Richland School District Two, under the direction of Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis, hosted its PREMIER 100 Kickoff Summit on November 13, 2019, in Columbia, SC. The summit served as the answer to the call of strategically recruiting and retaining minority male teachers. It is no secret that right now, less than 2% of teachers nationwide are minority males, all while the percentage of students of color continues to rise across the country. There is staggering data addressing the immediate need for minority males serving in the classrooms as teachers, mentors and role models. While Richland Two is above the national average at 6% of minority male educators in the district, we acknowledge that there is much work to be done to not only recruit but to develop and retain these important class of educators.

We hosted students and faculty from South Carolina's local colleges and universities, community leaders, paraprofessionals and current male educators of color who not only support our 'Male Teachers of Color Shaping the World' initiative but who also came together to uplift and intensify the conversation necessary to make our effort a community call to action.

Join us as we continue to answer the call to support minority male teachers who serve as both a mirror and window to the possibilities of who our ever-growing diverse student body can be. It's time to get in the game!