Teachers For Social Justice: January 2012

Oppose Attack on Ethnic Studies in Arizona

January 30, 2012 0 comments

(from Rethinking Schools blog:) On Jan. 10, the governing board of Tucson schools voted to terminate the popular and enormously successful Mexican American Studies program, under pressure from the Arizona state superintendent of education. Follow this link to a letter from Tucsan Mexican American studies teacher Curtis Acosta posted on the Rethinking Schools blog: http://rethinkingschoolsblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/behind-the-curtain-in-tucson-a-letter-from-curtis-acosta/

(By Jeff Biggers on Huffington Post):

What happens in Arizona doesn't stay in Arizona.

As Tea Party state education chief John Huppenthal retreats into his office after an embarrassing national media tour on Arizona's extremist Ethnic Studies crackdown, and Tucson Unified School District administrators continue their slide into a public relations disaster over banishing Mexican American Studies curricula and books, a remarkably diverse array of librarians, educators, writers, civil rights activists and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is mounting a series of national actions to call attention to educational and civil rights violations and to support local Tucson efforts...
...On February 1st, teachers and schools around the country have been encouraged by Rethinking Schools, whose nationally acclaimed textbook Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years was confiscated and banished from Tucson schools, to follow the suggestion of former Tucson Mexican American Studies literature teacher Curtis Acosta for a "national day of solidarity where teachers would teach our curriculum all over the nation."~ from Arizona Unbound: National Actions on Mexican American Studies Banishment by Jeff Biggers

TSJ is part of TAG (Teacher Activist Groups national network). Watch the TSJ and the TAG website for coming national action to teach the Mexican American studies curriculum Read the Full Story

2012 Inquiry to Action Groups (ItAGs) Announced!

January 5, 2012 0 comments

TSJ is excited to announce our 3rd annual round of Inquiry to Action Groups (ItAGs)

ItAGs gather educators, activists and their allies to study a topic and collectively create an action around that area of study, making it a true community of praxis. The topics and themes are always consistent with TSJ's principles. ItAGs support, study, and take action on issues of education and social justice.

On January 21st at 5 PM, join us for the ItAG Kickoff Event at Marwen, 833 N. Orleans to meet the facilitators and fellow participants and build a community of people committed to social justice in education.

The ItAGs will meet for two hours once a week for 6 weeks and conclude with a Finale Event March 17 at 5:30 PM at Marwen where all the ItAGs will reconvene to share their work.

We ask that all people registering for an ItAG commit to trying to attend all meetings. The ItAGs are structured in a condensed 8-week session in order to create a bounded period of focused study and action. Consistent attendance is important for this model to work.

To participate in an ItAG, please register in advance by filling out the online form at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dExWcmVTQ1NodUVWaVBkdVlPN3BERXc6MQ

This Year's ItAG Topics:

Chi-Queer: Queer Issues in Education

Sundays, 6:00-8:00pm

Location TBD

This ItAG will explore and address issues of queerness, gender, and sexuality in education. Our study and discussion will include shared reflections on our personal histories and teaching practices. For our 'action' component, we hope to design and present relevant public programs that create positive change regarding queer issues for educators and students. This is our second year facilitating an ItAG - read about our group's history at chiqueer.org or find us on facebook: "ChiQueer: Queer Issues in Education Inquiry to Action Group"

Youth Activism

Saturdays 12:00-2:00pm

This ItAG will look at ways to support youth in doing activist projects. Areas of discussion will include adultism and other forms of oppression, youth identity development, the role of critical media analysis, promoting wellness, incorporating the arts, and examples of youth activism nationwide.

Anti-Military Recruitment in High Schools

Tuesdays 5:00-7:00

Ipsento - 2035 N Western

This ItAG will examine the presence of military recruitment in high schools. We will study strategies for resistance aimed at limiting/eliminating that access.

Science/Speculative Fiction & Social Justice

Saturdays 4:00-6:00pm

Estrella Negra 2345 West Fullerton Avenue (basement)

"I think I would have always believed in revolutionary change, and believed in the power of people to organize for that change. But without visionary fiction, I don't think I would have had the imagination or the permission to actually see and touch and feel what that new world could look like" -- Walidah Imarisha, Left Turn Magazine, Jan/Feb 2010

In the Science/Speculative Fiction & Social Justice ItAG we hope to explore and discuss the possibilities of both social commentary and the imagining of new worlds. We'll use SciFi novels, short stories, young adult fiction, graphic novels & comic books, movies and TV shows to learn, teach each other, and envision ways of using these resources in our classrooms and communities. Whether you're a newbie who just really liked the Hunger Games, or you speak fluent Klingon, you're more than welcome to come and geek out with us once a week.

Community Writing Project

Fridays 4:00-6:00

Location TBD

The Community Writing Project (CWP) offers small group personal narrative writing workshops in poor and marginalized communities with the aim of foster democratic learning communities and spaces for participants' critical, creative exploration of their lives. Based in the politics and pedagogy of popular education, the workshop method can be applied to many educative contexts: from formal classroom settings to workforce development programs, to organizing efforts, to community arts programs. The purposes of this ItAG are first, to experience and reflect on the writing workshop method by meeting weekly as a writing workshop; second, to explore ways of incorporating the CWP method into different educative practices and spaces.

Read the Full Story

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Updates on School Closings/Turnarounds

January 3, 2012 0 comments

On Dec 14th, parents, teachers, community members, and the CTU Community Board (Coalition of the CTU and community groups, including TSJ), w/ support from Occupy Chicago, shut down the Board of Education meeting. A big shout out to TSJ members who attended the vigil in front the Board on Dec. 13, slept out on the sidewalk in front of CPS Headquarters in the rain, brought the campers food and coffee, showed up before 6 Am with more coffee and spirit, and attended the Board meeting.

At the meeting itself, the people did a mic-check on the Board and shut down the meeting. Then, we held our own public participation session. This is a new day. People had enough, finally.

Quoting from a message from the CTU:

"Congratulations to each of you for your work which culminated in today's historic walk-out of the Board of Ed members and CPS officials. They cannot ignore us any longer. Because of our unified efforts we have successfully amplified the voices of justice-parents, teachers, students, and community leaders who love and support our children and are fighting for the world class education they deserve.

Because of you, more than 300 people turned out Tuesday night for the candlelight vigil in front of the Board. Kudos to the brave souls who battled inclement weather and sat-in overnight at the Board. The City has not seen this level of protest in many years. This is the spark of a pure, social justice movement in this town. We must sustain it and continue our organizing and public education efforts until we break down the walls of education apartheid."

There is a long road ahead. Check out the TSJ website and the CTU website for school rallies, meetings, upcoming events, and what you can do.

Here is a link to the people's "mic check speech."

Check out good print media, and there is much TV footage on the web:

http://www.wbez.org/story/protesters-disrupt-chicago-board-education-meeting-94896#

http://www.suntimes.com/news/9440216-418/protesters-take-over-chicago-school-board-meeting.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-crowds-gather-to-protest-cps-school-closures-and-turnaround-projects-20111214,0,10496.story

Shut Down at Board Meeting Dec. 14 (Labor Beat)

Dec. 13 Save our Schools Rally (CTU)

Mic check shuts down School Bd. Mtg Dec. 14

Stop the Hit list! Teach in at King HS, Dec. 3

We Do NOT need schools turnaround in West Humbold park Read the Full Story