Call to Action

Black teachers not only matter, but they are also integral to the success of schools across the country. While the research has consistently shown their impact on student outcomes in schools, this report shows that for several outcomes, Black teachers matter in parent perceptions and outcomes as well. The findings show that in many instances, schools with more Black teachers have favorable outcomes for children of Black parents. Countless bodies of work show that Black teachers fundamentally help transform schools. As such, schools should make more intentional efforts to recruit and retain Black teachers. This may look like the following:

1. Expanding recruitment networks and creating partnerships with HBCUs and non-profit organizations such as UNCF, the Center for Black Educator Development, the Black Teacher Collaborative or Diversity in Leadership Institute, which emphasizes the role of leaders of color.
2. Focusing on retention (not just recruitment) of teachers of color by examining invisible taxes on Black teachers (i.e., disciplinarian roles, diversity committee leads), providing mentoring programs with financial incentives, and supporting teacher growth and opportunities.
3. Partner with universities to establish Grow Your Own Programs with a focus on diverse talent.
4. Ensuring human resources and talent development staff are also diverse and have the intentionality and financial incentives necessary to increase diversity.
5. Mobilizing Black parents and caregivers to advocate for greater teacher diversity, in conjunction with other non-profit advocacy groups.

The data suggested that parents wanted to be more active participants in the learning process for their child. This may look like the following:

1. Establishing parent advisory boards for schools and districts that provide continual feedback into education decisions.
2. Conducting 360-degree feedback surveys and focus groups that take parent feedback into account.
3. Partnering with non-profit organizations, like Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE) or Stand for Children that support families in their advocacy efforts.

Across many schools and districts, mental and behavioral support staff are not valued; yet we know they matter, especially given the current climate and the effects of the pandemic. Schools and districts may consider the following:

1. Engaging in an equitable assessment of the budget (especially on the district and charter network level) to ensure that districts and schools that serve large percentages of students from low-income backgrounds receive a larger share of supports for school counselors, as research often shows they lack access.
2. Providing additional college counseling training for school counselors, as standards for college counseling are not often required. Riverside County of Education, New School Counselor Academy, is a great example of a district that prioritizes college counseling training for school counselors.

Racism and systematic inequality are embedded in the social fabric of this country. Schools need teachers and administrators to approach their work from an anti-racist framework. While this may look like curriculum restructuring, meaningful professional development or intentional hiring, the training that teachers receive before they get into the classroom is paramount as well. It is important to mention that while these suggestions are important for schools, some states are grappling with legislatures that aim to dismantle substantive curriculum related to race. These harmful tactics not only deprive students of learning an accurate account of history and preparing them to be anti- racist adults, but they also can deter teachers from entering (or remaining) in the profession as their autonomy in the classroom is stifled. Schools, districts and CMOs may consider the following:

1. Reviewing the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights document, “Race and School Programming,” which “guides schools on lawful programs to promote racially inclusive school communities.” The document “clarifies the circumstances under which schools can—consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations—develop curricula and programs or engage in activities that promote racially inclusive school communities.” The document also provides 13 hypothetical examples for districts to consider in evaluating their Title VI legal obligations and protections concerning school-sponsored curricula and programming.¹Department of Education Press Release. “U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Issues Resource on Race and School Programming.” August 2023. Retrieved from: Retrieved from: https://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/us-department-educations-office-civil-rightsissues-resource-race-and-school-programming
2. Re-evaluating the curriculum to support an anti-racist framework across disciplines.²Note, while this suggestion is important, schools in some states must unfortunately navigate the current climate regarding mandates against certain race-based content.
3. Providing meaningful, actionable professional development that focuses on anti-racism and culturally relevant pedagogy.
4. Ensuring the books and imagery throughout the schools are reflective of all students. Images, quotes and visuals in a school are not mere periphery items; they matter to students.

Nearly 50% of Black parents could not name, unaided, organizations that could support their children. Parents also prioritized the importance of internships for their students. Schools, districts and CMOs may consider the following when possible:

1. Establishing partnerships with local organizations that allow for hands-on internship experiences for students. Such experiences could also be imbedded in the curriculum to make the learning process more engaging and applicable to their futures.
2. Connecting parents with organizations that can provide college preparation resources and can help increase graduation and college enrollment rates. Given the high student-to-counselor ratios and the data showing that parents felt schools did not adequately help them in understanding how to pay for college, partnering with outside organizations can help fill the gap. Organizations like UNCF, the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund or FormYourFuture.org can offer significant amounts of scholarships and/or college supports for students.

Safety was a significant priority for parents in the study.³Subsequent research will delve more into what parents mean when they say safety is important. While there are many facets of safety—such as physical, mental or health, one thing remains the same—even above academic rigor, parents want to ensure their children are cared for and protected. Schools should consider the following:

1. Performing equity audits that address discipline, arrests and restraints by race at local school districts and schools.
2. Reviewing and addressing school support staff ratios to understand how schools are investing in policing compared to support services. Increased policing and understaffed support staff could yield deep inequities in schools.
3. Disciplining students that perpetuate violence against students of color, given that Office for Civil Rights data show that nationally, Black students are overrepresented in bullying based on race.⁴Office for Civil Rights. Civil Rights Data Collection. (2017- 2019). State and National Estimates. https://ocrdata.ed.gov/estimations/2017-2018 Schools must swiftly address these issues and not sweep such issues under the rug, which further alienates and harms Black students.

Though most Black parents want to see their children attend college, many parents want assistance in this endeavor. Colleges may consider the following:

1. Offering virtual informational sessions with local schools on the admissions process and financial aid. Schools must think creatively on meeting students and families where they are.
2. Establishing virtual and in-person college tours for groups of students that may not have access to in-person opportunities.
3. Ensuring counseling educator programs on college campuses have standards and stand- alone coursework on college and career readiness.
4. Creating structured student ambassador or mentorship programs to help K-12 students glean insight from current college students in various student leadership programs. UNCF research with high school students showed they would like to hear from current college students.
5. Creating intentional partnerships to expose more students to HBCU opportunities. Knowledge and promotion of HBCUs is often waning in K-12 schools. Some HBCUs have created partnerships with schools and districts to increase awareness of HBCUs. Moreover, several states hold HBCU fairs and some are also virtual.

HBCUs play a key role in diversifying the teacher and education leader workforce, which makes a difference for student outcomes. Schools and districts must be intentional in recruitment efforts with HBCUs. This may look like the following:

1. Establish partnerships with K-12 stakeholders and communities to create interventions, programs and HBCU-K-12 schools, like Howard Middle School of Math and Science, Florida A&M Developmental Research Schools, Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy (Saint Augustine University), The STEM Early College at North Carolina A&T and others. UNCF is embarking on new HBCU-K-12 partnership initiatives to help create and deepen partnerships with HBCUs to transform communities through K-12 education. This work will entail school creation, teacher pipelines and other interventions.34
2. Establishing HBCU-K-12 local partnership programs like the Norman C. Francis Teacher Residency Program at Xavier University, Claflin University’s Call Me MISTER Program or Tennessee State’s Grow Your Own program to increase representation of Black educators.
3. Partnering with local donors to create scholarship opportunities for potential educators in local area schools.

Teacher preparation programs that do not teach future educators how to navigate the classroom setting for diverse learners do students and future educators a grave disservice. A teacher education program can be both academically rigorous and socially conscious at the same time—the two concepts are not mutually exclusive but are, in fact, inextricably linked. Such programs may engage in the following:

1. Establishing course and programmatic audits to ensure the program has an equity framework.⁵For more information, please see UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson report, The Heart Work of Hard Work: Black Teacher Pipeline Best Practices at HBCU Teacher Education Programs by Dr. Keeley Webb Copridge, LaTasha Mosley, and Dr. Raeshan Davis
2. Creating courses that specifically address anti-racism, but also embedding these topics in regular courses of study.
3. Intentional hiring and promotion of faculty of color to ensure that students are taught by diverse and competent scholars.

The report and previous research have shown that the high cost of college is a key barrier to enrollment, and oftentimes students and parents have difficulties understanding the financial aid process. Higher education institutions may consider the following:

1. Administering online financial literacy webinars.
2. Offering workshops with local schools.
3. Ensuring that university websites are transparent and provide key details and deadlines on financial aid. Outside of the child’s school, parents ranked websites as the second most-used source for finding out information on college for their children.
4. Developing interventions for parents and students to avoid the “summer melt” with financial aid information and housing requirements. Interventions such as social media, website updates and summer events may help families stay on top of key requirements for enrollment for the academic school year.