The Village for Leaders in Education

The Challenge

Research shows that educators of color are drastically underrepresented at every level of the education system. While 52 percent of America’s public school students identify as people of color, fewer than 20 percent of teachers and administrators are people of color, and that number dwindles the higher you go in the education system. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University and American University, all students—regardless of their racial identity—benefit from a racially diverse educator workforce. All students are exposed to diverse perspectives, have an increased sense of civic engagement, and improve problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking skills when they experience an educator of color.

For example, participant and Miami-Dade County Public Schools Principal Lamar Johnson identified through his problem of practice research that more than half of the second-grade students at his school were scoring two years or more below grade level on one of his school’s reading assessments. Additionally, more than half of those same second graders scored at or below the 10th percentile in reading, according to another assessment tool. Through Johnson’s work with The Village, he and his school team were able to facilitate a 23 percent increase in the number of second graders who are reading on or above grade level.

Other participants also saw incredible gains in student outcomes through the work they completed with The Village. A few examples include:

• At Reddick Elementary School, Principal Jennifer Dames led an initiative that resulted in increased reading proficiency for her ELL students. In third grade, students’ reading proficiency increased by 14 percent; fourth-grade reading proficiency increased by 23 percent; and fifth-grade reading proficiency increased by 14 percent.
• Marissa Wilson, Principal at A. Philips Randolph Elementary School, led an initiative focused on increasing second-grade math proficiency. Under her leadership, 83 percent of second-grade students demonstrated proficiency on the end-of-year math assessment, representing a 13 percent increase in math proficiency. Forty-nine percent of second-grade students scored at the Superior level, which grants these students the ability to take advanced/accelerated math in third grade.
• Dr. Moneek Scott McTier, Instructional Superintendent of the Glades Region in the School District of Palm Beach County, led an initiative that resulted in 5th grade students at six out of seven elementary schools in the Glades Region demonstrating double digit proficiency gains on the state’s summative science assessment. There was an average increase of 20 percent in 5th grade science proficiency rates from 2022 to 2023.
• Analy Cruz-Phommany, Executive Director of Bilingual Programming and World Languages at Rochester City Schools, spearheaded an initiative to expand the district’s bilingual program. As a result, bilingual education will return to Franklin High school in 2023-2024. Additionally, the district will celebrate its youngest emergent multilingual learners (pre-K) through an expansion of the district’s bilingual program. By 2024-2025, students will have five languages to choose from instead of just one, and students who speak Spanish as their first language will be able to take rigorous heritage speaker classes outside of bilingual programming. 

If you are interested in learning more about The Village for Leaders in Education, including how to bring this experience to your school or district, please contact Nicola Martin, Partner, at nicola.martin@tntp.org.