MILWAUKEE — Re-Imagine Education is creating a space for diversity, working to ensure students see reflections of themselves in the classroom.
Isiah King is co-founder of the organization. King said the overall population of students nationwide is becoming more diverse, but not enough of those students have a teacher who looks like them.
“Research shows that students that have a teacher that looks like them are more likely to graduate from high school and college,” said King.
Re-Imagine Education works with schools to improve systems and structures to attract and support people of all backgrounds. It connects more young people coming up in the field to strong, supportive mentors.
King said the group has helped more than 10 schools since its inception and is serving more than 250 current and aspiring teachers and leaders in education.
King has an extensive background in education. He’s spent nearly 20 years in various roles throughout the EDTech sector and K-12 schools. In 2019, King founded a school in Beloit, Wis. He said he had a challenging time finding educators of color to fill open roles.
“It's important for students to see reflections of themselves because it helps to build motivation; it helps build their self-esteem,” he said.
King runs the business with co-founder Keith Streicher. King said they identified the first step in accomplishing their mission as eliminating barriers and boosting opportunities for people of color to pursue teaching careers.
“Diversity in all facets of life — be it corporate or education — is an advantage,” said Streicher.
Streicher said the work the business is doing comes with its challenges, but is worth it.
“It's a heavy lift but I am certain the change we're fighting for is noble,” he said. “We will get there, one school and one school district at a time. After all, it's the man in the arena that counts, those brave souls willing to try are the ones who truly make the greatest impact in this world.”
King said research shows that teachers who have mentorship and professional development opportunities often stay longer than three years in the classroom.
“It is very powerful to be able to impact leaders and teachers,” he said. “I don't directly work with students, so it's almost like an ecosystem.”
A Learning Policy Institute study found that having teachers of color in the classroom affects students of color in several ways, including:
- Boosting overall academic performance
- Improving reading and math test scores
- Improving graduation rates
- Increasing aspirations to attend college
- Reducing the number of absences
King said this work is stretching beyond the classroom. He said he hopes it builds a future that represents people of all races and ethnicities.