Waynesboro Public Schools employed 245 educators during the 2020-2021 school year and had an enrollment of 2,914 students. Non-white students made up 48.5 percent of Waynesboro’s student population, but less than 1 percent of the division’s educators are non-white.
According to a 2017 report from the Task Force on Diversifying Virginia’s Educator Pipeline, there is value in all students learning from teachers with diverse backgrounds; and simultaneously there is research that indicates a unique role teachers of color play in improving the lives and academic outcomes of students of color.
All students benefit personally and intellectually when they learn from education professionals with a variety of racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds.
Currently the lack of diversity in our educator workforce is significant in Waynesboro and across the state of Virginia.
Waynesboro Public Schools has begun discussions on implementing and designing a “grow your own” education program, in which Waynesboro High School students would be supported and incentivized to enter the field of education. There has also been intentional outreach to diversify other positions within the division.
Christopher Sati, a Waynesboro High School math teacher, has set out on his own to not wait for the educator demographics to shift. He is not only intentionally making an impact in the lives of the students he works with at WHS but seeks to broaden his reach and work collaboratively at the elementary level.
“When Mr. Sati came to me with this idea, I thought it was a great opportunity for our students to see a teacher representing a racial and ethnic background that may mirror them or their classmates. I really like the vertical collaboration the two schools are doing so that now when these students reach high school they will have a familiar face and someone that they can instantly relate to. This is an excellent partnership for the division,” said Kendra Jones-Carter, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Waynesboro Public Schools.
Sati, who was born in Kenya, has worked in Waynesboro for 13 years. He is working vertically with the third-grade instructional team at Wenonah Elementary School. Weekly, Sati spends his planning time at Wenonah to help co-teach math lessons.
“There are very few male teachers and even fewer Black male teachers, so it is good for the elementary students to see me. If we want future male teachers and future Black teachers we have to get them to see that,” Sati said.
This vertical collaboration has increased communication, helped identify vertical academic expectations and provide support between the high and elementary schools.
“The students are doing great stuff. I wanted to come to the elementary school to connect with the students and get a full picture of what is happening at this level and what they are doing. The teachers and students use a lot of math strategies and knowing this will help me in teaching them when they get to high school,” Sati said.
Taylor Rose, a special education teacher at Wenonah works closely with Sati when he visits the school.
“I think it’s important to have males here. We have a diverse class with some students speaking different languages. Mr. Sati adds a different perspective and challenges them. Our students have a lot of needs and having another person helps us meet those needs,” Rose said.
Nicole Mickens, a third-grade teacher at Wenonah, echoes Rose’s sentiments.
“It’s great to have a fresh face. The kids become more engaged and it’s wonderful to have a male and a Person of Color help with instruction. It is so great for our students to see and work with Mr. Sati. He is just wonderful.”
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