Dr. Baron Davis: Attracting Men of Color to Teaching

Thinking back on your own experience in school, when was the first time you had a Black male teacher? If you’re like most Americans, you never did. 

We know that students perform better when they have teachers who look like them. According to a 2017 study from the Institute of Labor Economics, when low-income Black students have at least one Black teacher during elementary school, they’re less likely to drop out of high school—and more likely to be interested in college. 

But while Black kids make up roughly 15% of America’s K-12 student body,  only 7% of teachers are Black. Just 2% are Black men. 

At Richland School District Two in Columbia, South Carolina, Dr. Baron Davis is working to change those statistics. Davis has been Richland Two’s superintendent for about four years—plus one year as superintendent elect—and throughout his tenure, he’s been working to recruit and retain male teachers of color. 

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Davis about his transformative work at Richland 2, from his ambitious Premier 100 initiative to recruit 100 men of color, to breaking down barriers to authenticity in the classroom.

Dr. Baron Davis (@DrBaronDavis)

Richland School District Two (@RichlandTwo)

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