ICYMI: On Univision Arizona, Kelly Explains Why  America Needs More Male Teachers and Mentors

In case you missed it, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly sat down with Univision Arizona to discuss how the shortage of male teachers, mentors, and role models is affecting young men and boys. Last week, Kelly introduced the Educators for America Act and the Building Community in America Act , bills to expand pathways for Americans to serve as teachers, mentors, and volunteers, with a focus on increasing the number of participating men. Sen . Kelly speaks to Univision Arizona’s Heidi Renpenning. Kelly on the growing absence of male teachers and mentors today: “When I was in school, when I was younger, growing up in New Jersey, there were a lot more male teachers, men, in the classroom—35%. Today, that number is 23%. I had teachers that were men that were good role models, and a lot of young boys and young men don’t have that anymore. “A lot of young men are struggling. They’re often isolated. They don’t have role models. I was talking to a young Black man today, and he said that of the friends that he had—young men in his school when he was growing up—it was only him and another one that had their father in their lives. That’s challenging for a lot of the young men across our country.” Kelly on the goal of his legislation: “It’s to provide stability and to provide direction and to provide people that young men can look up to. When a mentor or a father figure leaves a young man’s life, they are more likely to become incarcerated as they are to graduate from college. It’s a drastic change in their lives, and you can improve a young man’s life by them having somebody that they can talk to who’s also a man. So that’s what the intention of this legislation is.” Kelly on why he introduced this legislation now: “It’s just the statistics and how young men are falling behind in society. They can’t find direction. They’re often isolated. They spend too much time on their phones and playing video games and not getting jobs, don’t wind up in healthy relationships where they can build a family. It’s becoming a crisis in our country. So, we’re trying to intercept this and get ahead of it. We’re certainly not ahead of it. We’re trying to catch up. We’re trying to do something positive… it’s important for all of us.” Last week, Kelly joined teachers, coaches, mentors, and community leaders at Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Phoenix for a roundtable discussion on strengthening communities through service and expanding opportunities for more men to become teachers, mentors and volunteers. Together, they also assembled back-to-school supply packages for Arizona educators. Watch the full interview here .