Crossroad Academy Charter School in Quincy, Florida, defies expectations. More than 90% of the school’s 530 students are Black or Hispanic, more than two-thirds qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and the school is located in an economically depressed rural county where nearly one-quarter of the residents live in poverty. Yet, Crossroad is Gadsden County’s highest performing school, outperforming district and state averages in both math and reading. 

One key to the school’s success has been hiring young, Black teachers—particularly men—who have built close-knit relationships with the school’s students and their families.