Sharif El-Mekki has $3 Million to Bring 21,000 Black Students into the Teaching Pipeline, And He’s Looking for Partners

It’s great to see the investment in Black teachers finally following the results.  We know the huge statistical impact that Black teachers have on outcomes. It’s even better to see the money going to the folks living the work like Sharif.  If you want to learn more about his program and the Black Male Teacher Pipeline in particular please join us 3/8 for a conversation with Sharif, researchers, teachers and practitioners; Black Male Teachers Matter, research, realities and practical answers.  Please join us and share.

As for this amazing expansion of Sharif’s amazing work, Chalkbeat Philly has a great article describing it.  This is the essence.

The Center for Black Educator Development, founded by veteran Philadelphia educator Sharif El-Mekki, is entering a new phase in its quest to dramatically change the face of the country’s teaching profession.

In what it is calling a “national educational justice campaign,” the organization will use $3.1 million in new funding from several foundations and venture capitalists to launch two major initiatives to nurture future teachers of color across the country.

The Black Teacher Pipeline will identify and cultivate high school and college students for careers in education, offering them apprenticeships starting in high school, mentorship into college, and overall support through their first four years in the profession. As part of this enterprise, the Black Educators of Excellence Fellowship will partner with the United Negro College Fund to recruit and financially support students.

The goal is to bring 21,000 Black students into the teaching pipeline and mint 9,100 Black teachers over the next 12 years in 10 communities around the country, including the Philadelphia-Camden area. He is looking for other school districts and cities that are willing to make this a priority, set goals, work with local universities, and raise money.

“We’re going to publish a list of criteria for success and really hoping to find communities where there’s a spirit of activism around this,” he told Chalkbeat.

So if you want to hear more, learn more and figure out how to attract, retain and develop more Black teachers please join us.