By Jeremy Hill, Arkansas Black Vitality Guest Columnist

April 26, 2026 – It’s no secret that for far too long, our educator workforce has not reflected the diversity of our students. According to the Pew Research Center, only about 6–7% of teachers nationwide are Black. Of those, less than 2% are Black men. Here in Arkansas, the gap is even more pronounced. While Black students make up roughly 20% of the public school population, nearly 90% of teachers are white.

This disparity highlights the urgency of building a more representative teacher pipeline. But today, we are beginning to see a much-needed shift in our schools as more Black men decide to pursue careers as teachers. And we’re proud to help pave the way for their paths into the classroom at City Year Little Rock.

Since our establishment in 2004, we have been committed to diversifying the teacher pipeline to close the opportunity gap and help all students achieve their full potential. Why? Because we recognize the inextricable link between having educators of color in our schools and better student outcomes.

Research from Johns Hopkins University shows that Black students who have at least one Black teacher by third grade are significantly more likely to graduate from high school and consider college. And in a state like Arkansas—where students of color make up a growing share of enrollment but remain underrepresented in the educator workforce—this connection is even more critical.

Every year, we recruit AmeriCorps members—many of them Black women and men—to serve as student success coaches in partner schools. We train and support these young adults as they work shoulder-to-shoulder with teachers in the Little Rock and Jacksonville North Pulaski School Districts. And each school day, they zip up their red jackets and put in the hard work, helping students engage with their learning, build confidence and stay on track academically.

These AmeriCorps members’ year of service benefits students, leading to measurable improvements in attendance and academic engagement, but it also fuels their future careers.

By embedding these young adults into our local schools, City Year Little Rock is addressing longstanding barriers that have previously discouraged men of color from entering or remaining in the education field.

Leading a classroom can be challenging. So, we focus on empowering our student success coaches with regular professional development—all geared toward cultivating their strengths and sharpening their durable skills. When they “graduate” from City Year Little Rock, many have a lifelong passion for education—and the knowledge and real-world experience needed to put it into action.

Across Arkansas, as in much of the country, teacher retention remains a challenge, with statewide rates hovering below pre-pandemic levels. This makes intentional investment in diverse, well-supported educator pipelines even more important.

As the first Black man to lead our organization, I find this work deeply personal. Representation in our classrooms is not just symbolic—it’s transformative. When we give Black men the opportunities to lead, they will answer the call. Nearly half of City Year’s alumni go on to pursue careers in education or public service, including roles as teachers, school counselors, district administrators or educational advocates. With these committed individuals’ support, we are helping ensure that our schools have teachers who reflect the students we serve—and that every child in Arkansas has the opportunity to see themselves in the leaders guiding their future.

Jeremy Hill is the senior vice president and executive director of City Year Little Rock, a more than 20-year-old nonprofit whose AmeriCorps members are helping kindergarten through eighth-grade students in Central Arkansas reach their full potential through individual tutoring, small-group instruction and after-school programming. For more information, visit cityyear.org/littlerock.