Little Rock superintendent and guests call for more Black male educators; summit set for March 14

Superintendent Jamal Wright said on the district's Write On Education podcast that the Little Rock School District must act to increase representation of Black male educators and put those educators in visible leadership roles.

"Just 2% of our teacher population in our country are represented by African-American males," Wright said, citing national research that he contrasted with local figures. He added that about 7% of U.S. teachers are African American overall and that the district's student body is roughly 60 percent Black.

The panel noted the district compares favorably to national averages but still falls short of parity: "Black men only make up just about almost 10% of certified staff in our district," Wright said. Panelist Pastor Maurice Cooper, a school counselor at Jafare Middle School, said representation matters beyond raw counts because placing Black male educators in visible roles gives students role models and supports better school engagement.

"It makes a big difference when students can see someone that looks like them," Cooper said, describing how representation helps shift students' mindsets and provides healthy models of leadership.

Guest Brandon Campbell, an author and former LRSD student, emphasized that Black male educators benefit students of all races: "The research is very very clear that they have a positive impact on all students of all races and all gender," he said.

Wright used the episode to announce the district's third Black Male Educator Summit, scheduled for March 14, describing it as an event to attract more Black male educators to the district and to build safe spaces for conversation and community-building.

The superintendent thanked Dumbar Middle School for hosting the podcast recording and encouraged listeners to follow district social media for summit details and to email topics to writeon@lrsd.org.