Young shares his own vision
First Black Board of Regents chancellor: Diversity is a priority
When he speaks to young people, Lester W. Young Jr. has said he hopes they know that “when I look at them, I see a bit of myself. And I hope when they look at me, they see a bit of themselves.”
As the first Black chancellor of the New York Board of Regents, Young says one of his priorities is to ensure that the state’s education workforce reflects the diversity of its public school students.
But talking about equity and hiring teachers of color is only half the battle, according to Young. Educators must be “in sync” with their students; they should forge connections to their pupils and understand differences in how they learn.
“Education is more than just knowledge and skills; it’s knowledge, skills and dispositions,” Young said during a conversation on teacher diversity hosted by the New York State United
Teachers on Wednesday. “What young people are like determines what they do with what they know. “
In his first public appearance since he was elected to the position by the Board of Regents earlier this month, Young took questions virtually from educators of color from across the state.
For students of color, having a teacher of the same race has been shown to boost academic performance and improve their chances of being identified as gifted. There is also evidence that it improves students’ chances of graduating and attending college.
Young, who has been an at-large member of the Board of Regents since 2008, has dedicated his 50 years of public service to educational equity and improving outcomes for students of color and those living in poverty.
“It’s difficult to put yourself in the shoes of another person. You have to really work at that,” he told teachers at the NYSUT event honoring Black History Month.
To address the statewide shortage of teachers of color, Young proposes removing financial barriers and educating young people about the profession.
“Lots of young people don’t see the school as a self-affirming, self-esteem-building place. So for many young people, the last place they want to be is in school, or to be a teacher ... if we really want more young people to go into teaching, we need to give them good reasons,” he said.
The chancellor seat had been vacant since the summer when former chancellor Betty T. Rosa stepped down to take on the role of interim state education commissioner. The state Education Department had not had a permanent chief since Maryellen Elia resigned in 2019.
When the board made Rosa’s commissioner position permanent this month, she became the first Latina woman to head the agency that oversees more than 700 school districts and the education of more than 2.6 million schoolchildren.
Rosa and Young make an historic team; for the first time, the state’s diversity is reflected at the highest level of educational leadership.
Born in Brooklyn, Young is the son of the late Lester Young, an influential jazz musician. He began his teaching career in 1968, amidst the civil rights movement, a period of hope and excitement for Black communities.
Young ’s introduction to the New York City public school system, a teaching job in Brooklyn’s Bedstuy area, was a formative experience, according to an oral history Young recorded with Sady Sullivan for the Brooklyn Historical Society in 2008.
During the job interview, the principal spoke to him for two hours and then led him down a hallway to a room full of parents and said “I’ll be back,” according to Young. The parents grilled him intensely for an hour and a half.
“Here is a principal that, long before people talked about parent involvement ... felt it was important enough, that before she would hire someone, the parents had to feel comfortable with that person,” Young told Sullivan.
“So I have always considered myself a product of community control and decentralization and it’s an experience that I’ve taken with me throughout my career.”
Young, who holds a doctorate in education from Fordham University, has worked as a guidance counselor, supervisor of special education, principal, and superintendent, according to the state Education Department.
He has also held leadership roles in the state Education Department and taught at Long Island University’s School of Education.
The Board of Regents and state Education Department work together to set standards and policies for the entire state.
Rosa has worked alongside Young in multiple capacities as they climbed the ranks in the New York City public school system and they both joined the Board of Regents in 2008.
“Time and time again, Regent Young has demonstrated his courage, determination and steadfast obligation to helping our underserved populations rise above their circumstances and thrive in life,” Rosa said in a statement after his appointment.
The regents’ selection of Rosa as chancellor in 2016 was seen as a turning point for public education in New York.
Rosa was an outspoken critic of the state’s controversial Common Core learning standards and other policies supported by her predecessor.
She and Young are now tasked with guiding the regents and the Education Department through unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID -19 pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted communities of color and exacerbated educational inequities.
Connecting with students on a personal level rather than focusing solely on testing and benchmarks is especially important during the health crisis, according to Young.
Students should know “education is not just a vehicle out of this mess, but it is your way to change this situation ... which means we have to have a more holistic approach, a more global approach,” Young said.
““Education is more than just knowledge and skills; it’s knowledge, skills and dispositions.”
— Lester W. Young Jr., chancellor of the New York Board of Regents