When Darion Murdoch talks about the students he serves as principal of Flynn Park Elementary School in University City, his face lights up. He calls them his “babies,” and making sure they have what they need to thrive is his priority.
Murdoch grew up in the community where he now works, so he knows the value of seeing someone who shares your background in a leadership role. He’s also part of the 1.3% of the nation’s 3.8 million public school educators who are Black men, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That means he does not always have colleagues who can relate to his experiences, he said.
Last week, however, he was among more than 1,500 Black male teachers who spent three days in Philadelphia learning from one another, exchanging strategies and building community. Ian Buchanan, an educator and executive leadership coach, put the word out to Black male educators in the St. Louis region that he was organizing his annual trip to the Black Men in Education Convening, held Nov. 20-22…