Increasing Black Male Achievement (WCPSS)
Wake County Public Schools’ Saturday Speaker Institute
I was honored at having been invited to speak at the distinguished Wake County Public Schools’ Saturday Speaker Institute. I was equally gratified to have so many educators set aside their Saturday to engage in discussions with colleagues around the very important issue of Increasing Black Male Achievement.
Some of the important information shared was:
- Disaggregated student performance and college enrollment data and how it should be used to drive strategic discussions
- The importance of identifying successful Black males at the secondary school and postsecondary school level to engage in conversations with Black males in elementary, middle, and high school
- How to develop strategies that are “Research-Responsive”
- The importance of understanding your personal journey and how it can connect you to the challenges, experiences, hopes, and dreams of your students
- Why you must focus your strategic discussions on those areas that you believe to be the greatest contributing factors to the low performance of Black males within your school community
- The importance of identifying and supporting the “Champions” within your school community as exemplified by such champions as Marva Collins, Urban Prep Charter High School, and Morehouse College
From the table discussions and the commitment that many in attendance made to immediately implementing strategies provides us with hope. The personal responsibility that many accepted to implement strategies within their personal sphere of influence provides an example—we need not wait on new programs, a new curriculum, or new policy. We can make a difference in the academic outcomes and shape a more positive future for children today. We can make a difference through the relationships that we cultivate and strategies that we implement.