[MenTeach: In 2010, K-12 schools in the United States average about 24% male staff in classrooms. If you want to see where your state ranks download this PDF file2011NEArankings (1) that comes from the National Education Association (NEA)]
Kansas tops a national education list, earned not by what was done in the classroom but by who is in the classroom. A National Education Association ranking released by USA Today shows that the sunflower state supplies the most male teachers in K-12 public schools.
It’s the first day of school at Seaman High and social studies teacher Randy Crome is getting to know his students. Crome is one of 32 male teachers at Seaman, which equates to about 40% of the total teaching staff.
“In this society where some families don’t have a positive male role model, teachers can step up and provide that role where some are lacking,” said Seaman High principal, Ron Vinduska.
Kansas ranks number one in the U.S. for supplying male public school teachers at 33%. Some other states finishing high on the list–Alaska came in second with 31% male teachers and Oregon placed third with 30% of male teachers. Arkansas finished last with 16%.
Crome sees this as an opportunity to open up the eyes of the male student body to extracurricular activities outside of football, soccer, basketball and baseball.
“You can be a football fan and player and you can also like music and art. That’s a big role of a high school teacher, to push those activities in a positive way,” said Crome.
Band Director Cary Stahly wishes all schools carried a near 50-50 ratio of teachers like Seaman High.
“Male students see male teachers as a role mode if they don’t have that all the time. I take that seriously and I think that is important,” said Stahly.
“It helps me have some kind of older male figure around at all times… I at least have someone here all day,” said junior Dallas Hallgren.