Ten years ago, Vivonell Brown was a teacher at Woodson Elementary in Bronzeville, on track to become a principal, when he lost his job. And he wasn’t the only one: More than a hundred Black educators were laid off or fired from schools CPS deemed to be underperforming. Brown and two other teachers filed a discrimination lawsuit in 2012, which finally reached a settlement in December.

Lack of representation is still a problem in Chicago schools, especially for Black male educators. Host Jacoby Cochran talks with Brown and middle school teacher Kirby Birgans about their experiences as students and teachers, and the importance of representation at the front of the classroom. Kirby is a member of the Black Male Educators Alliance of Illinois, which aims to recruit and retain Black male teachers.

You can find out more on the settlement here.

Here's the full statement from CPS:

“Chicago Public Schools aims to provide a welcoming, equitable and safe teaching and learning environment for staff and students. On Wednesday, the Chicago Board of Education will vote on a settlement between the Chicago Teachers Union, Local 1, and CPS relating to layoffs that disparately impacted African American teachers and paraprofessionals resulting from the turnaround policies around certain CPS schools in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The agreement concludes nearly 10 years of litigation and will result in the creation and distribution of a settlement fund to benefit those staff members affected by the turnarounds. Resolving this matter is in CPS students’ best interest and will allow the District to move forward with its continued focus on providing a high quality education that is grounded in equity for students in every city neighborhood. As a District, we will continue efforts to recruit and retain a diverse faculty that reflects our student population."

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CPS Discrimination Lawsuit Highlights Need for Black Male Teachers