CLEVELAND — There are 1.6 million students in Ohio schools, and 36,000 are in Cleveland.
With a mix of student cultures and backgrounds it’s hard to make sure everyone is represented. One charter school in Cleveland is predominantly Black, and its teacher roster is 40% Black men.
It’s an underrepresented group in education across the state.
Seventh grader Deion Jackson is one of nearly 300 students at Northwest School of the Arts.
“Every day I come to this school, and I see Black role models that I could just be like one day,” Jackson said.
Jackson has the rare opportunity to be taught and led by Black male educators. Less than 3% of the teacher population consists of Black males.
“Many of them, their experience with the Black man is the Black man that fails to show up in their life every day.” said Derrick Lockett, principal of Northwest School of the Arts. “Their fathers are not active in their lives. We are the Black men that step up for them. We are the Black men that show up for them, and so we have to teach them. What does that look like? What does that sound like? What does that feel like?”
Lockett leads a teaching staff of 27. Eleven of them are Black males. Through his 20 years of experience in education, he knows Black male educators are important for young, Black men. They teach them what other teachers can’t.
“A lot of Black males, I know for me, I remember being told that I could not do this, that I would never be this. But when you're told as a Black male, I have been told that I wasn't, that I would never be able to be in this space. So, I was not believing that the report that I was going to believe was a different report and the destiny that was on my life led me here.” Lockett said.
Kevin Hudson is a 4th and 5th grade teacher at Northwest and has been a role model for the last two decades. He started because it was a longtime dream, a dream of making a difference and showing up for students who need him most.
“So, it's my passion.” Hudson said. “This is what I love to do, is what I was born to do. It's what I’m supposed to be doing. It was always important to be fully represented in the school system, especially in the urban environment.”
Like many Black educators, Hudson makes sure to leave his mark.
Jackson said this teacher is making an impact, beyond the school year when they first worked together.
“He's like a father figure to me," he said. "Really. Because I’ve known I’ve known him ever since, like, last year in sixth grade. I go to his room because he's always up there and he always puts me in a good mood.”
Northwest School of the Arts is a part of the Accel charter school network. Northwest teaches students kindergarten through 8th grade. The school offers theatre, band, dance, vocal music and visual arts. The school is in the Edgewater area.