Black men make up 2% of teachers in the US, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The same goes for Hispanic male teachers. Meanwhile, the student population is far more diverse and getting more so. White enrollment in public schools fell from 61% in 2000 to 49% in 2015, according to the US Department of Education.
Research shows that for minority children, having at least one teacher that looks likes them is a key to their success, said Roy Jones, a professor at Clemson University's College of Education.
To address the problem, Jones founded the program Call Me MISTER while teaching at Clemson. MISTER stands for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models. It's a college program offered through 24 South Carolina universities that recruits minority men to major in education. It provides scholarships, extensive academic counseling and summer teaching internships.
Since the program began in 2000, it has expanded to colleges in 10 more states.
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