ABOUT

WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE DEEPLY SUBVERSIVE ACT OF TEACHING SUPERBLY.

Launched in June 2019, the Center For Black Educator Development is revolutionizing education by rebuilding the national Black Teacher Pipeline.

See how we are targeting interventions to increase the number of Black teachers so Black and other disenfranchised students can reap the full benefits of a quality public education.

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LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

SHARIF EL-MEKKI, FOUNDER/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CENTER FOR BLACK EDUCATOR DEVELOPMENT

The Center for Black Educator Development leverages the well-documented research that Black students are best positioned for success when they are taught by people who can serve as mirrors, not just windows, to their world—Black teachers, grounded in Black pedagogy, supported by policies that work for them and sustained by professional pathways designed with them in mind. 

The first acknowledgment of harm must address educational disparities throughout the educational ecosystem that impact, not only Black children’s experiences, but also Black educators’ experience.

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EDUCATIONAL EQUITY REQUIRES RACIAL JUSTICE

We continue the fight to honor the price paid by—as well as the creativity, ingenuity and sacredness of—all those who came before us.

We will push tirelessly onward until all Black children reach true liberation and the highest levels of excellence. We think this is best accomplished through a quality education that prioritizes access to teachers who share their racial identities, cultural experiences and worldviews.

OUR MISSION

To achieve educational equity and racial justice by rebuilding the national Black Teacher Pipeline.

OUR VISION

We envision a world where:

  • All Black students have access to high-quality, Black teachers throughout their PreK-12 schooling.
  • All teachers demonstrate high levels of expertise in anti–discriminatory mindsets.
  • Educator preparation programming, professional learning, pedagogy and policies that advance educator diversity and effectiveness are institutionalized.

 

CAUSE CONTEXT

The need for our work is undeniable, as are the considerable obstacles rooted in systemic racism, but what compels us forward is the imperative to rebuild the national Black teacher pipeline so that all our children can have the quality education they each deserve.
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REACH & IMPACT

“Our reach through direct programs and targeted advocacy grows multifold each year, and the impact of our collective work with partners demonstrates that the Black teacher pipeline that was systematically dismantled during the aftermath of Brown vs. Board of Education can and must be rebuilt.”

WINSTON COX, BOARD CHAIR
CENTER FOR BLACK EDUCATOR DEVELOPMENT
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OUR COMMUNITY

Educator-activists—past, present and future—our allies and partners embolden our fight for racial justice and educational equity, energizing our collective efforts to rebuild the national Black teacher pipeline.

LEGACY LEADERS

EDUCATOR ACTIVISTS

SERVANT LEADER APPRENTICES

JUNIOR SERVANT LEADERS

CORE BELIEFS

​Outcomes matter.

The value of our efforts is self-evident in clearly defined, qualified and quantified results. The full impact of educating a child well will stretch for generations.

Until then, we work with urgency.

​We lead through service.

What we do, and how we approach our servant leadership, are guided by our students—their needs, experiences and aspirations. We take responsibility for our success, which is intertwined with theirs.

​We strive to always embody excellence.

We draw from Black pedagogical practices and teaching traditions to promote and represent the highest of standards in our quest toward liberation.

​We serve righteously and with humility.

We seek justice for our communities along with them. When we err, we work to correct our mistakes, graciously engaging others in solutions.

​We affirm racial identities.

We reflect our positive racial identities.  We honor and share our rich histories, building upon our traditions and legacies to make way for brighter futures.

​Our work is soul-sustaining.

There is power in balancing the serving of others with taking care of ourselves and our families. This is how we can persevere through the most challenging times.