Host David Mansouri talks with Dr. Patrick Washington from the Man Up Teacher Fellowship, a Memphis organization that is developing a talent pipeline of men of color for public schools and has placed more than 50 Black male educators in classrooms.
Low-income Black students who have at least one Black teacher in elementary school are significantly more likely to graduate from high school and consider attending college. Yet, Black men make up less than 2 percent of the nation’s teachers. The mission of Man Up is to give students in high poverty urban and rural communities — particularly male students of color— access to high-quality male teachers and to advance policies that promote equity in K- 12 schools.
Watch this episode to learn:
- How Man Up establishes relationships with talented young men of color to recruit them to teaching
- The importance of providing ongoing mentorship and removing financial barriers for men of color interested in a career as an educator
- How Man Up is exceeding its goal for placing and supporting male teachers of color in K-12 classrooms
- How organizations and school systems can improve outcomes among all students by having a diverse workforce of teachers and staff
- How to create schools and spaces where all students can thrive
- Opportunities to expand the Man Up model and curriculum to other parts of the state and across the country