Philly’s Freedom Schools Literacy Academy wants to build a national pipeline of Black teachers

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Two decades ago, Ariel Lajara participated in Freedom Schools Literacy Academy, a four-week paid apprenticeship summer program designed to inspire high school and college students of color to pursue a career in teaching and education advocacy.

On Thursday, Lajara, assistant superintendent at the School District of Philadelphia, was at the Mary McLeod Bethune School North Philadelphia, in support of the summer program that shaped his career. The summer program was co-hosted by Teach for America, with city and state officials in attendance.

“I am a byproduct of this program,” Lajara said. “The passion, the desire, the burning desire to be a good educator was born in the Freedom School program.”

According to their website, the program is “steeped in Black culture, history and pedagogy” and aspires to build a Black teacher pipeline nationwide. All participants become eligible for the Black Teacher Pipeline Fellowship, which provides financial support and mentoring to college students who want to be educators.

The program is offered in four Philadelphia locations. It also has a virtual option for participants outside the city limits.

Sharif El-Mekki, founder of the Center for Black Educator Development (CBED), which runs the program, said the Freedom Schools Literacy Academy was founded after African American students in Philadelphia demanded more Black teachers in classrooms. El-Mekki has been an educator in Philadelphia for more than two decades. In 2008, he was appointed principal of Mastery Charter Shoemaker School, where he served until the launch of CBED in 2019. Under the Obama Administration, El-Mekki served as U.S. Department of Education Principal Ambassador.

In Pennsylvania, Black students make up 14.5% of the total population in public schools, while while only 3.8% of teachers are Black. El-Mekki said that number needs to improve.

The shortage of qualified teachers is more acute in subjects such as special education, science and math.

“Our mission is to rebuild a national Black teacher pipeline right here in my beloved Philadelphia,” El-Mekki said. “It’s something that we’ve been talking about for many years.”

According to CBED, since its inception in 2018, 10,590 students have gone through its various programs.

Lazara said the organization and its offerings has helped diversify the workforce in Philadelphia.

“When we have people from all walks of life joining together with us in this mission to not only be effective teachers in Philadelphia, but to get the on-the-job training and hone the skills that translate into good student outcomes,” he said.