State Education Department Awards $10 Million In My Brother's Keeper Grants For MBK Challenge Grant Programs And Teacher Opportunity Corps II

State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia announced today that the State Education Department (SED) awarded $10 million in grants to 56 organizations for two New York State My Brother’s Keeper Initiatives: the Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC) and the MBK Challenge Grant Program.  These grants support programs and strategies to help boys and young men of color—and all students—realize their full potential.  Such strategies are explored in a report commissioned and released today by SED.  

The report, New York State Education Department My Brother’s Keeper Guidance Document: Emerging Practices for Schools and Communities, provides an overview of the outcome trends among boys of color in K-12 school environments, and a research review of the most prevalent strategies currently being implemented in schools and communities across the country.

“These grants are a critical step in bringing greater equity and fairness to New York’s students, particularly students of color,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa. “The funding will improve the quality and diversity of New York’s teaching corps and will help schools and community organizations develop and execute cradle-to-career college strategies.  Taken together, these efforts will result in better school and life outcomes for boys and young men of color.”

“To address a problem, you must first understand the full extent of it,” said Commissioner Elia.  “The report we’re issuing today provides critically important information about the scope of the issues facing boys and young men of color and the strategies to tackle those problems.  Through our next report on how to implement these strategies and the MBK grants, we are helping to improve the futures of boys and young men of color.”

“Through the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, New York State is serving as a national model in exploring strategies to ensure our boys and young men of color can realize their full potential,” said Regent Lester W. Young.  “Educators across the state and the country should use these strategies in their schools and classrooms to support all students.  We look forward to continued improvements in the lives of boys and young men of color through the extraordinary programs that will be funded with these grants.”

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “Teachers play a critical role in setting the course for our students’ future achievement. It is important that we pursue a robust and diverse workforce of educators that reflects the diversity of our student body and our state. These grants will open the door for the next generation of talented and dedicated individuals who will be our partners in putting every child on the road to success. I commend the Board of Regents and the State Education Department for their efforts to fully implement the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative in our state.”

In 2014, President Barack Obama established the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Task Force at the federal level.  The Task Force was an interagency effort focused on closing and eliminating the opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color so that all young people have the chance to reach their full potential.  With the adoption of the 2016–2017 New York State budget, New York became the first state to accept the President’s challenge and enacted the My Brother’s Keeper initiative into law.  The budget included a $20 million investment in support of the initiative to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color.  Among the programs included in the $20 million investment are the MBK Challenge Grant Program and TOC II.

MBK Challenge Grant Program:

The $7 million in grants is designed to encourage regions and school districts to develop and execute coherent cradle-to-career college strategies that are aimed at improving the life outcomes for boys and young men of color and develop and sustain effective relationships with families toward the goal of success for all students.  SED awarded $7 million in grants to 40 school districts, working with community-based organizations and other groups to improve family engagement efforts in local communities.  

SED awarded grants to the following districts:

Teacher Opportunity Corp II (TOC):

The $3 million in grants will increase the participation rate of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers.  The grant programs awarded grants to 16 colleges and universities to help them bolster the retention of highly qualified individuals who value equity and reflect the diversity inside and outside of our classrooms, particularly in high-need schools with recurrent teacher shortages.  

SED awarded grants to the following colleges and universities:

MBK Report

New York State Education Department My Brother’s Keeper Guidance Document: Emerging Practices for Schools and Communities is the first of two reports to help inform school and community practitioners on how to develop and implement strategies and programs geared toward changing the trajectory of boys of color.  SED commissioned the Northeast Comprehensive Center in partnership with Dr. Edward Fergus (New York University) to develop the two reports.  The Center is developing a second report to provide schools and communities a roadmap with the implementation steps for each of the strategies.

Details on New York’s MBK Initiative can be found here.

Assemblymember Cathy Nolan, chair of the Education Committee said, “New York schools educate an incredibly diverse student body and that diversity should be reflected in our schools’ educators. These grants allow schools to tailor programs to meet the needs of their unique student populations, and also ensure that our students will benefit from having teachers that can serve as role models."

Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick, chair of the Higher Education Committee said, “These grants offer schools the funding they need to create programs that offer a holistic approach to ensuring that our most vulnerable students are successful at every step of their education. The funding also seeks to retain and attract qualified teachers that truly reflect the diversity of New York schools.”

Assemblymember Michael Blake said, “It is inspiring to see the progress of the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative as it moves forward to provide transformational, positive impact for the boys and young men of color in New York. As we continue to foster the next generation of leaders and educators, this dedicated funding for the Teacher Opportunity Corps will breathe new life into the educational outlook for our most vulnerable students. Talented boys and young men of color need increased opportunities to successfully attend and graduate from school and these chances are dramatically improved by having a diverse staff of educators from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Together, these efforts will help in changing the narrative in our school environments to achieve a positive perception of Black and Latino young men. The impact of the MBK Challenge Grant is going to resonate from their earliest years in the classroom through college, and, I look forward to seeing how school districts will be implementing their new programs. New York State’s continued funding to the MBK initiatives reaffirms our top-down commitment to the goals envisioned by President Obama. I continue to thank the leadership of Regent Dr. Lester Young, Commissioner Elia, Chancellor Rosa and Speaker Heastie for providing hope, resources and opportunities for these remarkable young men of Color.”

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