Teachers of Color Project: Middletown City Schools

Middletown City Schools, situated in Middletown, Ohio, is located in a mid-sized urban/suburban area characterized by its rich cultural and socioeconomic diversity. The district fosters an enriching learning environment for its students, benefiting from the active support of parents, community organizations, and local businesses, all of whom take immense pride in education. The student body represents various ethnic backgrounds, including White, African American, Hispanic, Asian, and more, reflecting the district’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity. Middletown City has a high poverty rate, with many students in Middletown City Schools residing in homes at or below the poverty line.

Despite challenges, the community’s strong unity and dedication to education remain central to creating a nurturing and inclusive environment for every learner and staff member.

This journey map offers a visual overview of the Inclusive Innovation process for this project. The project story follows below.

Connect and Commit

To begin addressing the recruitment and retention needs and potential strategies within Middletown City Schools, the district created a core team. The team was composed of both district-level leaders and teachers.

During the first phase of the Inclusive Innovation process, Connect and Commit, the team focused on building relationships and trust and elevating the voices of teachers of color. We first held a working session with the Middletown City teachers of color to create a space to share their candid perspectives on the challenges they encountered and ideas to support their retention and growth.

From there, the teachers conceived of a set of solution concepts that are captured in the report, along with concepts from teachers of color across the country. At that moment, an opportunity emerged to focus on increasing the number of Black male teachers within the district.

The Digital Promise Center for Inclusive Innovation team supported Middletown City in launching the project by engaging in the idea of Connect & Commit, which allowed the team to develop relationships and trust. Additionally, they co-developed a community equity charter in which they agreed upon values, goals, and agreements for equitable communication and collaboration.

Inquire and Investigate

In exploring the challenge, the core team, educators (paraeducators, early career teachers, veteran teachers), and district leaders analyzed data from surveys and empathy interviews to identify themes and root causes.

To elevate the voice of teachers, educators took part in a journey-mapping activity to allow Digital Promise staff and district leaders to build empathy for the actions, thoughts, barriers, and conditions teachers of color must traverse to become classroom teachers.

Admirals squad members meeting with middle school students.

From this journey mapping, Middletown City School identified barriers such as:

• Creating interest in teaching is a challenge
• Students see teachers’ lives/finances – not seen as a successful career student. Students think, “I need money”
• Location (of the district) and leadership in buildings impacts Black male teacher ability to thrive
• Not being able to have authentic conversations with leaders in buildings about what is/is not working
• Lack of district intentionality beyond the recruitment – need targeted retention efforts for Black males.

In addition to the journey mapping tool, the Center for Inclusive Innovation provided Middletown City Schools with analyzed data from empathy interviews to help analyze the root causes and develop an informed understanding of the district’s challenge with recruiting and retaining teachers of color. From this deep analysis, the district developed a problem of practice.

Design and Develop

In response to the identified problem of practice, which aims to enhance teacher/educator recruitment and retention methods to better reflect the diversity of the student body, the Center for Inclusive Innovation Design Studio provides a comprehensive framework for creating a teacher mentoring program. This program, slated to launch in the 2022-2023 school year, aims to support and retain teachers of color.

To address the practice, the district leader, educators, non-profit leaders, and high-education leaders codesigned strategies to address the problem of practice and meet the desired outcomes through a series of design studios.

• Design studios: Collaborative workshops district leadership met with teachers and school leaders to ideate, sketch, and develop design solutions for specific challenges or projects.

To guide the direction of the design process, they posed two questions to ensure the effectiveness of the retention program:

• Who is impacted by the recruitment and retention of teachers of color?
• Who should our solution be focused on, and what is their experience today?

These questions are designed to help someone understand the stakeholders and key considerations related to recruiting and retaining teachers of color. They aim to provide insights into the people affected by these efforts and who should be the primary focus of the proposed solutions. The questions cover the following areas:

Admirals squad member meeting with middle school students.

Impact of Recruitment and Retention on Stakeholders: This question explores the various individuals and groups influenced by the recruitment and retention of teachers of color. Stakeholders could include students, parents, educators, administrators, community members, and policymakers. By identifying the broader impact, it becomes clear how crucial it is to have a diverse teaching workforce that reflects the student population and meets their educational needs.

Focus of the Solution and Current Experience: This question seeks to determine who the proposed solutions should target and what their current experiences are like. It encourages a closer look at a specific group or aspect of the recruitment and retention efforts. Understanding the experiences of this particular group helps tailor the solution to their needs and challenges, thereby increasing the likelihood of its effectiveness.

Overall, these questions help ensure that the retention program’s design process considers the perspectives and needs of various stakeholders. By identifying the key individuals or groups impacted by the recruitment and retention of teachers of color and understanding their current experiences, the program can be crafted to address specific issues, foster inclusivity, and enhance the overall educational environment.

We must provide a safe space for them to grow. rather than be from paraprofessional to teacher or from teacher to another role in the district.
– Kee Edward, Senior Director of Human Resources, Middletown City Schools

Implement and Iterate

Through brainstorming sessions, workshops, and consultations, Middletown City Schools generated creative ideas to support and retain Black male educators. Middletown is committed to promoting diversity within its teaching staff through a two-pronged approach.

The Admiral Squad serves as a remarkable platform, fostering meaningful connections among current Black male educators within the district. By establishing visibility for these educators, the program recognizes their invaluable contributions and creates a strong professional learning community. This network provides support and access to crucial professional development opportunities, ensuring continuous growth and success in their careers. The Admiral Squad stands as a powerful advocate, addressing its members’ specific needs and concerns, further enriching the diversity and inclusivity of Middletown’s teaching staff.

Admirals Squad members welcoming students

“Being with other Black male educators, I noticed my confidence shot up. I felt more confident and a sense of belonging.” – Jermaine Edwards, U.S. Navy Veteran, Paraeducator, and Student at Sinclair Community College

“I am King” is an inspiring initiative that focuses on early exposure and mentoring for students in primary and middle grades. The program aims to nurture a sense of inspiration and possibility by providing them with direct interactions with Black male educators. These young students are encouraged to explore the teaching profession from an early age, facilitated by connections with current Black male educators and college interns. Through these meaningful interactions, “I am King” fosters a passion for teaching and ignites an early interest in pursuing a career in education, ultimately contributing to a more diverse and talented future teaching workforce in Middletown.

The district has formed valuable partnerships with institutions such as Miami University, Mount St. Joseph University, Wright State University, Central State University, Sinclair Community College, and the University of Dayton to strengthen these approaches. These collaborations aim to attract and recruit talented educators from diverse backgrounds, enriching the teaching workforce. While potentially adding to the teacher preparation programs by introducing K-12 students to these higher education partners.

Solution Impact

The programs at Middletown City Schools have made a significant impact on both educators and students:

• Empowering Educators: The Admiral Squad empowers Black male educators within the district by fostering a strong sense of community and connection. This support system has increased retention and professional development opportunities.
• Visibility and Representation: The program highlights the presence and contributions of Black male educators, enhancing their visibility within the school community. This increased representation inspires students of all backgrounds and promotes diverse role models, fostering a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.
• Cultivating a Professional Learning Community: The Admiral Squad is a valuable platform for educators to collaborate and share best practices. Through this professional learning community, educators can exchange ideas, strategies, and experiences, resulting in improved teaching practices and student outcomes.
• Advocacy and Support: The Admiral Squad advocates for its members’ unique needs, providing a platform to address challenges and concerns. This support benefits individual educators and contributes to a positive work environment and a stronger teaching workforce.

Explore the Teachers of Color Project:

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• Avonworth, Hampton, South Fayette