Legacy 2016 South Florida: Top Black Educators Issue | Seite 15

THE MILLENNIALS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2016

By: Clarice C. Redding

Clarice Redding
The year was 1996, and a�er another
year of sub-par state tes�ng scores, peeling
paint on the walls, and less than stellar
learning materials, and a school at risk of
losing its magnet accredita�on -- faculty
and staff at West Riviera Magnet

AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE SUN SENTINEL

The Gap

Elementary in Riviera Beach, FL didn't lose
hope. This meant that we the students,
didn't lose hope either. With a dedicated
team of Black educators, administrators,
parents, and community advocates -- the
school eventually prevailed.
My fondest memory at West Riviera is
my first-grade teacher Mrs. Dorris
Dennard. She had been teaching for over
25 years by the �me I was her student; and
to my surprise -- she is s�ll teaching at
West Riviera today -- almost two decades
later. She embodied the strength,
resilience, and dedica�on that goes into
making a successful educator. Even more
endearing, she was dedicated to upli�ing
and empowering Black students from
urban communi�es; students like me,
students like her.
As the years went by, I graduated from
West Riviera, and have since then
completed high school, college, and
graduate school -- successfully. While I
have had dozens of teachers, professors,
and educators since Mrs. Dennard, I can
honestly say that she le� the greatest
imprint on my educa�onal journey thus far.

I'm sure that many of us have met a
Mrs. Dennard somewhere on our educa�onal �meline, and s�ll value their wisdom,
encouragements, and push to thrive. But
with that being said, I wonder if the next
genera�on will have the same experience?
The public school landscape is star�ng to
look a lot different than it did twenty -- or
even ten -- years ago. Inner-city students
are now coming face-to-face with educators from outside of their communi�es.
While this in and of itself isn't an issue, it
begs the ques�on: where have the Black
teachers gone?
In a study conducted by the ACT, the
number of high school students planning to
become educators has significantly
diminished within the last four years. The
study states that in Florida, 81% of high
school students took the ACT in 2015; but
only 3% of those students were pursuing a
degree in educa�on. Among those
surveyed, less than 5% of those students
were African American.
What's responsible for the shi�? It
could be the emergence of lucra�ve
careers in the STEAM field and the push for

BB15

more African Americans to grab hold of
these careers, or it could be that students
have lost confidence in Florida's public
educa�on system. Or, it could be the fact
that a large majority of students who
obtain degrees in the state of Florida, take
their talents out of state, where they may
have chances of making more money.
Whatever the reason, the trend of more
students of color op�ng out of teaching
jobs, means that there is an increasing gap
between Black educators and Black
students. Less than 1/3 of Palm Beach
County's educators are African American,
while it is projected that nearly 45% of
Palm Beach County students are Black.
With the projected loss of Black educators
entering the field, it is uncertain whether or
not predominantly Black schools will have
predominantly Black teachers within the
next decade.
While we are uncertain as to what the
future of inner-city educa�on will be
tomorrow, we can take �me today to
celebrate and honor the legacy of our Black
educators.

Academic Solu�ons Academy Charter High School -A College
Preparatory School Making a Difference in the Lives of At-Risk Youth

By: Soulan Johnson

“These doors are always open to those
who wish to learn.” president Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, Jr.
According to the Florida Department of
Educa�on since 1996, the number of
charter schools in Florida has grown to
more than 652 schools with an enrollment
topping 269,000 students during the
2015-2016 academic school year. The
charter school movement is built on the
premise that lower-income parents have a
choice to send their children