When our African American and Hispanic children look up at the blackboard, who do they see?
When the young boys we know enter the classroom, do they meet strong male role models who can teach them to be responsible men?
ACI’s Diversity at the Blackboard initiative offers options and benefits that make teaching an accessible career path, whether you’re just starting college or considering a second career:
- Choose from a variety of conventional and alternative paths to teacher certification, which meet the needs of both traditional-age college students and adult career-changers.
- Select from twenty-three outstanding institutions of higher education, all members of the Associated Colleges of Illinois and located throughout the state.
- Benefit from scholarships reserved for Diversity at the Blackboard candidates.
- Learn bold new curricula designed to encourage and support men and minorities who choose teaching careers.
- Participate in comprehensive student support services specially designed to promote college success for minority and low-income students.
After you graduate, you’ll join one of America’s most well respected professions. Recent surveys have shown that the American public holds teachers in high esteem, ranking them just after firefighters and other key public servants, and teachers have always been role models in low-income and minority communities.
As a teacher, you’ll earn both a competitive salary and benefits few other jobs provide. Illinois teachers now average $53,800 per year, significantly higher than the state’s median household income, and even most starting salaries are competitive with those for bachelor-degreed workers in other fields. Teachers enjoy both greater job security than workers in the volatile corporate environment and better benefits than most employees: comprehensive health insurance, retirement programs, and summer vacations your friends and family will envy.
Ready to learn more about Diversity at the blackboard? Fill out our online inquiry form.