Title
Declaring May 9, 2024 as “Black Teacher Appreciation Day” in the City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia’s Black Teachers are the very core of its education system. Black teachers are the unsung heroes of the community and positively impact the lives of students and families far beyond the classroom. They are experts in understanding the needs of students and going the extra mile to provide the support necessary for students to achieve and truly thrive; and
WHEREAS, Black students who have just one Black teacher between kindergarten and third grade are thirteen percent more likely to graduate from high school and nineteen percent more likely to go to college. Additional exposure to Black teachers also increases the likelihood of Black students attending college, jumping over thirty percent if they have experience with two Black teachers. For Black students, the exposure to a larger proportion of Black teachers decreases the likelihood of receiving exclusionary discipline and low-income Black boys who had a Black teacher for at least one elementary school year were forty percent less likely to drop out of high school. Exposure to a larger number of same-race teachers significantly reduces the number of reported incidents for Black students, particularly for the types of offenses that that require subjective evaluation, which suggests that teacher discretion may play a role in more favorable outcomes and a better educational experience for Black students; and
WHEREAS, Black teachers have a profound impact on the lives of young Philadelphians, although they make up a disproportionately small part of educators in Philadelphia and the nation. In forty percent of all public schools, there are no teachers of color and disparities in teacher diversity are even worse in urban, high poverty areas. A mere two percent of the nation’s public-school teachers are Black males. Black teachers also leave the teaching profession at a higher rate than their white peers; and
WHEREAS, As a City and a nation, we must continually build pipelines to increase the number of Black teachers. Additionally, we must continually uplift and empower those who are already in the teaching profession and ensure they are equitably represented in decision making positions. The Center for Black Educator Development is a leader in this space, and continually and tirelessly partnering with a host of organizations in Philadelphia and beyond to expand the number of Black teachers in schools; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Council hereby declares May 9, 2024 as “Black Teacher Appreciation Day” in the City of Philadelphia.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to The Center for Black Educator Development as evidence of the sincere respect of this legislative body.
End