2024 View Park Community Auction for the Watts of Power Foundation

On May 4th, we are gathering together at the beautiful home of our friend and colleague, Lauren Adams, to build community, connections, and momentum towards the success of our goal to raise $80,000.

Your support will help us hire a new Program Director to assist in leading the Components of Care training program for teachers and expand partnerships with schools in Los Angeles to reach more students!

Click the "Auction" tab above to see the wonderful items!

Tag us on social: @watts_ofpower

More about the Watts of Power Foundation

MISSION

The Watts of Power Foundation's mission is to create a pipeline of Black male teachers, by addressing the gaps in the recruitment and retention to help them successfully navigate and complete the pre-service pathway to become fully credentialed teachers. The overarching goal of TVI’s residency is to improve the retention of Black male teachers in the profession beyond the average of 3 years, and to improve the educational and social-emotional learning outcomes of all children - especially Black students.

THE PROBLEM

Shortage of Black Teachers: While LAUSD has one of the most diverse teaching workforces in the state, according to the Board of Education, the number of Black educators has decreased by about 100 teachers per year since 2016. There are so many gaps that LAUSD parents have even advocated for an increased commitment to recruiting “teachers [who] reflect the racial makeup of the community” in which they teach.

Black Student Achievement: According to 2022 Smarter Balanced test results, 31% of Black students met English language arts standards and 17% met math standards in LAUSD compared with 47% and 33%, respectively, for all students statewide.

Recent scholarship demonstrates that student engagement and achievement increase significantly when the race, ethnicity, or gender of the student aligns with the teacher’s race, ethnicity, or gender - demonstrated through standardized test scores, attendance, classroom engagement, advanced-level course enrollment, and reduction in discipline measures such as suspensions. Even more, if a Black male student has at least ONE Black teacher between 3rd and 5th grade:

their chance of dropping out of high school declines by 39%,
their interest in attending college increases by 29%.

But in LAUSD, and nationally, only 2% of teachers are Black men and across California only 1% of teachers are Black men.

THE SOLUTION: THE VILLAGE INITIATIVE

The Village Initiative (TVI) is a culturally-affirming, community-based teacher residency that fosters the development of Black male public school teachers. In partnership with Cal State Dominguez Hills and LAUSD, fellows spend two years in the program, attending classes in the first year and working with a mentor teacher in the second year.

The TVI residency includes a pre-service summer institute, housing, a stipend, professional and peer mentoring, financial literacy and training in the Components of Care curriculum, which are the competencies to help teachers support students in the classroom and to reduce teacher attrition in culturally relevant, responsive, and sustaining ways. At the end of the residency, the village created through the two-year program continues to support them.

OUR IMPACT AND GOALS

In 2022, The Village Initiative completed its pilot year training 5 new Black, male pre-service teachers and serving over 520 students in Los Angeles, California. In 2023, we tripled our impact and are now serving 15 Black, male aspiring teachers who are, in turn, serving 1500 students.

Villiage graduates are currently teaching the following school communities: KIPP Northern California, LAUSD, Long Beach Uniﬁed, Seed School LA, Alliance Charters, and ABC Uniﬁed. We will also begin a partnership with KIPP Southern California fall 2025.

LET'S CONNECT

Reach out if you won't be able to make it to Saturday's event.

Rev. Dr. Peter Watts, Jr.: CEO and Co-Founder

Email: pwatts@wattsofpowerfoundation.org.

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Box Seat Tickets (2) to ODEZA: The Last Goodbye Finale at BMO Stadium