of Black

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male teachers were between the ages of 21 to 30 years old, and a total of 15% of Black male
teachers were between the ages of 31 to 40 years old (Lewis, 2006). Twenty-five (25) Black
male teachers (17%) had less than one year of teaching experience, sixty-two Black male
teachers (42%) had one year of teaching experience, thirty-one (31) Black male teachers (21%)
had two years of experience, and twenty-nine (29) Black male teachers (20%) had three years of
teaching experience (Lewis, 2006). I selected this case study for my research project due to the
variations of a mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence.
General Trends/Themes & Findings
Following the analytical methods outlined in the methods section, I would like to now
discuss some of the trends and themes that I found in the case study African American Male
Teachers in Public Schools: An Examination of Three Urban School Districts based on my
interpretation of the case and data before going into an assessment of impact, contributions,
limitations, and concluding remarks with this study. Several prevailing themes have emerged
regarding why Black males are not entering the teaching profession, such as other career
opportunities are now available to them; not viewing teaching as an attractive or lucrative career
choice; low compensation offered by many school districts; faced with many educational
obstacles that keep them from pursuing a career in teaching; encounter social and cultural
obstacles that take various forms such as poor academic preparation in secondary schools and
difficulty in the social and cultural adjustments to college life (Lewis, 2006). In reviewing the
trends of Black males’ participation in teaching, there were three (3) common themes that have
surfaced.

23
Low Compensation. The first trend is the low compensation offered to teachers (Lewis,
2006) In order to increase the presence of Black male teachers among K-12 education, the
compensation being offered must be more attractive to encourage Black males to consider a
career in education.
Educational Obstacles. The second trend is to overcome the educational obstacles such
as the PRAXIS, and in order to do this teacher education programs need to create a curriculum
that will train and teach Black males in order to improve their chances of passing these tests
(Lewis, 2006).
Social and Cultural Adjustments. The third trend is to create a welcoming culture at
universities and colleges for teacher education programs in order for Black male candidates to
increase their chances of becoming certified teachers (Lewis, 2006).
Table 2 exemplifies data that was gathered from the survey question number 6 (see
Appendix A): Who was the most influential person in your decision to teach (Lewis, 2006)?
Participants in the study using the Linkert-scale section of the survey checked the appropriate
response for the question choosing either (a) family member; (b) elementary teacher; (c) high
school teacher; (d) friend; (e) elementary principal; (f) high school principal; (g) counselor; (h)
other (please specify) (Lewis, 2006). The majority (60%) of Black male teachers in this study
reported that a family member was the most persuasive person in their decision to choose a
career in teaching (Lewis, 2006). The High School Teacher was the next influential person that
persuaded their decision to choose a career in teaching; 16% of participants selected this
category (Lewis, 2006). An Elementary Teacher ranked in third place; 8% of participants

24
selected this category (Lewis, 2006). Interestingly, not a single participant checked off that they
were persuaded to go into teaching by their Elementary Principal or their High School Principal.
Table 2: Survey question 6: The most influential person(s) in your decision to teach
Influential Person Number Checked on Survey % Checked on Survey
(a) Family member 88 60
(b) Elementary Teacher 12 8
(c) High school teacher 24 16
(d) Friend 7 5
(e) Elementary Principal 0 0
(f) High School Principal 0 0
(g) Counselor 9 6
(h) Other 7 4
(i) Total 147 100
In question 7 of the survey (see Appendix A) under recruitment mechanisms, participants
were asked what encouraged them to take their current position at their school district in
Louisiana (Lewis, 2006). The participants in the survey had to rate each recruitment mechanism
as they regard its relative degree of encouragement for considering employment with their school
district. They were required to place the appropriate letter(s) in the space provided to the left of
each of the categories. The ratings were VE – very encouraging; E-encouraging; D-
discouraging; VD-very discouraging; NA-not applicable (Lewis, 2006). Standard descriptive
statistics such as means, percentages, standard deviation, and coefficient variation were used as a
data analysis because of the nature of the survey instrument (Lewis, 2006). This will provide
data on what Black male teachers deemed important in the area of recruitment.

25
Table 3 provides an analysis of what Black male teachers respected and valued in the
area of recruitment. The top five responses were the following: helping young people; needing
a job; contributions to humanity; location of a job, and other. The closer the coefficient of
variation (CV) is to 0, the greater the uniformity of data. The closer the CV is to 1, the greater
the variability of the data. In looking at Table 3, the CV for recruitment mechanism for helping
young people has a CV of .13 which is closer to 0 which means the variation is rather small, this
indicates the data has the greatest uniformity with respect to the mean and there is a general
consensus among the sample. Salary has a CV of .35 which is closer to 1, which means the data
has a great deal with respect to the mean and there is NOT a general consensus among the
sample.
Table 3: Results of Survey question 7: Recruitment Mechanisms
What recruitment mechanisms were most effective in your selection of teaching profession?
Recruitment Mechanism Mean Standard Deviation Coefficient of Variation
Helping young people 3.70 .48 .13
Neededa job 3.47 .50 .14
Contributions to
humanity
3.38 .49 .14
Location of job 3.22 .76 .24
Other 3.27 .90 .28
Size of district/school 3.18 .74 .23
Curriculum 3.11 .66 .21
Individual social status 2.98 .64 .21
Benefits 2.94 .73 .25
Class size 2.79 .81 .29
Salary 2.64 .93 .35

26
In question 8 (see Appendix A) of the survey under retention mechanisms, participants
were asked what keeps them in their current position (Lewis, 2006). The participants in the
survey had to rate each retention mechanism as they regard its relative degree of encouragement
for considering remaining in their current teaching position. They were required to place the
appropriate letter(s) in the space provided to the left of each of the categories. The ratings were
VE – very encouraging; E-encouraging; D-discouraging; VD-very discouraging; NA-not
applicable (Lewis, 2006). Standard descriptive statistics such as means, percentages, standard
deviation, and coefficient variation were used as a data analysis because of the nature of the
survey instrument (Lewis, 2006). This will provide data on what Black male teachers deemed
important in the area of retention. Table 4 (below) provides an anlaysis of responses to this
retention question. The top five responses were job security, contibutions to humanity, goals
(short/long term), location of job, and adminstrative support (Lewis, 2006). The coefficient of
variation shows that salary and parental support show that the data has a great deal with respect
to the mean and there is NOT a general consensus among the sample.
Table 4: Results of Survey question 8: Retention Mechanisms
What keeps you in your current position?
Recruitment Mechanism Mean Standard Deviation Coefficient of Variation
Job Security 3.36 .63 .19
Contributions to humanity 3.33 .63 .19
Goals (long/short term) 3.17 .63 .20
Location of job 3.14 .79 .25
Administrative support 3.13 .82 .26
Size of district/school 3.09 .74 .24

27
Working Conditions 3.04 .87 .29
Curriculum 2.87 .82 .29
Individual social status 2.83 .63 .22
Benefits 2.81 .75 .27
Class size 2.80 .87 .31
Parental support 2.60 .98 .38
Salary 2.48 1.03 .42
The last question (#9) of the survey (see Appendix A) asked an open-ended question;
Black male teachers were asked how the recruitment of Black male teachers could be improved
by their particular school districts. The five (5) following major themes were found in the survey
results (Lewis, 2006):
1. Recruit teachers from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
2. Provide better benefits, higher salaries, and better working conditions.
3. Allow African American male teachers that are currently employed by school
districts to be recruiters at job fairs.
4. Use the media (i.e., Internet, television, and media) to better recruit Black males.
5. Provide equal opportunity based on true qualifications and not “who you know”.
The process begins by analyzing the findings of this case study, how they inform existing
practice, and what solutions should be proposed. With this in mind, you will find an analysis and
existing finding on my research questions.

28
Analysis of Findings
This case study provides some evidence to answer the following research questions:
1) What recruitment strategies and local policy methods can be incorporated in order to recruit
Black male teachers in K-12 education? 2) How can retention strategies be successful in
encouraging Black male teachers to remain in the teaching career? The findings of this case
study are quite significant and the participants (Black male teachers) made some very interesting
points that we must acknowledge; especially school districts and those (Human Resources,
Superintendents, state and federal, colleges and universities) that are interested in the recruitment
and retention of Black male teachers.
Black male teachers were asked what person was the most influential in your decision to
become a teacher; 60% of the Black male teachers stated that a family member was the most
influential person in their decision to become a teacher. Parents and other family members play
an important role in many academic decisions, and it is important that school districts involve the
family members in the recruitment process and look at promoting a recruitment plan that
involves the family. For example, a possible recruitment method might be visiting a potential
candidate at their home to talk with them and their family about the benefits of working at XYZ
school district. Another example would be a guidance counselor who might also visit the family
home to have a discussion with the family about the possible scholarships and grants that are out
there in teaching that can be awarded to the student for attending a college or university.
Recruitment Strategies & Local Policy. Black male teachers in the case study were
asked, “What was the most important recruitment mechanism offered by your school district that
influenced your decision to become a teacher?” (Lewis, 2006) This is important since this

29
question ties into my research question: What recruitment strategies and local policy methods
can be incorporated in order to recruit Black male teachers in K-12 education? The survey
results showed that helping young people and contributions to humanity were among the top
influential factors for them. This information should be utilized to emphasize the importance of
helping young people succeed as one of their primary recruitment strategies for recruiting Black
male teachers (Lewis, 2006).
More efforts should be made to involve the community outside of education and to utilize
valuable resources to identify potential Black male candidates for the teaching profession.
Another resource could be to collaborate or partner with the 100 Black Men of America which is
a community organization designed to improve the quality of life for Black males by providing
mentoring and educational programs. Organizations like this can form partnerships with Black
males in teacher preparation programs and provide individual mentoring and financial support
for students pursuing teaching as a career. By doing this, Black male students can be matched
with successful Black male teachers to improve the possibility of the students being successful in
their journey to become a teacher.
There needs to be policy changes to refine the entrance requirements for teacher
programs. Many Black males who have the potential to become exceptional teachers are not
admitted to teacher programs because of their standardized test scores (Lewis, 2006). It is vital
that entrance requirements are reassessed. There should be alternative measures or requirements
such as achievements, grades, interviews, and the passion for the profession should be taking
into consideration.

30
The recruitment emphasis for Black males should be on the societal importance of
helping other Black students become successful. For policy makers looking to increase the talent
development pipeline of Black male teachers, it is imperative to create opportunities for Black
students to have early experiences with teaching. School districts and policy makers could create
opportunities for high school Black males to teach or tutor younger students. A perfect example
of this is Pathways to Teaching (PTT). This program is a comprehensive teacher readiness
program designed to encourage culturally and racially diverse high school students to consider
teaching as a career (Connecticut Alliance of Regional Educational Service Centers, 2015). This
intensive and inclusive career development and college readiness program provides academic,
social, and financial support to students from high school to college. The PTT program is
composed of support systems such as mentoring by certified teachers at the high school and
college levels, SAT preparation, summer educational internships, college field trips, tutoring, and
scholarship assistance for tuition, books, and fees (Connecticut Alliance of Regional Educational
Service Centers, 2015). Similarly, state and national policy makers could provide funding for
Black males in college to tutor students in elementary and secondary schools.
High schools and colleges need to work and collaborate together to develop an ongoing
and systematic recruitment program that has emphasis on attracting Black males into teaching.
This could be done by marketing and helping Black high school students to become more
knowledgeable about education and teaching, developing and implementing a curriculum for a
high school course on teaching and learning in our society, and facilitating a collaborative
approach to teacher recruitment (Lewis, 2006). There also can be collaboration between teacher
education programs and two-year colleges due to the large pool of Black males in two-year

31
colleges (Lewis, 2006). The core of academic courses in the teaching program could be taken at
a two-year college which will help Black students because of the financial value of attending a
two year college, the social value of the smaller class, and greater connections to the instructor.
All of these things could help increase the odds of academic success.
Retention Strategies. This case study emphasizes the retention strategies for Black male
teachers which ties into another one of my research questions; how can retention strategies stay
successful in encouraging Black male teachers to remain in the teaching career? Black male
teachers responded that the most important factor of their current positions that have allowed
them to stay with their current school district was the job security of the position, contributions
to humanity, and short and long-term goals (Lewis, 2006). This is important information that
should be used by school districts in order to find methods to highlight job security and the
contributions to humanity that are connected with teaching and the school district. For example,
a school district can tie their school vision and mission into this in order to build a culture and
climate that promotes job security and the contribution to humanity by helping children learn and
achieve.
Job security can also be expanded by creating a talent development pipeline in order to
provide your teachers with growth potential such as Administrator positions within the school
district. This may take the form of creating Administrator internships where Black males can be
trained and mentored on Administrative/Director positions within a school district. One
implementation of this is growing your own by developing, mentoring, and nurturing your staff
to become future leaders within your school district. This will help to make Black male teachers
more marketable within your school district and provide the required opportunities needed for

32
growth. Use mechanisms such as quality mentoring in order to provide support to new teachers
for their probationary period with the school district. This will help them to easily adjust to the
demands of teaching. Another method of retention is providing equal opportunity for all staff
and rating your employees on what they know versus who they know. Human Resources offices
should create rubrics that rate their employees on the knowledge and standards needed for the
position.
School districts may consider incorporating racial and gender climate awareness training
for Administrators and staff members. This would help alleviate social boundaries that can
create challenges for Black male teachers as they serve in their teaching roles. School districts
could provide socio-emotional support to Black male teachers, which in, turn could provide
reflection on practice in regards to student learning such as allowing them to utilize education
days to network with other Black male teachers through their school district, other school
districts, and throughout the state.
Another retention strategy would be to provide new Black male teachers with financial
incentives to stay in the teaching profession, such as stipends and after school programs, tuition
reimbursement to promote education, and forgiveness on student loans. These examples are all
great techniques of retention policies that school districts could implement in order to increase
the odds of retaining qualified Black male teachers in the future.
Expected Impact and Contributions
Based on the findings of the case study, it suggests that retention techniques play a role in
the recruitment and retention of Black male teachers in K-12 education. The findings also

33
highlight the impact of better benefits, higher salaries, and better working conditions as effective
strategies for recruiting and retaining teachers of all races and background.
The findings of this case study are quite significant: (1) policy makers should create
opportunities for Black students to have early experiences with teaching, (2) state Department of
Education and policy makers would open more doors to minority teachers, (3) policy makers and
practitioners will devise solutions to improve the conditions that Black students face across the
nation’s schools, (4) Policy makers may encourage school districts to conduct cluster hiring in an
attempt to create diversity and to actively recruit administrative positions internally in order to
provide Black male teachers with growth potential, (5) Practitioners could offer different ways to
better support Black male teachers in their school districts, (6) Practitioners could provide socio-
emotional support to Black male teachers.
Policy makers should look to increase the talent development pipeline of Black male
teachers by creating opportunities for Black students to have early experiences with teaching. A
perfect example of this is a program such as Pathways to Teaching where culturally and racially
diverse students are encouraged through a comprehensive teacher readiness program to consider
teaching as a career. This would be an emphasis on the societal importance of helping Black
students become successful and provide support systems such as mentoring by certified teachers
at the high school and college level. State and national policy would need to implement and
provide funding for Black males in college to tutor students in K-12 schools. One of the more
prominent recruitment programs is Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward
Effective Role Models) which provides tuition assistance and leadership training to Black male
students pursing education degrees. Finally, there needs to be recruitment methods as early as

34
high school similar to Future Teachers that specifically target Black male students. School
districts should be connected to these programs providing information about their individual
hiring requirements and offering internships for the young men in the programs.
Black males are often overlooked for teachers’ programs due to their low standardized
test scores. A reassessment by the State Department of Education and policy makers would open
more doors to minority teachers. This is a current obstacle that holds back many Black males
who have the potential to become exceptional teachers, but are not admitted to teacher programs
because of their standardized test scores. Policy changes need to be implemented to refine the
entrance requirements for teachers’ programs, and there should be alternative measures such as
achievements, grades, interviews, and the passion for the profession should be taking into
consideration.
There appears to be a direct correlation for Black males between dropping out of high
school due to being suspended, expelled or incarcerated. In addition to experiencing such social
challenges, Black males also experience their school experience as particularly negative. Black
male students are twice more likely to be suspended than any other students. Research and data
regarding the rate at which Black male students are suspended, expelled, and unable to graduate
from high school after four years is sufficient enough to influence policy makers to summon
Black males into the role of as an educator/teacher. It is my hope, that policy makers and
practitioners will devise solutions to improve the conditions that Black students face across the
nation’s schools.

35
By just bringing in Black male teachers without careful consideration on how to retain
Black male teachers may encompass practitioners and policy makers in unending recruitment
campaigns. School Districts might have as much difficulty retaining Black male teachers as
recruiting them. Lewis (2006) found that 60 % of Black males were influenced to enter the
teaching profession based on a recommendation from a family member. The reason why they
entered the profession was to be of help to students, and they expressed the desire to remain in
the teaching profession if they had greater job security, contributed to humanity, and had a
defined talent development career ladder that would allow them to obtain administrative
positions. Policy makers may encourage school districts to conduct cluster hiring in an attempt
to create diversity and to actively recruit administrative positions internally in order to provide
Black male teachers with growth potential.
Practitioners could offer different ways to better support Black male teachers in their
school districts such as using mechanisms such as quality mentoring in order to provide support
to new teachers for their probationary period with the school district. This will help the new
teacher to easily adjust to the demands of teaching. Another method that practitioners could
implement would be to create Administrator internship opportunities. This would be a perfect
opportunity for Black male teachers to be trained and mentored by Administrators. This will
provide Black male teachers with job security within your school district and provide the
required opportunities needed for growth.
Practitioners could provide socio-emotional support to Black male teachers which in turn
could provide reflection on practice in regards to student learning such as allowing them to

36
utilize education days to network with other Black male teachers through their school district,
other school districts, and throughout the state.
Limitations
As with any study, the findings are limited in a variety of ways: (1) based on only
perceptions shared in prospective schools, (2) generalizing results to other school districts, (3)
was the population a good representative of United States, (4) one method used, (5) the survey
instrument used, (6) 65% responses returned.
One limitation is that by solely surveying Black male teachers, the findings are based on
only their perceptions shared about their schools, specifically the influences that enabled and
constrained their decisions to enter teaching and their desires to stay or remain in their school
districts. Although the sample includes Black males in the targeted school districts, the
responses were gathered from Black male teachers in years one to three of teaching which may
not be representative of all Black male teachers.
This case study was restricted to three urban school districts in Louisiana so it is
imperative that caution should be taken in generalizing the results to other school districts with
Black male teachers, and also was this population a good representative of United States. I
wonder if the results would have been different in the State of Connecticut. Another potential
limitation could be there was one method used: a survey instrument. Could the results have been
different if the researcher, Lewis (2006), provided structured interviews or observations?
Possibly having two methods might have allowed the researcher to identify patterns and then
make claims about the experiences of Black male teachers.

37
We also have to consider the limitations of the survey instrument and how there was only
nine questions on the survey. The qualitative data provided a thorough understanding of the
represented sample, but allowed some generalizations to be made to the population. Generally
speaking, there are limitations to using a survey as a research instrument; however, a survey can
be an effective tool to gather data when there are time constraints. Research states that survey
data can pose a concern since some respondents may not be honest (Yin, 2009).
Finally, this brings up another limitation, there was that a total of 229 African American
male teachers in the selected sample (three school districts) were sent the survey for this case
study; however, “one hundred forty-seven (147) surveys (65%)” was returned in for analysis
(Lewis, 2006, p. 234). A potential limitations is that there was only 65% of responses returned,
leading to a sample that may not reflect the attitudes and practices of Black male teachers in the
three urban school districts in Louisania. One week following the first two mailing of the
survey, the researcher learned that approximately 20% of the sample was no longer working in
the three urban school districts used in this study.
Conclusions
To improve the recruitment and retention of Black male teachers in K-12 education, there
needs to be further areas of future research that should be examined. The greater demand for
Black male teachers justifies the need for more effective recruiting and retention strategies and
policies. Thus school districts that apply the recommended strategies resulting from this case
study will be able to develop, recruit, and retain Black male teachers. To improve the

38
recruitment and retention of Black male teachers in K-12 education, there are several
recommendations as areas of future research that should be explored.
First, there should be a large scale study with Black male high school and college
students who want to be teachers to better understand what influenced their choice to become
educators (Lewis, 2006). Next, there should be an enquiry performed across school district
nationwide to determine what recruitment and retention strategies work best for hiring Black
male teachers in K-12 schools (Lewis, 2006). Lastly, there should be more theoretical studies
conducted on Black male teachers to continue to inform the dialogue on the dire need for Black
male teachers (Lewis, 2006).
In conclusion, the literature review highlighted the importance of having Black male
teachers in the classrooms across United States. The data around the rate that Black males are
suspended and expelled and unable to graduate from high school after four years are enough to
influence policy makers about the importance to summon Black men into the teaching
profession. The absence of Black male teachers from classrooms can also be attributed to many
factors; however, the current ones appear to be other career options and the assumption that
teaching is a female dominated profession. Many school districts are in need of Black male role
models that those school districts are purposefully seeking to recruit Black teachers in the
classroom. This could be done by following the recruitment and retention strategies listed in this
case study.
The top three recruitment strategies that were most important to Black male teachers
were (1) helping young people, (2) needing a job, and (3) contributing to humanity (Lewis,

39
2006). Therefore, this information is important for school district Administrators and Human
Resource Directors. First, Administrators/Human Resources must continue to stress at various
recruitment and college fairs the vital role of teachers, specifically Black male teachers in
helping young people reach their educational goals and become productive members of society.
Next, school districts must work closely with colleges and universities regarding making them
aware of teaching opportunities at their schools. Third, school districts and colleges and
universities can work closely together to inform Black male students and teachers that the
teaching profession is an excellent way to contribute back to humanity. Based on the findings of
this case, these are all recruitment mechanisms that will aid in increasing the presence of Black
male teachers in schools.
In the area of retention of Black male teachers, this case study found the top three
retention mechanisms were (1) job security, (2) contributions to humanity, and (3) shorts and
long term goals (Lewis, 2006). Colleges, universities, and school districts must continue to
remind Black male teachers about the job security in the profession of teaching. They could also
provide teachers with growth potential within the school district to increase retention rates.
Without these efforts, school districts will continue to lose Black male teachers to other
professions. Next, they must build a climate and culture at the school district that fosters the
efforts that teachers play in making a difference in the lives of students. Lastly, school districts
can create a mentor program that would provide a new Black male teacher with mentoring and
advice on their assignments within the school district and any possibly short and long-term goals.
By implementing these recruitment strategies, school districts can increase their retention rates of
Black male teachers (Lewis, 2006).

40
In conclusion, Black male teachers are a key importance in the classroom. They not only
serve as a role model for Black students, but for all students. White students also benefit from
exposure to Black male teachers in positions of authority and influence because this will better
equip them to thrive in an increasingly diverse nation. There are compelling social and
educational reasons for having a diverse teaching force, and as our society and our schools are
becoming more and more diverse, there’s an irrefutable value in exposing students to Black male
teachers. Research has shown that a year with a same-race teacher has increased students’ math
and reading scores. Finally, there needs to be policies that strengthen teacher training,
recruitment, selection, and retention with the emphasis on increasing the number of Black male
teachers in K-12 education. There needs to be a national commitment to these efforts where
local, state, and federal programs and policies need to be created to aggressively bring Black
males to K-12 education.

41
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Appendix A
SURVEY INSTRUMENT
Background Information
Please check the appropriate responses(s) for each item:
1. Age:
a. 21 – 30____ b. 31-40____ c. 41-50____ d. 51-60____ e. 61+____
2. Years of experience (entire career)
a. 0______ b. 1______ c. 2______ d. 3______
3. Grade level(s) for which you have had instrucitonal responsibility
a. Elementary __________ b. Secondary___________
4. The highest academic degree you have attained:
a. Bachelor’s__________ b. Master’s__________ c. Doctorate_________
5. What was your undergraduate major? What university/college?
a. Major:__________________ University/College:___________________
6. The most influential person(s) in your decision to teach: (check all that apply)
a. Family member__ b. elementary teacher___ c. high school teacher ___ d.
friend____ e. elementary principal____ f. high school principal____
g. counselor____ h. other (please specify)____________________________

46
Factors Influence Recruitment and Retention of Black Male Teachers
The following items represent various factors of teaching. Please rate each factr as you regard its
relative degree of encouragement for considering remaining in your current teaching position.
Place the appropriate letter(s) in the space provided to the left of each number. All
questionnaires are anonyous.
Ratings: VE-very encouraging E-encouraging D-Discouraging
VD- very discouraging NA-not applicable
7. Recruitment Mechanisms
What encouraged you to take your current position?
___ 1. Salary ___ 6. Helping young people
___ 2. Benefits ___ 7. Class size
___ 3. Contributions to humanity ___ 8. Needed a job
___ 4. Individual social status ___ 9. Location of job
___ 5. Size of district/school ___ 10. Other___________________________
8. Retention Mechanisms
What keeps you in your current position?
___ 1. Salary ___ 6. Class size ___ 11. Parental support
___ 2. Benefits ___ 7. Curriculum ___ 12. Goals
___ 3. Contributions to humanity ___ 8. Size of district/school ___ 13. Admin. support
___ 4. Individual social status ___ 9. Job security ___ 14. Other _______
___ 5. Location of job ___ 10. Working conditions _________________
9. In your opinion, how could recruitment and retention of African American teachers be
improved?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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