AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE TEACHER SHORTAGE

Introduction to the Problem and Study Purpose

The U.S. Department of Education (2000), reported that there is a disparity between the numbers of teachers of color and the numbers of students of color. Research has concluded that Black and other minority role models for minority and majority students is important (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). These role models effect a child's impression regarding what they can become and the minority teacher also brings an inherent comprehension regarding the cultural experiences of minority students. The Black teacher is able to understand and communicate with students of color and they are able to assist majority teachers regarding this ability (Lewis, 2000). The problem is that there is a lack of needed minority teachers. It is important to learn and understand why African American males are not entering the teaching profession. The purpose of this research paper is to explore the problem of male African American teacher shortage.

Specifically, the following research question will guide this study: Why are African American males not entering the teaching profession?

The research hypotheses are as follows:

Hypothesis 1: There is a positive correlation between the shortage of minority teachers and the perceptions that teachers are of low social status by African American males.

Hypothesis 2: There is a positive correlation

. . .
uded that those who are accustomed to being a minority are not affected by mixed group composition, as if they have already accommodated this variety. Alternatively, white teachers tend to experience a form of culture shock. It was also found that effects of racial composition were more related to the immediate organization and did not affect the overall commitment to the teaching career. Thus it was concluded that racial composition is not a factor leading to the shortage of black teachers. While the authors provided useful findings it is noted that data came from only one city and cannot be generalized to other educational situations or occupations. Curtis (1998), a black teacher at a white school, provided an alternate narrative regarding her own experience with racial prejudice. She stated that she is the only person of color on the faculty and there is only a handful of students of color on the campus. The author stated that she attempts to create a culturally responsible and responsive curriculum for the students and she requires that they do the same. She also reports that despite these and other's well-meaning intentions, it remains a difficult task since an element of prejudice remains and is exemplified when she
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 5161
Approximate Pages = 21 (250 words per page)

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