Black Men Teach Inspires the Next Generation of Educators

When Channing Chasten was in elementary school, he told his teacher he wanted to play soccer for The Ohio State University. The teacher’s response? “Maybe you should choose a more realistic goal.” Fortunately, Channing did not heed her advice. He pushed and he practiced and he found the power within himself to achieve his goal, playing for the Buckeyes while earning his degree and being named an Ohio State Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten player—twice.

Channing shared his story with nearly 300 high school students at Metro State University to kick off the 2025 BMTeen Summit, hosted by Black Men Teach. Like Channing, most of the students in the audience were Black males. Many have had experiences like Channing did in elementary school. And that is exactly what Black Men Teach (BMT) is determined to change. Through partnerships with school districts, universities and other supporters, they are “creating a future where students of color experience the social, academic, and emotional advantages of being taught by educators who share their cultural background.”

The statistics speak for themselves: Less than 0.5% of elementary teachers in Minnesota are Black men. Meanwhile, students who had a Black male teacher were 29% less likely to drop out of school in subsequent years, with this figure rising to 39% for very low-income Black students. Saint Paul Public Schools has partnered with BMT to be part of the solution, with cohorts at two (soon to be three) SPPS high schools made up of students exploring careers in education.

Education Pathway Program

At Como Senior and Central high schools, about 20 students are part of the Black Men Teach cohorts this year. Johnson Senior will start their first cohort in the spring. Jordan Lewandowski, high school program director for BMT, describes the program as “not just about being a teacher.” It’s also about "being a person who inspires kids, identifying your principles and values, and gives you tools for life,” he said. The cohorts meet once a week with a site leader at their school, who guides the discussions and serves as a mentor, counselor and teacher in one.

The cohorts are an optional opportunity for students in the SPPS education pathway program. In the 2024-25 school year, 430 students participated in the pathway, which includes high school coursework as well as concurrent enrollment and college credit options. 80 of the students took part in paid internships, and three students received $5,000 scholarships to put toward a future degree in education. 90% of students in the pathway identified as students of color. Other partners in these opportunities include Generation Next, the Saint Paul Federation of Educators, CDF Freedom Schools, Junior Achievement and the City of Saint Paul.

Photos courtesy of Black Men Teach and Saint Paul Public Schools.