Sharif El-Mekki, founder/CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development in Philadelphia is on a mission to increase the pool of Black educators in the Philadelphia area and around the nation, writes Melanie Burney for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The former teacher turned activist recently organized a gathering for more than 1,300 Black educators in Philadelphia.

One of the most shared experiences was that of being the only Black male educator in the room.

Brahin Tabb, a librarian at Penn Wynne Elementary in Lower Merion was the only Black male teacher in the school until last year.

He is one of about 600 Black men who are librarians. That is out of 110,000 U.S. librarians.

“We just need more diversity in the ranks of teachers,” Tabb said. “You get tired of being the only one.”

Studies show that underrepresentation in school impacts student outcomes. One study found that low-income Black students who have at least one Black teacher in elementary school are significantly more likely to achieve academic success and consider going to college after graduating high school.

For the 2020-21 school year, Black men accounted for 1.3 percent of public school teachers, according to the National Teacher and Principal Survey.

Meanwhile, Black children made up about 15 percent of public school students that year.

Read more about the need for more diversity in schools in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

_________