Duncan calls on black men to go into teaching

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Associated Press

ATLANTA -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan and filmmaker Spike Lee are teaming up to encourage black men to go into teaching.

The duo is scheduled to appear with U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and Rep. John Lewis at Morehouse College on Monday for a town hall meeting with students at the country's only all-male historically black college. They will promote the federal TEACH campaign launched last fall to persuade more minorities - particularly males - to go into education.

Federal officials estimate more than 1 million teachers will retire in the coming decade, and federal officials are hoping to fill some of those vacancies with a more diverse workforce.

The meeting comes a week after President Barack Obama's call during his State of the Union address for more people to become teachers.



Read more: http://www.macon.com/2011/01/31/1430379/duncan-calls-on-black-men-to-go.html

[Angry Dragon]

1. The way this administration is approaching education

and the treatment of teachers, why would anyone want to
go into teaching?? There seems no security in the venture........

[Ilsa]

2. Hey, they can become a teacher in five weeks with TFA after getting a degree in

virtually anything else that has Nothing to do with education, cognition, working with kids, etc.

[Angry Dragon]

4. I did forget about that ......... me bad

However they would have to look for another job after
2-3 years, because gates says teachers don't improve
after 3 years.......

[yourout]

3. Amen....my oldest son is student teaching right now and will finish his elementary education.....

in the spring.

He loves to teach and it would be a loss to a lot of kids if people like him are chased away by the attitude of a supposed Democratic administration.

[defendandprotect]

5. Why specifically "black men" ...? Teaching has been a female profession, mainly ...

Traditionally, it has been women who have raised and cared for children --

Why trust Duncan -- he and Obama re destroying public education by pushing Charter schools!

[montanto]

7. The superficial issue is that

black men are hugely underrepresented in this profession. I know hundreds of teachers and have visited many schools in minority areas (I live and teach in central Los Angeles). I only know of two black male teachers at the two schools I have been at over the last 14 years (one is an African fellow from Sierra Leon). These two schools have student populations of 3500 to 4500 students and over a hundred teachers on each campus. Even in south central there are very few black teachers, male or otherwise.

A more cynical interpretation is that if teachers are to be blamed for the effects of poverty and other societal ills, why not bring in a group of people who have traditionally been blamed BY society for those ills. It's easy enough now to say "the failure of education is bad teachers" it would be easier still to say "the failure of education is black male teachers." I know this is a stretch, I know this is not the administration's intention, but in the event of an increase in black male teaching population, many racists will say that this is the cause of the problem.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[disndat]

14. The truth is many black male kids are fatherless.

They desperately need black male models to follow and be nurtured.

[defendandprotect]

17. Maybe we all need more female models to follow -- and to nuture us ..

in fact, the AA community has long acknowledged its dependence upon females as

wage earners and keepers of the family -- full time nuturers -- so I don't see

any sense in any move to displace them.

We're not expanding employment opportunities in teaching -- so many are being

moved out and only some are being replaced.

When it comes to contact with children, I'd much prefer to see the profession

remain a majority of females.

[May Hamm]

32. The bitter truth is that our society does not value any single mother

But most especially black single mothers. If it did children would understand the worth of the parent who is there for them instead of knowing that she is only worth scorn and hate.

Children desperately need role models and many of them have one or two right there in their home. But these are only women. Mom and Grandma. Not "real" role models.

This could turn into a real rant so I better stop here. *smile*

[montanto]

6. Great idea.

We need to diversify the teaching force. We need to make teaching an attractive profession. I teach at a school with a 90%+ minority population and a faculty that is 90%+ white.

That said, in this environment new teachers are virtually shark chum. I don't care what anybody says (Gates), it often takes 5 to 10 years for a teacher to hit his/her stride in this "art." In that time new teachers are subject to relocation, layoff, termination due to downsizing, total lack of professional development in the workplace, constant harassment over test scores and student under-performance, near universal lack of support by administration and fellow teachers. Not to mention the ever diminishing paycheck in return for 6 years or more of higher education.

As long as teachers have to shoulder the blame for poverty and other societal ills, I can't imagine teaching being an attractive alternative to other professions requiring a similar level of education. The Obama administration needs to get its "hope" on the same page, stop begging on the one hand and blaming on the other, before it will see an improvement in this area.

[hunter]

43. I taught in Los Angeles...

... and ended up "shark chum."

That was many years ago. It's horrible to hear things haven't improved and may even be worse.

[AngryAmish]

8. It is hugely risky for any man to go into teaching

You can't touch a kid. One complaint, even if unfounded, ruins your career and might get you beaten or worse by a vigilante.

[defendandprotect]

19. Unfortunately ....

Even the right wing Family Research Council confirms that it is MALES who are

our sexual abusers of children.

And --

HETEREOSEXUAL MALES are 100X more likely to sexually abuse a child than homosexual males.


Here's more info on that -- but we should also recall that with the rise of the right wing

we are also seeing serious increases in sexual enslavement of females and children -- both

males and female youth.



. . .


From "same-sex -- marriage in the United States
Focus on the Facts" -- Sean Cahill, PH.D
Lexington Books -- 2004
See: Footnote

A 1998 Study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 90% of pedophiles are men, and 95% of these individuals are hetereosexual.

Research has indicated that gay men and lesbians are less likely than heteeosexual to sexually abuse children.

Perhaps the most egregious and damaging claim promulgaed by anti-gay groups is the claim that homosexuality is intrinisically linked to pedophiia and child sexual abuse.
The social science research on sexual orientation and child sexual abuse clearly disproves the claim that homosexuals are more likely to molest children. A 1998 study in the Journal of the American Medical Assocation found that 90% of pedophiles are men, and 95% of these individuals are hetereosexual. One researcher explained this statistic by noting, "Gay men desire consensual sexual relations with other adult men. Pedophiles are usually adult men who are sexually attracted to pre-pubescent children. They are rarely sexually attracted to other adults. In fact, research has indicated that gay men and lesbians are LESS likely than heterosexuals to sexually abuse children. Two studies that examined the sexual orientation of convicted child molesters found that less than 1% in one study and 0% in the other were lesbian or gay. One psychologist reviewed the existing social science literature on the relationship between sexuality and child sexual abuse and found that "a gay man is no more likely than a straight man to perpetrate sexual activity with children." Further, "cases of perpetration of sexual behavior with a pre-pubescent child by an adult lesbian are virtually nonexistent."

Gay rights activists, like all advocates for children's welfare, oppose child sexual abuse and support equitable age of consent laws that help prevent and punish such abuse.

At least 110,000 children are waiting to be adopted in the US. Approximately 588,000 children are currently in foster care. Barring gay men and lebians from adopting or foster parenting decreases the number of potential suitable homes for children in need.
Children who remain in foster care for much of their childhood, as do tens of thousands of American children, are more likely to have emotional problems. Some children in foster care live in 20 or more homes by the time they reach the age of 18. Barring gay men and lesbians from adopting or foster parenting is not simply unjust and unethical; it also decreases the number of potential suitable homes for children in need.

Research shows that children raised by gay and lesbian parents are not disadvantaged vis-a-vis their peers raised by hetereosexual parents.

Footnote 65 -- p.123

A review of 352 medical records of children evaluated for sexual abuse during a 12-month period at a Denver chidlren's hospital found that less than 1% had been abused by a gay man or a lesbian. Of 269 adult perpetrators of child abuse identified among the 352 cases of abuse, only two were gay or lesbian. The vast majority of the children in the study (82%) "were suspected of being abused by a man or a woman who was, or had been, in a hetereosexual relationship with a relative of the child." And the review concluded that in this sample, " a child's risk of being molested by his or her relative's heterosexual partner is over 100X greater by someone who might be identifiable as being homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual."

Jenny, C., and Roesler, T.A. (1994)

Are children at risk for sexual abuse by homosexuals? Pediatrics. 94(1).p.44.

In an earlierstudy of convicted male child molesters in Massachusetts, none of the 175 men were found to have an exclusively homosexual adult sexual orientation orto be primarily attracted to other adult men.

Groth, A.N., and Birnbaum, H.J. (1978).

Adult sexual orientation and attraction to underage persons.

Archives of Sexual Behavior.7(3).pp.175-181.

Also : The right-wing "Family Research Council" notes/confirms findings that "almost all child sexual abuse is committed by men."

[AngryAmish]

22. go to badbadteacher.com

not scientific but a google search of teacher/student sex crimes. Males teachers are a minority of teachers but large majority of teacher sex offenders. Male teacher, female victim most common.

[May Hamm]

33. Duh... That's easy to solve. DON'T TOUCH THE KIDS!

Ya know there are male and female teachers out there who have been in front of a classroom for decades and never had reason to touch children. I think most teachers have looked at this and come to the conclusion that keeping their hands to themselves is easy and wise.

[Raschel]

9. Good for them. I definitely agree. Young Black males need to see

Black men in schools. It's necessary for them to see Black men modeling the importance of education.

The schools need Black male teachers that can identify with and help young Black males to succeed.

There are teachers male and female who are intimidated by the young Black males in school. or they expect little or the worst from them.

[defendandprotect]

20. Well, look at what they're seeing in Obama... an AA male attacking public education ....

and supporting Charter schools -- a privatization of public education!!

That make any sense?

[May Hamm]

34. A black president is a powerful message!

I don't think the average child - black, white or whatever knows enough about politics and public education to sort out what the Obama Administration is doing. Many adults sure haven't. If you think Obama is tearing down public education then I include you in this statement.

[defendandprotect]

39. Can only trust that parents understand what Obama/Duncan are doing to public education?

And, fortunately, our country has matured sufficiently to elect an AA president --

and agree it has a positive effect on all children.

And, I'm sure a FEMALE president would have an equally positive effect on children.

As well as for our society as a whole!

If you think Obama is tearing down public education then I include you in this statement.

If you're not aware that Obama/Duncan are pushing Charter schools at the expense of public

education, I'd recommend some Madfloridian articles to you -- check Mad's journals.

[hunter]

10. Black men have been taking a lot of crap from our society for a long time.

Why would they want to take on more?

Give teaching some prestige, stop taking advantage of the altruism that brings most teachers to the classroom, and most importantly treat and PAY teachers as the educated professionals they are, and then our public schools will have no problem attracting male teachers of all ethnicities.

It's a simple matter of RESPECT. People who have a history of being forced into difficult jobs that are not respected by society are naturally going to be wary of the teaching profession as it is now structured.

[RufusTFirefly]

11. But please: No union jobs! And only charter schools, OK?

:sarcasm:

[defendandprotect]

40. +1000%

[nyc 4 Biden]

12. unrec - Hey Arne...

In regard to teachers, if you...

Respect them,

Listen to them,

Support them...

More will come to the profession (all colors).

[DeSwiss]

13. Or, alternately.....

...they can take a job on Wall Street. That way they'd be assured to be successful because those guys are too big too fail. A teaching job is barely above the poverty level Arne. Plus they'd be 10 or 15 years trying to payoff those student loans.

Whereas with the "right" Wall Street job they can payoff those education loans in an afternoon of trading in taxpayer bailout money. Not to mention the fact that after working Wall Street for a while, they can always get jobs working in Washington in the Executive Branch, or lobbying.


- Which is pretty much the same thing.......

[defendandprotect]

41. +1000% -- and funny!

[DeSwiss]

42. Thank you, thank you.....

...I'll be here all week. Try the veal.







http://vimeo.com/10584463">Nature by Numbers ~Cristobal Vila

[tomg]

15. I am pretty conflicted on this.

On the one hand, the more people of color, particularly African American males, who enter into teaching on all levels, the better it is for our students, our communities and our country. On the other hand, everything that comes out of Arne Duncan's mouth on education is pretty much wrong.

Now had it read "Representative John Lewis and filmmaker Spike Lee are teaming up to encourage black men to go into teaching. . .The duo is scheduled to appear with U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan who will fuck everything up" I would feel that at least I was getting accurate reporting.

I checked out Isakson (R) on Education. That guy really is a piece of work. Wow.

[Tx4obama]

18. Oh my

Why discredit the Secretary of Education just because he's white?
Why single out John Lewis just because he's black? John Lewis isn't part of the Department of Education.

People should NOT be judged by the color of their skin, no matter what color is it.

[defendandprotect]

23. Duncan and Obama have "discredited" themselves in attacking public education ....

and not because they are of any particular color --

Obviously, you didn't understand either that Rep. John Lewis and Spike Lee were

both being lauded as more reliable spokespersons for the AA community than Duncan.

People should NOT be judged by the color of their skin, no matter what color is it.

True -- but only you are suggesting that anyone is doing that --

That's certainly NOT what the poster was doing.

[Tx4obama]

24. Duncan is the spokesperson for education not Rep. John Lewis

The other comment picked out Rep. John Lewis because of his skin-color, not because of a position in the education dept.

Suggesting that only blacks can speak to black community issues is ridiculous.

[tomg]

30. Actually, I didn't. Lewis

was in the article. All I did was take the sentence, flip the names and then make a comment about what I think about Duncan and Isakson. Look - beginning, middle, end - I think Arne Duncan is a lousy Secretary of Education. If Lewis was the Secretary of Education and his positions were the same as Duncan's, I would think he is a lousy Secretary of Education.

[defendandprotect]

36. Again -- the poster was COMPLIMENTING Rep. John Lewis ...and you're completely off ....

in no understanding what was said --

Only YOU are making references to color in a biased way --

The poster was pointing to Arne Duncan's poor record on education --

[tomg]

31. Thanks. I thought I

was clear, but I never know. Well, we all agree that People should NOT be judged by the color of their skin, no matter what color is it.

[tomg]

29. Nothing to do with race.

I really don't like Arne Duncan's positions on education. I teach. My wife dislikes him more. She is a teacher and a union rep. Johnny Isakson's positions on education speak for themselves. I have always admired John Lewis. Before I posted, I really checked out their positions on education, particularly Isakson. Okay, I don't really know Spike Lee's positions on education, but I really like many of his films.

[defendandprotect]

21. Since they are destroying teaching jobs, what they're talking about is letting females go ...

and replacing only some of those positions ... with males --

What sense does that make?

And I'd be quite suspicious at this eagerness to get males -- AA or any other color

into our scholls!

And they're also destroying the teachers' union -- which means they're letting more

senior teachers go and replacing them with teachers who will make less than union wages!

[HankyDubs]

28. what they're talking about is letting females go ..

Well if we followed your advice and didn't recruit any male teachers (because all men are scary sexual predators), the profession becomes even more dominated by females, and thus easier for politicians to attack. Your insiuation that Duncan is trying to assault the profession by encouraging more black males to engage in it is far-fetched...but my insinuation that you are smearing all male teachers is not far-fetched.

Men of all walks of life are more likely to commit a variety of sexually based offenses. When you smear male teachers in the way you have done here, you are doing what you accuse Duncan of doing...devaluing the profession and attacking professional teachers.

I am a male teacher and I also possess stunning good looks. I have been taught many ways to protect myself from allegations, mostly by well meaning female teachers. There are some things a female teacher can do that a male teacher cannot. That's life. If a man is trained properly he can avoid these allegations by acting responsibly.

I've worked with a few male teachers who did abuse their positions and engaged in criminal acts...but the huge majority of male teachers I have worked with did not engage in this behavior. Smearing these men and suggesting each is a potential predator doesn't benefit the profession in any way, and it helps female teachers not one iota.

I believe, as the poster below me suggests, that many males underperform in schools because they don't see enough male role models in school. I have worked in a couple schools that were majority african american, and I think there is no doubt at all that the achievement gap between males and females in those schools can CERTAINLY be attributed in part to the lack of black male teachers.

[May Hamm]

35. Hmm... you use complete sentences, are in that profession and make sense,

Okay. You got my vote. If you believe that more male teachers would actually affect male students to the positive then I'll trust that opinion.

[defendandprotect]

37. Back up ... the point is there will be FEWER jobs in education --

what they're talking about is letting current teachers, presumably a majorit female, go ..

that they are getting rid of qualified teachers making higher wages and replacing them

with less qualified teachers at lower wages with fewer benefits.

And destroying the teachers' union --

That's exzctly what Obama/Duncan are doing --

And THAT's what needs to be stopped -- the destruction of public education.

Replacing public schools with Charter schools, bankrupting what's left of public schools.


What I'm advocating is that we NOT destroy jobs in teaching --

If we are INCREASING the numbers of teachers in education, fine --

They opine all you want about who should be taken on and let's argue that separately.

But no new teachers should be taken on at the expense of more experienced, already employed

teachers --

Additionally, I'd be all for ending gender equality in employment -- let's start with Congress

and go for Gender Balance laws. Let's actually look at organized patriarchal relgiion and see

that it is based on male-supremacy. On and on ...


BUT --

Let's keep the reality of MALES as sexual abusers of children as a side issue here --

because it is NOT the primary issue, which I've stated above. But it should be discused.

It is a reality that MALES are our sexual abusers of children.

And it is HERETOSEXUAL MALES who abuse children -- that is confirmed up down and sideways

by anyone who looks at the history of child abuse.

That males are our sexual abusers of children is even confirmed by the right wing

Family Research Council-!

Those studies are not a "smear" of males -- they are reality.

There is no mention in the studies of "teachers" --

And the thousand and more years of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church also confirms that it

is HETEREOSEXUAL males who sexually abuse children.


There are a number of subjects that are rarely discussed -- and this is one of them.

The other is male violence --


And, I note from your post that even you are aware of males who have abused children.



.......


Well if we followed your advice and didn't recruit any male teachers (because all men are scary sexual predators), the profession becomes even more dominated by females, and thus easier for politicians to attack. Your insiuation that Duncan is trying to assault the profession by encouraging more black males to engage in it is far-fetched...but my insinuation that you are smearing all male teachers is not far-fetched.

Men of all walks of life are more likely to commit a variety of sexually based offenses. When you smear male teachers in the way you have done here, you are doing what you accuse Duncan of doing...devaluing the profession and attacking professional teachers.

I am a male teacher and I also possess stunning good looks. I have been taught many ways to protect myself from allegations, mostly by well meaning female teachers. There are some things a female teacher can do that a male teacher cannot. That's life. If a man is trained properly he can avoid these allegations by acting responsibly.

I've worked with a few male teachers who did abuse their positions and engaged in criminal acts...but the huge majority of male teachers I have worked with did not engage in this behavior. Smearing these men and suggesting each is a potential predator doesn't benefit the profession in any way, and it helps female teachers not one iota.

I believe, as the poster below me suggests, that many males underperform in schools because they don't see enough male role models in school. I have worked in a couple schools that were majority african american, and I think there is no doubt at all that the achievement gap between males and females in those schools can CERTAINLY be attributed in part to the lack of black male teachers.

[HankyDubs]

44. you've dug the hole deeper here

I am certainly no fan of Duncan or of the Obama education initiatives to date. Your implication that Obama/Duncan want to recruit black male teachers because they are hoping to introduce more sexual predators into classrooms is not a reality based criticism. Accusations like this undermine those with reality based criticisms of Obama's education policy.

Going to Morehouse or any other HBC in order to recruit black male teachers will not lead to the "destruction of public education." These are exactly the kinds of teachers that can strengthen teachers unions and greatly improve the quality of instruction. Your assumption that these would necessarily be "less qualified" teachers is a racist assumption, and moreover it is a thoroughly false assumption.

I really don't know whether you have ever taught in any majority AA schools. I can tell you from my experience that it is a problem when the student body is 70%+ AA and the teachers are 70%+ white. My belief is that this ratio perpetuates the notion that education is "for white people" or "for girls."

"Let's keep the reality of MALES as sexual abusers of children as a side issue here"

That's not possible at this point, since you chose to make this the subject of several different posts on this thread. You can't say that and then immediately launch another assault on all males based on the fact that men are more likely to abuse children.

"And it is HERETOSEXUAL MALES who abuse children"

The vast majority of heterosexual males have never abused a child. The vast majority of heterosexual male teachers have never abused a child. You are stereotyping.

I'll say again that smearing (because you are smearing) all male teachers isn't helping teachers unions, female teachers or the quality of instruction.

[defendandprotect]

45. YOU are making a connection ....

which I did not make -- i.e.

Your implication that Obama/Duncan want to recruit black male teachers because they are hoping to introduce more sexual predators into classrooms is not a reality based criticism.

THAT is completely your own suggestion.

And, the rest of your comments make clear that you would NOT be able to hear anything else I'm

saying to you --

[lumberjack_jeff]

25. Primary school teachers are 92% women.

Men of any ethnicity would help improve the outcomes of male students.

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dd2003]

26. Why not call

Why not call for anyone to go into teaching? We need teachers

[MellowDem]

27. You need more educated black men first...

and less poverty in black communities, and more opportunities... really, they seem to be putting the cart before the horse. Seems that's how it has been with them on education.

[XemaSab]

47. It's a circular problem

Black men aren't interested in biology, so it's hard to get black biology teachers, so it's hard to get black students interested in biology, so it's hard to get black men interested in biology...

I have had male and female teachers of my race in every subject area, from English to math to history to science. Since I grew up with that, it's hard to say how encouraging that has been. I had a black teacher in 5th grade who I hated, and two black teachers in middle school, one of whom was a burnout and the other of whom just wanted to do sculpture.

High school and college... were a lotta white people.

[roody]

46. Since they are busting the unions and lowering teacher salaries,

it's a great time to become a teacher! Edited to add that they are also raising class size so the job is even harder.