Building the Black Educator Pipeline

Latest Episodes:

Be an Advocate for Our Children (ft. Pedro Rivera) Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

Building the Black Educator Pipeline celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with special guest Pedro Rivera, president of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology and former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education.

In this episode, Pedro Rivera and host Shayna Terrell talk about building innovate pathways in education and how we can better serve our students. Rivera shares his educational journey and inspiration for getting into education as well as how his time in K-12 Education prepared him for his role as president of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

The wide-ranging conversation touches on identity and labels such as Hispanic and LatinX, advocacy and activism for marginalized students, and the various roles and politics within the education ecosystem.

Finally, Pedro shares which practices he believes can help us increase the numbers of Black and Brown educators in classrooms throughout the country.

Rivera is a lifelong educator, as a practitioner and a leader, with a focus on ensuring equitable access and funding for education. In September 2014, Rivera was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for his efforts to transform urban education with his holistic approach to student success. He also served as President of the board of directors for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and was a member of President Elect Joseph Biden’s educational transition team.

A first-generation college graduate, Rivera earned a Bachelor of Science degree from The Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s degree in Education Administration from Cheyney University and his Superintendent’s letter of eligibility from Arcadia University.

“It’s the Genius for Me” - Empowering Youth Through Education Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

In this throwback episode from season one of the Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad joined the show to break down the rich history of Black educational excellence and how it can help reframe the way we think about curriculum and instruction today.

Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad is an Associate Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she studies Black historical excellence within educational communities. Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading academic journals and books, including Research in the Teaching of English, Urban Education, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Language Arts, and Written Communication. She has led a federal grant with the United States Department of Education to study culturally and historically responsive literacy in STEM classrooms.

Dr. Muhammad is also the author of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, in which she presents the concept of Historically Responsive Literacy, derived from the study of literacy development within 19th-century Black literacy societies. In this episode, Dr. Muhammad explains how this framework is essential and universal for all students, especially youth of color, who traditionally have been marginalized in learning standards, school policies, and classroom practices.

Be the Change You Want To See (ft. Kurt Russell, National Teacher of the Year) Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

A 25-year veteran of the classroom, Kurt Russell was first inspired to become a teacher in middle school, when he encountered his first Black male teacher. Now as 2022 National Teacher of the Year, he plans to advocate for classrooms to better reflect the students within them — from a curriculum that reflects their backgrounds and identities to a more diverse teaching profession. 

Kurt teaches history at Oberlin High School in Oberlin, Ohio, where he was born and raised; his classes include African American history, which he has taught since the late 1990s, and Race, Gender and Oppression, a class he developed. He also serves as faculty advisor for the student-led Black Student Union, whose work has led to positive impacts for students across racial groups.

In addition to his classroom and extracurricular duties, Kurt is the head coach for the school’s varsity basketball team. He sees basketball as an extension of the classroom, and a place where young people can learn about working together and how to handle both adversity and success.  

Kurt shares what led him to become an educator and why he has stayed in the classroom for so long. He discuss the importance of diverse curriculum and class offerings and how African-American history and culture is under attack. Finally, host Shayna Terrell and Mr. Russell discuss how teaching is a political act and the importance of recruiting and retaining Black educators.

Black August: The Celebration of Rebellion (ft. Dr. Greg Carr) Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

Resident Baba Dr. Greg Carr, Associate Professor at Howard University and host of "In Class with Carr," brings us a lesson on "
"Black August," a time that celebrates “the struggle”, and “the rebellion."

Dr. Carr gives us a history lesson on rebellions and revolutions and shares important historical rebellions that we should all know. He also describes the origins and history off Black August, and addresses the idea that it is an alternative to Black history Month.

Host Shayna Terrell and Dr. Carr discuss how teachers can make sure our youth are educated with an accurate depiction of what rebellion and resistance are. They list recommended books for English and history teachers to teach and talk about rebellion with their students?

Finally, Shayna And Dr. Carr discuss the commercialization of other movements and how we can avoid the same thing happening to "Black August."

Had you heard of Black August before today?

Creating and Sustaining a Diverse Teacher Workforce (ft. Lynn Jennings & Eric Duncan) Aug 25, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of the Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast, Host Shayna Terrell speaks with Lynn Jennings and Eric Duncan of Ed Trust during their recent "Creating and Sustaining a Diverse Teacher Workforce Convening."

The Education Trust is a national nonprofit that works to close opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families. Through our research and advocacy, Ed Trust supports efforts that expand excellence and equity in education from preschool through college, increase college access and completion particularly for historically underserved students, engage diverse communities dedicated to education equity, and increase political and public will to act on equity issues.

Lynn C. Jennings, Ph.D., is the senior director of national and state partnerships for The Education Trust. She leads strategy and advocacy initiatives to ensure school systems are equipped to provide an excellent education for the nation’s most underserved students.

Eric Duncan is a P-12 data and policy senior analyst, specializing in policies related to educator quality and increasing the racial diversity of the educator workforce.

Brothers Impacting Education (ft. Larry Irvin) Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

Larry Irvin, CEO of Brothers Empowered to Teach shares his unique life story of overcoming adversity and what led to him becoming an educator.

The mission of Larry's organization, Brothers Empowered to Teach is "to provide mentorship, apprenticeship and pathways to careers in education through early exposure to teaching and targeted experiences cultivating an organic love of teaching children."

In this episode host Shayna Terrell and Larry discuss a few of the core values of BE2T, including “remaining relevant” and "defying convention.”

The conversation touches on how we can better support aspirating black educators to be respected for their intellect and instructional expertise and not used for the relational value with students. Irvin also shares tips for school leaders to support and sustain Black male educators as well as recruit more young men into the field of education.

Shayna and Larry discuss the impact that Black male educators have on kids and how policy changes can increase their numbers.

Let Them Be Great: Allowing Our Youth To Be Their Authentic Selves (ft. Dr. Chris Emdin) Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Christopher Emdin is the Robert A. Naslund Endowed Chair in Curriculum Theory and Professor of Education at the University of Southern California, where he also serves as Director of youth engagement and community partnerships at the USC Race and Equity Center. He is also Scholar/Griot in Residence at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

He previously served as Associate Director of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education and Director of the Science Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Emdin is an alumni fellow at the Hip-hop Archive and Hutchins Center at Harvard University and was STEAM Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and Minorities in Energy Ambassador for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Dr. Emdin holds a Ph.D. in Urban Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science, and Technology; Master's degrees in both Natural Sciences and Education; and Bachelor's degrees in Physical Anthropology, Biology, and Chemistry. He is the creator of the #HipHopEd social media movement, Science Genius BATTLES and the CREATE Accelerator. He was recently named one of the 27 people bridging divides in the United States by Time magazine and the Root 100 list of most influential African Americans.

He is the author of numerous award-winning works including the award-winning, Urban Science Education for the Hip-hop Generation and the New York Times bestseller, For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood and the Rest of Ya’ll too. His latest book. Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Excellence and STEM STEAM Make Dreamare currently available wherever books are sold.

The Constitutional Fight for a Quality Education (ft. Dr. Greg Carr) Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

Resident Baba Dr. Greg Carr, Associate Professor at Howard University and host of "In Class with Carr", rejoins the show to talk about the Constitutional fight for quality education and the work Junior Servant Leaders are doing within that fight.

Host Shayna Terrell of the Center for Black Educator Development and Dr. Carr begin the episode by defining what "a quality education" is and looks like in practice and whether or not it is actually a constitutional right.

They discuss the themes of equality, equity and the historic distribution of educational resources in the United States and what it has meant in Public education.

Finally, Shayna and Dr. Carr spend some time discussing the role of teaching as service, anti-racism in education and the future of quality education as a constitutional right.

Accelerating Black Achievement Through a Black Teacher Pipeline (ft. Dr. Constance A Lindsay) Jul 28, 2022

Show notes

It's a throwback episode to our BTBEP live-streaming days with the second ever episode of the Building the Black Educator Pipeline show.

In this episode, Dr. Constance A. Lindsay joined the show to discuss the effect a Black Teacher Pipeline will have on Black student achievement. Dr. Lindsay and host Shayna Terrell discussed how Black teachers can help close the achievement gap for Black students, and what supports are needed to recruit and retain more Black teachers.

Dr. Lindsay’s areas of expertise include teacher quality and diversity, analyzing and closing racial achievement gaps, and adolescent development. Her work has been published in such journals as Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis and Social Science Research. Lindsay received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University and master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University. Before doctoral study at Northwestern, she was a Presidential Management Fellow at the US Department of Education.

This episode Streamed live on Mar 4, 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIqdwTtp624

Voices of Future Black Educators (ft. Christian Sabree & Maleah Thomas-Thornton) Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

Christian Sabree and Maleah Thomas-Thornton, future black educators and servant leader apprentices at the Center for Black Educator Development join the Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast to discuss the journey to becoming an educator.

Christian and Maleah share with host Shayna Terrell about their inspiration to become educators and their experience with freedom schools. They also discuss working as servant leader apprentices at the Center for Black Educator Development and the impact it has had on them.

Finally, the conversation touches on the overall importance of recruiting more Black educators, the impact that they have on students, and why we desperately need more of them.