National policymakers see solutions in Call Me MISTER

Published: January 27, 2010

CLEMSON — Clemson University’s Call Me MISTER program was held up before national education leaders and lawmakers Tuesday as a program that effectively addresses one of America’s daunting challenges.

The College Board held a briefing on Capitol Hill to release a new study, “The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color.” The briefing was conducted with the Asian Pacific American, Black and Hispanic congressional caucuses to raise awareness of the overwhelming barriers that minority male students face in educational attainment.

The report cites some of the reasons that men of color are facing educational challenges, including a lack of role models, a search for respect outside of education and poverty challenges. The report calls on policymakers at the federal, state and local levels, as well as foundation and community leaders, to heighten public awareness and explore policy options to improve the plight of young minority men.

For more on the College Board announcement and report, visit http://www.collegeboard.com/press/releases/210157.html.

Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) is a teacher leadership program founded at Clemson University aimed at training and placing more teachers from diverse cultures and backgrounds to serve in economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities. Call Me MISTER national director Roy Jones was a panelist at the Capitol Hill briefing.

“Our program specifically addresses almost all of the reasons the College Board study cites for the disparities in educational attainment for minority men,” Jones said. “The crisis facing minority men is not going away any time soon, but Call Me MISTER puts good men in a place — the classroom — to start making a significant difference.”

Other panelists were Lee Bitsóí, assistant professor, Georgetown University; Luis Ponjuan, assistant professor, University of Florida; Hal Smith, vice president for education and youth, the National Urban League; and Robert Teranishi, associate professor, New York University.

Remarks were made by reps. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Raul Grijalva, (D-Ariz.) and Danny Davis (D-Ill.), as well as College Board President Gaston Caperton.

The College Board is a membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. The College Board’s best-known programs include the Scholastic Assessment Test — the SAT.

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