In an effort to recruit more Black male teachers to the district, Dallas ISD has rolled out an initiative called the Adjunct Teacher Dallas Residency Program.
Out of 700 applicants, the district narrowed the field down to 13 people who it hired and are receiving training.
“All of the research shows that if you have a teacher who looks like you and who has had some of the same experiences that you've had growing up, then you're going to be more responsive to that teacher," said John Vega, deputy chief of human capital management for DISD.
He said currently out of 9,284 teachers, 889 are Black men.
"We want to increase those number, That's a huge disparity. We want to even it out with the other demographics, so that we can serve all of our students equally," Vega said.
The 13 candidates come from different backgrounds and Dallas ISD will pay for their teacher certification.
Noah Lane, 21, is one of the residents in the program. Lane, who graduated with a degree in marketing, said he heard about the program through a friend and felt like it was his calling.
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"It seemed like something that was in line with my passions," Lane said "I think is what is my calling at least at this point in time in my life. Just giving back to my own community resources that I felt I was afforded that I would stay statically we aren’t afforded.”
He said growing up he didn't have many Black male teachers except for a counselor in high school, which is why he's stepped up to help bridge the gap.
"If the kids don't see them when that person is speaking, it may not just click it just kind of it is more like an abstract concept than something more tangible, I think, so that's why I think Black male teachers are important for Black students," Lane said.
