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JSU among 7 to get funds to certify minority teachers
By Riva Brown
rvbrown@clarionledger.com
Jackson State is among seven historically black colleges and universities in the nation that will get money to help more minorities become certified teachers and ultimately teach minority students.
The Dallas-based Tom Joyner Foundation and the National Education Association in Washington are partnering to provide each HBCU with a minimum of $100,000 to encourage teacher candidates and teachers with provisional certification to get their licenses.
Ivory Phillips, dean of Jackson State's College of Education, said the number of black teachers has dropped from more than 50 percent to 20 to 30 percent since desegregation. Meanwhile, the number of black students in public schools is rising.
"We certainly welcome the donation by Tom Joyner or any other organization. This is going to help us close the gap and remedy that situation, because it is getting worse and worse," Phillips said.
Twenty-five percent of the state's teachers in 2003-04 were black, according to the state Department of Education. Fifty-two percent of public school children are nonwhite, according to the Mississippi Teacher Center.
Money will be available by the fall semester for the initiative, said NEA spokeswoman Melinda Anderson. "We will seek to serve as many qualified applicants as possible," she said.
Wesley Williams II, director of the teacher center, said black students lack role models when the teaching work force is not diverse.
"It is so important for our children to see African-American teachers teaching masterfully," said Williams, a former English teacher who mentors two black male students. "When children are able to see someone they can look up to, someone they can identify making a significant contribution to humankind, it's encouraging them to make a significant contribution."
One of those teachers is Amber May. The 22-year-old Jackson State graduate is teaching math at Whitten Middle School on a one-year certification. She also is preparing to enter the alternate-route teacher certification program.
May said the foundation and NEA partnership is a wonderful idea to help people appreciate teachers more, as well as boost the number of minorities in schools, particularly black males.
Twenty percent of black teachers in 2003-04 were black males, according to the Mississippi Teacher Center.
"Some of these kids need a positive male influence in their lives," said May, who is planning to pursue a master's in teaching, and possibly math, at Jackson State. "They may not have a connection to their father."
Fewer than 50 percent of African Americans nationwide pass teacher entrance exams, according to the NEA. Numbers were not immediately available for Mississippi.
"We want to make sure they remove any barriers that possibly have prevented them from getting the proper certification," said Neil Foote, foundation spokesman. "In the long run, we know if we have better, more certified teachers, we know it can overall improve the quality and education for our students and prepare them even better to go off to college, perhaps to our HBCUs."
Jackson State, the only HBCU in Mississippi participating, was selected because of the courses it offers and its ability to provide resources in terms of space and teachers, Foote said.
Other HBCUs selected are Bowie State University in Baltimore; Cheyney State University in Cheyney, Pa.; Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta; Harris Stowe State College in St. Louis; Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C.; and Tennessee State University in Nashville.
By Riva Brown
rvbrown@clarionledger.com
Jackson State is among seven historically black colleges and universities in the nation that will get money to help more minorities become certified teachers and ultimately teach minority students.
The Dallas-based Tom Joyner Foundation and the National Education Association in Washington are partnering to provide each HBCU with a minimum of $100,000 to encourage teacher candidates and teachers with provisional certification to get their licenses.
Ivory Phillips, dean of Jackson State's College of Education, said the number of black teachers has dropped from more than 50 percent to 20 to 30 percent since desegregation. Meanwhile, the number of black students in public schools is rising.
"We certainly welcome the donation by Tom Joyner or any other organization. This is going to help us close the gap and remedy that situation, because it is getting worse and worse," Phillips said.
Twenty-five percent of the state's teachers in 2003-04 were black, according to the state Department of Education. Fifty-two percent of public school children are nonwhite, according to the Mississippi Teacher Center.
Money will be available by the fall semester for the initiative, said NEA spokeswoman Melinda Anderson. "We will seek to serve as many qualified applicants as possible," she said.
Wesley Williams II, director of the teacher center, said black students lack role models when the teaching work force is not diverse.
"It is so important for our children to see African-American teachers teaching masterfully," said Williams, a former English teacher who mentors two black male students. "When children are able to see someone they can look up to, someone they can identify making a significant contribution to humankind, it's encouraging them to make a significant contribution."
One of those teachers is Amber May. The 22-year-old Jackson State graduate is teaching math at Whitten Middle School on a one-year certification. She also is preparing to enter the alternate-route teacher certification program.
May said the foundation and NEA partnership is a wonderful idea to help people appreciate teachers more, as well as boost the number of minorities in schools, particularly black males.
Twenty percent of black teachers in 2003-04 were black males, according to the Mississippi Teacher Center.
"Some of these kids need a positive male influence in their lives," said May, who is planning to pursue a master's in teaching, and possibly math, at Jackson State. "They may not have a connection to their father."
Fewer than 50 percent of African Americans nationwide pass teacher entrance exams, according to the NEA. Numbers were not immediately available for Mississippi.
"We want to make sure they remove any barriers that possibly have prevented them from getting the proper certification," said Neil Foote, foundation spokesman. "In the long run, we know if we have better, more certified teachers, we know it can overall improve the quality and education for our students and prepare them even better to go off to college, perhaps to our HBCUs."
Jackson State, the only HBCU in Mississippi participating, was selected because of the courses it offers and its ability to provide resources in terms of space and teachers, Foote said.
Other HBCUs selected are Bowie State University in Baltimore; Cheyney State University in Cheyney, Pa.; Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta; Harris Stowe State College in St. Louis; Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C.; and Tennessee State University in Nashville.
