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Author’s original hed: As Universal Preschool Access Expands to Reach More Families of Color, So Do Inequitable Practices Such as Racial Bias, Exclusionary Discipline and Lack of Cultural Representation, Leading to a Crisis for Black Boys
As California progresses toward universal preschool access, the need increases for training, hiring and retaining early childhood male educators who are racially and ethnically representative of the children in their classrooms. A study examining preschool teachers’ implicit biases and expulsion rates found that teachers spent significantly more time watching Black children, especially boys, than other-race children when anticipating problematic behaviors. Further, researchers found that public preschool teachers’ systemic use of exclusionary discipline, such as suspensions and expulsions, disproportionately impacts Black children, with Black boys being expelled more than anyone else.
In efforts to reduce the number of suspensions and expulsions, last year the California Department of Education released a bulletin announcing new requirements for the California State Preschool Program (CSPP) that no longer allowed contractors to suspend, expel, or coerce parents and guardians to pick children up early from school due to their behavior. This is a step in the right direction. However, not all California preschool programs are funded by the state program and, therefore, many do not have to abide by those guidelines.
The good news is that the positive effects of ensuring that students have teachers of the same race as them can happen across all programs, despite their funding sources. I propose that schools and agencies recruit and train male educators who match the racial and ethnic background of the communities they represent.
As a Black woman and a credentialed early childhood educator for more than 15 years in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties, I’ve witnessed Black children aged 3 to 5 years old be sentenced to in-school or out-of-school suspension because a teacher lacked the necessary skills or cultural competencies to work with them. I would often be the one who other teachers would send their children to when they were struggling. Though I did not have any extra or special training, I was often able to successfully help children reset and return to their classrooms at peace. Once, I worked with a Black male teacher who was more effective than I in this aspect, especially when dealing with boys.
Overall, our success was evidence of the mutual understanding and respect that the same-race teacher-child dynamic has. Perhaps from the child’s perspective, there’s a familiarity in our looks or mannerisms. Whatever the reason, such experiences speak to why Black children need educators who they can identify with.
As it stands, in many places the public preschool curriculum, like that of the public K-12, has long ignored Black history and culture. The state preschool curriculum framework developed by the California Department of Education in alignment with the K-12 Common Core State Standards attest to this. Writers of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 3, History-Social Science admit that “the developmental research on which these foundations are based is full of studies of English-speaking, middle-class European American children” and that “fewer studies focused on children who speak other languages or come from other family, racial, or cultural backgrounds.”
Training and hiring teachers and staff who represent the racial and cultural communities they serve is beneficial because they connect better with the students through incorporating culturally relevant pedagogy, which is generally not offered in typical school curriculum. This was my approach upon opening a child care facility specifically for Black families. I found that children engaged more with the learning content when they could relate to it. For example, children expressed an increased interest in reading materials and spent more time in the classroom library browsing through books when they saw characters they could identify with. And the boys in my program took a special liking to my teenage son.
Findings from a 2023 early childhood longitudinal study observing more than 18,000 students in the U.S. suggest that children in the classroom with a teacher of the same race performed better academically, in math and reading, and on working memory tasks. Besides the increased positive benefits of race-matching teachers and students, a decrease in negative outcomes has also been observed. According to scientists from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University who analyzed 10 years of data, Black students were less likely to be suspended when they had a teacher of the same race.
We cannot ignore the fact that Black children are disproportionately suspended and expelled from preschools. It’s also true their communities are underrepresented in the curricula and with regard to same-race educators. For better social and academic outcomes for this vulnerable group, early childhood educational spaces need more Black male teachers.
This is a call for state agencies and schools to put resources into the community by training and hiring educators who reflect the student population they serve. This is a call for families and community members to volunteer their time at local preschools and early childhood centers.
With universal preschool access becoming a reality in California, the rest of the country is sure to follow. To support all preschool children, diversifying the teaching workforce is of the utmost importance right now.
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Sajdah Asmau is owner of an African-centered child care facility. She is in her first year as doctoral student in education student at UC Davis and serves as a Public Voices fellow on Racial Justice in Early Childhood with the OpEd Project in partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute.
The opinions expressed in this commentary represent those of the author. EdSource welcomes commentaries representing diverse points of view. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.
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Comments (11)
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Thomas Courtney 1 week ago1 week ago
Yes. Yes. Yes. I know many educator friends whose stories of having to somehow bridge a cultural “misunderstanding” gap mirrors your story. As a white man, who loves teaching, I’d like you to hear someone like me validate the need for teacher diversity. Well-written article.
Leo 1 week ago1 week ago
Imagine an article aggressively shedding light on the value of white educators educating white students!!!
Nadine 2 weeks ago2 weeks ago
Thank you for calling this out. Your ideas are vital to the success of universal preschool, and more importantly, to the health and well-being of every single child, especially Black children.
Dr. Vanessa Mininger 2 weeks ago2 weeks ago
I agree with you 100%, however, men of color are not applying to be in Early Ed. We cannot hire people who have no interest in applying. This then goes into why are they not interested, most likely because of negative school experiences like what you are describing. This will not be a quick fix. We first have to change how black boys experience school- and you’re right, we are working on that. I appreciate … Read More
I agree with you 100%, however, men of color are not applying to be in Early Ed. We cannot hire people who have no interest in applying. This then goes into why are they not interested, most likely because of negative school experiences like what you are describing. This will not be a quick fix. We first have to change how black boys experience school- and you’re right, we are working on that. I appreciate your suggestion of parents volunteering in the classroom, that’s a great alternative for those who can make it work. Hopefully 10 years from now we will start seeing the positive effects of this and start seeing more black men wanting to be in ECE. It can be done!
Sarah 2 weeks ago2 weeks ago
When it comes to disparities and inequalities in America, it is evident what ethnicity is most affected. When it comes to resolutions to this problem, many are clueless. Culturally tailored interventions have been proven to work. Why does this article have to be labeled as "racist" (In the comments) when the writer is merely suggesting an answer to a problem??? Our youth is suffering, and the subject of this article is mainly to create awareness … Read More
When it comes to disparities and inequalities in America, it is evident what ethnicity is most affected. When it comes to resolutions to this problem, many are clueless. Culturally tailored interventions have been proven to work. Why does this article have to be labeled as “racist” (In the comments) when the writer is merely suggesting an answer to a problem??? Our youth is suffering, and the subject of this article is mainly to create awareness to the EVIDENCE and RESEARCH identifying a solution. A suggestion not to create segregation but to implement a fundamental concept. Culturally competency matters. Eliminating biases matters.
I am the mother of a black son and I can say this commentary makes a sense because it highlights a great necessity.
Be the change you wish to see.
Janos 2 weeks ago2 weeks ago
This approach makes ethnicity the most important factor in a person's life as well as essentially suggesting segregation. Who would the teacher be in a multi-ethnic classroom? Another harm advocated is the stance against "exclusionary discipline." This means that even if a child is a physical danger, harassing classmates, or otherwise disrupting learning, they should remain in the class. This policy is based on two beliefs: that there are effective and efficient methods that can … Read More
This approach makes ethnicity the most important factor in a person’s life as well as essentially suggesting segregation. Who would the teacher be in a multi-ethnic classroom? Another harm advocated is the stance against “exclusionary discipline.” This means that even if a child is a physical danger, harassing classmates, or otherwise disrupting learning, they should remain in the class.
This policy is based on two beliefs: that there are effective and efficient methods that can modify the offender’s behavior without undue damage to the victims and that the offender is offending because of social injustice. Remove social injustice, and utopia will prevail. Such beliefs absolutely dominate public education in the U.S.
Replies
S A 2 weeks ago2 weeks ago
She is not advocating for segregation. This is advocating for a more diverse workforce. There is evidence cited in the article about the benefits of children having role models who look like them. White folks like you and me do not often have to think about this, because the teacher workforce is predominately white. Also, preschool classrooms and daycares are usually required by law to have multiple teachers present, ideally around 1 adult for every … Read More
She is not advocating for segregation. This is advocating for a more diverse workforce. There is evidence cited in the article about the benefits of children having role models who look like them. White folks like you and me do not often have to think about this, because the teacher workforce is predominately white.
Also, preschool classrooms and daycares are usually required by law to have multiple teachers present, ideally around 1 adult for every 8 children. This allows for multiple cultures and races to be represented.
Mary Milan 2 weeks ago2 weeks ago
I agree, teachers need to be culturally relevant and diverse. Children identify, trust, and learn with funds of knowledge he or she brings from home. Teachers from similar cultures can relate on missing social and emotional needs. The need is for diversity. Teachers are role models and come in with a wealth of experiences as once volunteers, parents, para educators. We need to accept all and we can see higher achievement with rich rigorous relationships: … Read More
I agree, teachers need to be culturally relevant and diverse. Children identify, trust, and learn with funds of knowledge he or she brings from home. Teachers from similar cultures can relate on missing social and emotional needs. The need is for diversity. Teachers are role models and come in with a wealth of experiences as once volunteers, parents, para educators. We need to accept all and we can see higher achievement with rich rigorous relationships: teacher-student-parent and communities.
Bernard F Mulvaney 2 weeks ago2 weeks ago
How about the teachers being tested for competence?
Kris 2 weeks ago2 weeks ago
I feel this article is extremely racist. It takes a trained individual to be able to help a child. It shouldn’t matter the color of a teachers skin color to determine if they can understand when a child needs help.
Replies
Dan Plonsey 2 weeks ago2 weeks ago
The author cites evidence for her statements. Commenters might learn from her practice! I would add to this discussion that according to Indeed and ZipRecruiter, early childhood educators are paid an average of ~$20/hour, comparable to the salary of fast food workers, below living wages in much of CA — which shows how we little we value the wellbeing of small children.