Page 17: The Future
LOOKING FORWARD TO 433
A VISION FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Markus flynn.
Our vision at Black Men Teach is that all students have the opportunity to attend schools that affirm them for who they are. In our vision, school teachers and leaders reflect their students’ and communities’ racial, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity. When we get to 433, thousands of students will have access to effective Black male teachers and targeted supports that allow students to build strong literacy and numeracy skills. Those schools will be filled with teachers who connect with their students, embrace their students’ brilliance in all the ways they manifest, and anticipate that each of their students will learn, improve, and thrive. We envision race- and class-based opportunity gaps shrinking, then closing for good.
When was the last time you heard a Black boy say he wanted to be a teacher when he grows up? When we get to 433, we’ll hear it again. We’ll see more people of color in general – Black people, Indigenous folks, immigrants, refugees, folks with limited English proficiency – encouraging children in this way. We’ll see more Black and brown people returning to, and feeling welcome within the profession. As teaching staff become more culturally competent and representative of the families they serve, we will no longer need this vision at all.
Until then, I want Black Men Teach to be a well-known, trusted organization in the Twin Cities and beyond. I hope Black communities in particular come to regard us as leaders in the education space, and as a great example of what supporting Black and brown children and families can look like. I hope our community grows with us, includes us, and holds us accountable for the long haul.
School was a hostile place for so many of us. In the absence of equitable systems and solid relationships, so many of us spent our crucial school years feeling unimportant, misunderstood, feared, underestimated, unprotected, misjudged, or unwelcome. The damage caused by subjecting kids to inequitable, inadequate, and unkind school experiences creates ripples that affect our society each day.
When we ask our Fellows to imagine a perfect school, one of the first things they say is that their hypothetical students feel seen, respected, understood, and loved. In our dream schools, both students and teachers show up as their full, authentic, best selves, and create positive outcomes for all. When we get to 433, this will be the standard.
Thank you for your continued support. Please consider donating to help BMT empower the next generation of Black male educators and community leaders.
