Education Secretary: More Black Male Teachers Needed

With more classrooms headed by White, female teachers, the demand for male teachers has always been high. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says the need for Black male teachers is even greater. This fall he will be touring historically Black colleges in the hopes of recruiting more Black male teachers, reports CNN. Duncan cited troubling statistics that show that less than two percent of the five million teachers hired nationally are Black males. He called the lack of Black males in the classroom "a serious problem." "As a country we have a huge challenge to make sure many more of our students and more of our young Black boys are successful," said Duncan. "Our graduation rates have to go up dramatically and our dropout rates have to go down. [But] to get there, I'm convinced we have to have more men of color teaching, being role models and mentors." What do you think? Will having more Black male teachers help Black students, especially boys, in the classroom?