Subject
Educators; Conference; BMEC (Black Men Educators Convening)
Description
The statistics almost scream.
“Only three percent of teachers in the U.S. are Black men,” Roberto J. Rodriguez, assistant secretary in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development in the U.S. Department, said at Black Men Educators Convening (BMEC), a gathering held from November 17 to 19 at Loew’s Hotel in Center City. “Only two percent of teachers in the U.S. are Latino Men,” Rodriguez added.
BMEC, led by Sharif El-Mekki, discussed the effects of having few Black men in classrooms nationwide, as well as possible remedies. The large, sold-out conference brought together teachers, administrators, artists, policymakers, legislators, and other professionals to wrestle with the challenges of recruiting and retaining Black teachers, especially men, and ensuring a quality public school education for children of color.
“We’ve got to interrupt the pervasive message to our children that they’re not worthy,” said El-Mekki, founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development, who has been praised by Oprah Winfrey and former President Barack Obama for his achievements as the principal of Shoemaker Mastery Charter School in West Philadelphia. “Participants in this collective approach the issue from different perspectives, but all of us here share the goal and the responsibility for giving our children an excellent education.”
Creator
By Constance Garcia-Barrio
Source
https://www.philasun.com/local/black-men-educators-convening-an-inspirational-gathering/
Publisher
philasun.com
File
