To Be Alone or in a Group: An Exploration Into How the School-Based Experiences Differ for Black Male Teachers Across One Urban School District

Abstract

One urban district administered the Black Male Teacher Environment Survey (BMTES) to each of its Black male teachers to measure their school-based experiences. This article highlights descriptive statistics from the 86 Black male teacher respondents. Findings suggest that participants’ background characteristics and school-based experiences varied by the number of Black men on the faculty. Loners, schools with one Black male teacher on the faculty, reported different experiences when compared with Groupers, schools with four or more Black male teachers on the faculty. Specifically, Loners were more likely to receive alternative certification, reported that their White colleagues had greater influence on school policy than teachers of color, believed that being Black caused people to fear them in their schools, and reported having a greater desire to leave their schools than Groupers.