Teachers For Social Justice

They say shut it down. We say spread it around!

2012-02-01T10:00:00.001-06:00

Statement of Solidarity with Tucson's Mexican American Studies (MAS) Program by TAG:

As a network of Teacher Activist Groups (TAG) we believe that education is essential to the preservation of civil and human rights and is a tool of human liberation. In alignment with these beliefs we are are proud to coordinate a month of solidarity work in support of Tucson’s Mexican American Studies (MAS) Program. In January, 2011 state attorney general Tom Horne declared that the TUSD MAS program is illegal. Over the past year, teachers, students, and administrators have come together to challenge Horne’s ruling, but on January 10, 2012, the Tuscon Unified School District school board voted 4-1 to cease all MAS classes immediately for fear of losing state aid.

In the month of February we invite you to strike back against this attack on our history by teaching lessons from and about the banned MAS program. On this website you will find a guide that includes sample lesson plans from the MAS curriculum as well as creative ideas and resources for exploring this issue with students. Whatever happens in Arizona, we can keep the ideas and values of MAS alive by teaching about them in our classrooms, our community centers, our houses of worship, our homes.

February 1 is the first day on which TUSD must be in compliance this law. It is also the first day of African American History Month. And as Dr. King warned us, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” What is happening in Arizona is not only a threat to Mexican American Studies, it is a threat to our right to teach the experiences of all people of color, LGBT people, poor and working people, the undocumented, people with disabilities and all those who are least powerful in this country.

Our history is not illegal. Please join us by pledging your support at http://www.teacheractivistgroups.org/tucson/pledge

Tell your story: http://www.teacheractivistgroups.org/tucson/tell-your-story

Download the curriculum: http://www.teacheractivistgroups.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/NoHistoryIsIllegal.pdf

Oppose Attack on Ethnic Studies in Arizona

2012-01-30T10:24:00.006-06:00

(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

2012 Inquiry to Action Groups (ItAGs) Announced!

2012-01-05T02:31:00.014-06:00

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.

Updates on School Closings/Turnarounds

2012-01-03T23:49:00.003-06:00

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

Call President Obama to Veto Indefinite Detentions Without a Trial

2011-12-19T16:42:00.002-06:00

(This post is taken from an urgent call to action email sent by Muslim Peace Coalition USA.)

The President has neither vetoed the NDAA bill nor he has signed it yet. Which means there is still opportunity to ask him to veto it.

The NDAA bill passed by Congress contains some of the most dangerous provisions we’ve ever seen: it would allow the government to imprison anyone indefinitely without trial or charges—even US citizens just based on suspicion.

This is America. We have rights, and we demand that our government respect and protect them.

Call President Obama Today: 202-456-1111

Call President Obama urging him to veto indefinite detentions in NDAA 2012 bill: 202-456-1111.
Call ten friends, colleagues and relatives to call President Obama as well. Do it every day.
Forward this action alert with your friends.

What is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)?

Read an excellent editorial of New York Times.

Read another critical analysis here.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a bill passed by Congress in early December. It contains provisions that, if made law, would order the military to arrest, and indefinitely detain, even US citizens merely accused (but never proven) of involvement in terror-related crimes. Americans who care about liberty and freedom must take immediate action.

Whether concerned about communities vulnerable to racial profiling in the war on terror, or the ideological profiling apparent in the FBI’s investigation of dozens of peace & justice activists around the country, or simply preserving the right to trial or the longstanding prohibition on domestic military deployment, all Americans share a stake in this struggle.

Please tweet on this topic by hashtags: #indefinite #detentions to tweet your messages about it.

Mic Check: Teachers, Parents, Community Take Over Board of Ed Meeting Today

2011-12-14T23:25:00.003-06:00

Today (Dec 14), 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 (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoIsdXkVzVg). 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 TSJ website and CTU website for school rallies, meetings, upcoming events, and what you can do.

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

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

Call to Action: Fight CPS School Closings!

2011-12-05T02:03:00.007-06:00

For more information on school closings, go to ctunet.com/closings.

To get involved, contact teachersforjustice@hotmail.com.

500 Demand NO School Closings!

On Dec. 3, at King HS on Chicago's South Side, 500 teachers, parents, students, security guards, classroom aids, community members, organizers, and more came together at the CTU Community Board's "Teach-In Against School Closings." Chicago Public Schools are proposing to close/phase-out/consolidate/turnaround 19 schools this year. Over the next 10 weeks, the struggle will accelerate-the struggle of people in neighborhood schools for real resources and support, as an alternative to "school actions" (charters, turnarounds, private control of public schools paid w/ public dollars)!

The solidarity and unity across the city was evident-there were people from 125 schools in CPS!! And 25 unions and community organizations! This is NOT business as usual, as we could feel by the astoundingly high level of militancy, determination, and political consciousness that these are policies of the 1% against the rest of us. The "arrogant racism" (as Jitu Brown of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization termed it) of a school system that doesn't believe that Black and Brown parents and teachers know how to educate their own children is disgraceful and more. (For further reports on the Teach-In, see http://substancenews.net/)

Here are two maps which locate the school closings (old and proposed) in relation to race, foreclosures, and public housing. The CTU Research Dept developed the maps, and they speak for themselves. Click on the images to see the fullsized maps.

The NEXT step in this fight is the Board of Education Meeting on December 14, 125 S. Clark St (CPS HQs). The night before, Tuesday, Dec. 13, there will be a candlelight vigil starting at 6 PM at 125 S. Clark.

We will then assemble at Dec. 14, at 6 AM Wednesday morning, because that is the only way to get to speak at the Board meeting. You get on line at 6, get signed in to speak starting at 8, wait till 10:30 for the Board meeting to start, and until about 11:15 for the "public testimony" period to begin, where you have 2 minutes to speak, no two people can speak on the same topic, and you can no longer even stand up to support the speakers. And don't forget that you have to miss your 9 to 5 to be there, IF you're lucky enough to still have one. This is democracy? Public input? It's a sham and a shame.

IF YOU CAN ATTEND THE CANDLELIGHT VIGIL, PLEASE EMAIL: teachersforjustice@hotmail.com

See you December 13 and 14th!
Teachers for Social Justice

Links:
CTU's Resource Page on School Closings
Substance News article on CTU Community Board's Teach-In

.

December Calendar: Fight CPS' School Closings!

2011-12-01T10:18:00.001-06:00

Dec 3, Saturday, 10 AM- 2PM

School Closings Teach-in. Sponsored by the "CTU Community Board" (which TSJ is part of)
King HS, 4445 S. Drexell Blvd

Dec 4, Sunday, 1 - 3 PM

TSJ December Monthly Meeting
Sum-up Curriculum Fair
Organize against CPS School Closings
Launch ItAGs

Dec 13, Tuesday, 6 PM

Vigil to protest CPS School Closings, CPS Headquarters, 125 S. Clark St., 6 PM

Dec 14, Wednesday, 6 AM—Get on line to get in!

CPS Board Meeting, 125 S. Clark Street (officially starts at 10:30AM).

For more info, email teachersforjustice@hotmail.org

Occupy Dialogue

2011-11-19T00:20:00.004-06:00

With the Occupy motion gaining momentum, people are mobilizing across the US in ways we haven't seen in a long time. We will be having a dialogue at this year's curriculum fair about Occupy and how it relates to those of us who see ourselves as part of the Education for Liberation movement. Here are some resources that give more information on the Occupy motion. This list will continue to be updated over the next weeks and months.

Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Chicago
Occupy Oakland
Occupy Together
Occupy the Hood (National)

People of Color Working Group @ OWS
In Front and Center: Critical Voices in the 99%
DisOccupy

Students & Teachers Occupy NYC Board of Ed
Teachers, Students and Parents Against Privatized Education Join Occupy Wall Street

Video: Highlights From 2010 TSJ Curriculum Fair

2011-11-14T22:22:00.001-06:00

Much thanks to Riza Falks for editing this awesome video of highlights from last year's curriculum fair. Take a peek for a preview of what the Curriculum Fair is like.

Videography by Cortez Davidaz & friends
Still Photography by Melanie Folgar
Editing by Riza Falk (rizafalk.com)
Music from a Mix by Brotha Onaci (soularadiance.wordpress.com)

Announcing Workshops for 2011 TSJ Curriculum Fair

2011-11-12T23:52:00.004-06:00

Workshops for the Curriculum Fair are now finalized. Here is the list:

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD AND REGISTER ONLINE (you do not need to register for workshops but you DO need to register for the CF to save you and the rest of us "at the door madness").

We have workshops for and by K-5 teachers, middle/HS teachers, counselors, popular educators, artists, parents, youth, union organizers, adult educators, bilingual educators, queer activists, anti-PIC activists, anti-school-militarization activists, youth workers, and MORE!

Curriculum Fair Workshops-12:15-1:30
Tactics for High School Counselors to Restrict Military Recruiters
Brian Galaviz
El Cuarto Año High School
Community-Led School Transformation: The Bronzeville Global Achievers Village
Jeanette Taylor-Smith, April Stogner, Tracie Scott, Jean Williams
Kenwood Oakland Community Organization
Your Social Life: Intergenerational Workshop on Cyber-bullying & Digital Abuse
Tiffany Witkowski, Tiara Epps, Salome Chasnoff
Beyond Media
Teaching about the "Occupy Movement" and the Current Crises in Grades K-5
Belén Donahue, Israel Hernandez, Monique Redeaux, Stephanie Schneider
Teachers for Social Justice
Living in the Second America: An Interdisciplinary Unit Exploring Youth Violence
Sara Atkins, Melissa Marquardt, Hari Vasu-Devan, Karen Zaccor
Uplift High School
Politics and Culture in the Classroom: Using 'Critical Incidents' as a Springboard for Critical Pedagogy
Kate Stemper, Jonah Bondurant, Emma Meade
Popular Education in ESL/ELL Inquiry to Action Group
Classroom Strategies for Teaching Mathematics and Statistics for Social Justice
Ronald Towns
Christian Fenger Academy High School (Chicago Public Schools)

Curriculum Fair Workshops-2:30-3:45
Honduras-Teachers Defend Public Education in the Midst of a Coup
Norma Yanina Parada
National Front of Popular Resistance to the Honduran coup & Honduran Teachers Unions
Off-Limits? Investigating the Role of Sexuality in the Classroom
Rachel Harper, Meggie Harvey, Ali Jennings, Nicole Darcangelo, Boyd Bellinger
ChiQueer: Queer Issues in Education Inquiry to Action Group
Popular Education In Cuba
Alberto Gonzalez, Evarina Deulofeo
MLK Center, Cuba
Discussing the Prison Industrial Complex With Youth
Billy Dee, Mariame Kaba, Lewis Wallace
Chicago PIC Teaching Collective (Project NIA)
Critical Bilingualism in Grades K-5
Allie Epstein, Rita Sacay
Teachers for Social Justice
Teaching with the Work of Howard Zinn: Voices of a People's History Past and Present.
Mariah Neuroth, Kevin Coval
Voices of a People's History
Changing the Narrative: Using Visual-based Storytelling to Uplift Unheard Voices
The Bees - (Molly, Nikki, Tyler)
The Beehive Design Collective

Keynote Speakers Announced for 2011 TSJ Curriculum Fair!

2011-11-06T21:29:00.006-06:00

We are excited to announce the speakers for the keynote program at the 2011 Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair!

Mercedes Martinez Padilla is President of the Toa Baja local of the Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico/Teachers Federation of Puerto Rico. Mercedes has been active in the union’s 2008 strike and in protests, marches, and rallies led by the union against government plans to privatize public education and the Teacher’s Retirement System in Puerto Rico. Mercedes brings lessons of the union’s struggle against neoliberal education policies and to defend better working conditions for teachers and a better public education system.

Katherine Rivera Cardec is a teacher in Guaynabo and a member of the Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico/Teachers Federation of Puerto Rico. Since 2010, she has been the secretary of her local union. She participated actively in the 2008 teacher's strike.

Norma Yanina Parada is a leader in the Tegucigalpa teachers’ movement and a member of two of the most active national teachers’ organizations in Honduras. Yanina was one of 305 teachers suspended by the Lobo government in the spring of 2011 because of their participation in massive protests against the government’s actions against teachers and public schools. In May 2011 she helped launch a 30 day hunger strike to protest the suspension of 5000 teachers and in support of the demands of teachers, students and families regarding public education. She has been active in the National Front of Popular Resistance (FNRP) since it was formed shortly after the coup of June 28, 2009.

Jitu Brown is Education Organizer for the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Jitu has organized in the Kenwood Oakland neighborhood for over 17 years bringing community voices to the table on school issues and helping to stop school closings in the area. Working locally and thinking globally, Jitu has taken youth leaders from KOCO to the United Nations, the Passamaquoddy Native American reservation in Maine and the UN Conference on Racism in South Africa. Jitu has been a leader in coalitions of parents, teachers and youth who have fought school closings, turnarounds, and privatization of public education in Chicago.

11th Annual Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair!

2011-10-31T20:29:00.027-05:00

We are very excited that Saturday, November 19, 2011 will be the 11th Annual Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair, co-sponsored by Rethinking Schools. This year's theme is "Defend and Transform Public Education!"

In "science fair" format, and completely grassroots volunteer-organized, the Curriculum Fair will provide over 800 educators, activists, parents, youth & community members with a space to share curricula, resources, and inspiration. We'll be making friends & building relationships, exploring ideas & projects, connecting our histories & struggles. All in a spirit of social justice and education for liberation.

Online registration is open: Please register here now and spread the word!

*UPDATE* The deadline for Curriculum Exhibits has been extended to November 7th! Submit online here!

(Download flyer PDF in English)(En Español)

Stay tuned for more information on program keynote speakers, performers, workshops and more!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 201110:00AM - 5:00PM

Doors open at 9:30am

Orozco School

1940 W. 18TH Street (map & directions)

Chicago, IL

Curriculum Fair Resource Table Application

2011-09-24T08:05:00.001-05:00

Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair

DEFEND AND TRANSFORM PUBLIC EDUCATION!

Saturday, November 19, 2010 10AM-5PM

Resource Table Application Form—Due October 31st!

Resource Table Information (Please note that if you are an educator and your exhibit includes curriculum, you need to fill out a Curriculum Exhibit Form instead): Resource tables are generally for organizations that produce resources for educators. We look for resources that are pro-justice, anti-racist, critical, multicultural, activist, and work toward building an education movement for liberation.

ItAGs 2012! Be an Inquiry to Action Group facilitator

2011-09-19T07:25:00.000-05:00

What is an ItAG?
An ItAG is an Inquiry to Action Group. It’s similar to a study group, but the goal is that after the group inquires into a particular topic, they will together create action around their area of study, making it a true community of praxis. The topics and themes are always consistent with TSJ’s principles and support, study and take action on issues of education and social justice.

What is a co-facilitator?
All ItAGs are co-facilitated and the co-facilitator responsibilities include helping spread the word about ItAGs, doing preliminary planning and organizing, and maintaining communications with the group throughout the 8 weeks. Facilitators do not write curriculum or plan each session, it really is about a collaborative effort and sharing of knowledge within the group. The co-facilitators do kick things off and keep the ball rolling, as well as set a tone of cooperation and mutual learning.

CO-FACILITATOR FORM

Check out last year's ItAGs: http://www.teachersforjustice.org/2011/03/tsj-itag-cycle-ends-with-bang.html

Curriculum Exhibitor Application Form—Due October 31st

2011-09-19T07:10:00.001-05:00

Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair
DEFEND AND TRANSFORM PUBLIC EDUCATION!
Saturday, November 19, 2011 10AM-5PM

Curriculum Exhibitor Application Form—Due October 31st!

Curriculum Exhibitor Application Form

Curriculum Exhibitor Information:
Curriculum exhibitors are usually teachers and educators who have taught social justice focused lessons, units or projects. We recognize that teachers collectively produce knowledge about how to teach for social justice and we want to learn from each other. We strongly encourage teachers to share their work in progress and to give and get feedback from other educators in order to further develop our collective understanding of what teaching for social justice means in theory and practice.

We are looking for curriculum exhibits that are pro-justice, anti-racist, critical, multicultural, activist, and work toward building toward the practice of “Another Education is Possible!”

REPORT BACK ON CUBA EDUCATION STUDY TRIP

2011-09-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

In June 2011, 15 TSJ-ers took a 9-day trip to Cuba to study the education system. We went to learn about education there, to help us rethink what we're doing here. We will share some of what we learned, along with photos, video, and other artifacts.

All are invited (FREE), and no previous knowledge of Cuba is necessary.

Saturday, Sept. 17
5:00 -7:30 PM
Residence Dining Hall
Jane Addams Hull House Museum
800 S. Halsted St.
Chicago

URGENT: Calling all educators to "Teach Troy" in your classroom this week!

2011-09-12T17:57:00.000-05:00

Georgia Death Row prisoner Troy Davis is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, September 21 despite overwhelming doubts about his guilt. In light of this imminent execution date, EDUCATORS FOR TROY—a Chicago-based ad hoc group of educators, activists and artists—is calling on all educators to interrupt their regular teaching schedules this week to dedicate a class period to “TEACH TROY.”

Please use this emergency “Teach Troy” curriculum available on our new "Teach Troy" blog <http://troydaviseducation.wordpress.com/> at http://troydaviseducation.wordpress.com/

The blog provides: 1) links to readings and videos about the case of Troy Davis; 2) suggestions for student projects and assignments; and 3) links to simple, independent actions that students can take to help save Troy’s life.

Educators and students can share their experiences on the Feedback page of the “Teach Troy” blog and/or e-mail their work to troydaviseducation@gmail.com to be added to an archive of all contributions received.

Calling all ARTISTS!!

2011-09-06T07:41:00.000-05:00

We need your vision, your expertise, and your support! Art is a vital contribution to the social justice movement and we hope you'll consider designing a poster for the Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair this year!

We're kicking off the planning for the 11th annual Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair. This year, our theme is "Defend and Transform Public Education." One of the most crucial parts of the planning process is getting the word out and visually representing TSJ, the Curriculum Fair, and our theme (all in one poster!).

Check out the poster from last year---This shows ALL the information that needs to be included. It should just say 11.19.11, and 11th anniversary instead.

As the TSJ Curriculum Fair is a completely grassroots, volunteer run event, all labor (a lot of labor!) is donated. We hope that artists will step up to contribute an idea for the poster design because they believe in contributing to this movement (we really, really wish we could pay everyone for their time, talent and labor).

If you're interested, please submit a poster design idea to Sarah Atlas, seatlas@gmail.com, by September 16. Designs should be a good draft, but doesn't have to be finished. Once we pick a design for the fair, we hope the artist can complete their design by September 24.

THANK YOU!
The TSJ Arts Committee

TSJ PUBLIC MEETING SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10 1:00-3:00pm

2011-08-30T14:45:00.001-05:00

This NOVEMBER 19th is the ELEVENTH Annual Chicago-Area Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair!

Our theme for this year's fair: Defend and Transform Public Education!

Come help plan one of the biggest Chicago-area popular education events of the year!
Saturday, Sept 10
1-3PM UIC College of Education
1040 W. Harrison
3rd Floor "Commons" Room (big room on 3rd floor)
ALL are welcome!

AGENDA:
1:00    Meet and intros
1:15    Brief report-back on recent TSJ trip to study Cuba's education system
2:00    Curriculum Fair planning-Committees, Media, Art, Workshop planning, etc.

Get involved and help make the Curriculum Fair a continued success as we continue to make this road while walking!

Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers 2011-2012

2011-08-17T11:28:00.003-05:00

Edited by Tara Mack and Bree Picower

Order online from Rethinking Schools for the discount price of $15 each for the hard copy ($14 each for bulk orders of 10 or more) plus shipping and handling, or $9.50 for a downloadable pdf.

Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers 2011-2012 is a plan book for educators who believe their students can and will change the world. It is designed to help teachers translate their vision of a just education into concrete classroom activities.

The newest edition has all the things you would expect in a lesson plan book plus:

Weekly planning pages packed with important social justice birthdays and historical events
References to online lesson plans and resources related to those dates
Tips from social justice teachers across the country
Inspirational quotes to share with students
Thought-provoking essential questions to spark classroom discussions on critical issues
Reproducible social justice awards for students
and much more

The 2011-2012 edition is the fourth in the Planning to Change the World series. Click here to view sample pages. This year's calendar features all new historical anniversaries and birthdays. How is it that Planning to Change the World has new events and birthdays each year? Learn more about the 10 Year Rule and get a sneak peak at some sample dates from the 2011-2012 calendar.

Here's what leading educators have said about the Planning to Change the World series:

An imaginative and innovative idea in the field of education...I hope it will be widely adopted.
–Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States
This book, with its wisdom, inspiration, and resources, could not have come at a better time! Every teacher – novice, veteran, and in-between – will love Planning to Change the World.
–Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Finally, a plan book that is enlightening, provocative and fun.
–Lisa Delpit, author of Other People’s Children
After 18 years in the classroom I have found a planning book that treats teaching as an art form. On virtually every page of this book, I find myself challenged and inspired to think more deeply about the importance of what I do every day in the classroom.
–Jeff Duncan-Andrade, Assistant Professor of Raza Studies and Education Administration at San Francisco State University and high school teacher
Are you planning to change the world? Before you change it, take a look at Planning to Change the World. It might be just the help you were looking for.–Bob Moses, founder of the Algebra Project
This book is one of the gifts I give new teachers.
–Linda Christensen, author of Reading, Writing, and Rising Up

A practical resource that can help teachers be more than merely effective practitioners; it can serve as a guide for approaching teaching in a way that is truly transformative.
–Pedro Noguera, author of City Schools and the American Dream
To create a more just and equitable world...we need new tools that are as practical as they are thoughtful. This social justice planner is one of those tools!
–Tony Smith, Superintendent, Oakland Unified School District
Useful, hopeful and visionary, Planning to Change the World is just what every radical teacher needs.–Wayne Au, Rethinking Schools
Read more comments
Planning to Change the World was created by the New York Collective of Radical Educators and the Education for Liberation Network with the support of Rethinking Schools. Proceeds from the sale of the plan book support the work of NYCoRE and the network. Learn more about our organizations. Questions? Email Tara Mack: tara@edliberation.org.

June 14: Honduras? What's Really Going On

2011-06-07T13:25:00.003-05:00

Join us in welcoming from Honduras, members of human rights and resistance organizations with the latest news from Honduras and a discussion about the real situation in the country, the human rights crises and the perspective for the struggle for a new Honduras.

June 14, 2011
7-10pm
Casa Michoacan
1638 S. Blue Island Ave (Pilsen)

While the US State Department and the Organization of American States are declaring that everything is 'normal' in Honduras, the teachers continue on hunger strike, campesinos continue to be murdered, and the resistance continues.

Special Guests:
Alex Navas Alvarez from the Lawyers' Collective for Justice (CAJ) and the Lawyers' Front Against the Coup. Alex is under special protective measures from the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights.

Alejandro Mairena, member of CAJ and the Lawyers' Front Against the Coup and lawyer representing human rights victims in the rural area of Aguan.

Gloria Vasquez, member of CAJ, and an active member of the public employees union, SITRARNP. Gloria is also under special protective measures.

Sponsored by La Voz de los de Abajo and Teachers for Social Justice.

Event on Facebook

Join TSJ -- Immigrant Rights and Worker Rights May 1st!

2011-04-29T12:02:00.000-05:00

TSJ is mobilizing for the May 1 Immigrant and Worker Rights march.

Our banner and signs will link the attack on immigrants with attacks on

teachers, teacher unions, and public sector workers. This is a critical

time to connect these issues-to bring these movements together and resist blaming immigrants, people of color, and teachers and other workers for the crisis created by Wall St.

PLEASE join the TSJ contingent and bring your students! Meet under the

TSJ banner in Union Park [Ashland Ave. and Lake St.] at 1:45. The rally starts at 2:00. We will then all march to Pilsen (Plaza Tenochtitlan, 18th and Blue Island), where another rally will start at 4PM.

TSJ Dissects Rahm Emanuel’s Education Plan

2011-04-06T11:25:00.004-05:00

At March’s General Meeting, TSJ took a look at Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel’s plan for the future of public education in Chicago. We had a robust and interesting discussion both in small groups and as a whole. There were so many insightful views and ideas on this plan; here we will share some of those points that resonated most with the group:

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss:

This plan is largely a continuation of education policies set in motion under Daley.

Privatizing & corporatizing public schooling.
Pushing merit pay and other measures that make up part of a larger, national attack on teachers & their unions.
Withdrawing resources from neighborhood schools and building a 2-tiered education system.

Business Model for Education:

Rahm’s plan signals the most blatant attempt to-date at turning over Chicago’s education system entirely to a for-profit business model, in which our children are regarded as widgets and success is measured by productivity outputs. Here are just some of the report’s neoliberal watchwords & phrases:

Streamlining
Cost-effectiveness
Private capital
Scaling-Up & Replicating Success
Incentivize Accountability
Take Out the Middleman

Competition, Individualization, Criminalization:

Three major themes recur throughout the plan: The push toward competition rather than building community and relationships; the individualization of systemic inequalities; and the criminalization of our young people as we expand the School To Prison Pipeline (STPP).

· Competition: The plan begins with a call for “access to high quality education for every child in every neighborhood.” However, the plan itself, with proposals like a city-level Race to the Top, merit pay, and performance contracts for each school, sets up a system of punishments and rewards based on pitting students, teachers, and schools against each other.

· Individualization: Plans like a parent-teacher contract agreement and performance contracts push “individual accountability” over mutual responsibility and relationship building (with no discussion of how those at the top of the system will be held accountable).

· Criminalization: The proposal to revoke the driver’s licenses of youth who are pushed out of the school system criminalizes those young people who rely on driving to transport themselves and their families. We are also concerned by Rahm’s references in public forums to “zero tolerance” in response to addressing queer bashing & bullying in schools.

But, What’s He Really Saying?

Rahm’s plan has some comforting language and presents what seem like good ideas at first glance, but our discussion groups found ourselves doing double takes when we stopped to discuss what some of these plans would actually entail:

Autonomy? : Rahm’s proposal for granting greater autonomy to the most successful principals also implies that unsuccessful principals will be placed under greater scrutiny and control. Who will have the power to decide which are the successful and unsuccessful school leaders? And what does autonomy mean? According to the plan it means principals will have the freedom to “purchase services” for their school. We wonder if this refers to the basic programs and services that all children deserve, but due to cutbacks and funding inequities, so many schools lack—Deprived of resources that were once part of the public good, would schools then be granted the “freedom” to pay private contractors to replace them?

Parent/Community Voice? : There’s plenty of talk about increasing parent & community voice, e.g. providing “simplified versions” of school report cards to parents and introducing the “parent trigger” to shut down or turn around “failing” schools. What is not mentioned is the fact that school report cards are already public record, which begs the question: Who will be simplifying these documents for parents and why? Also blatantly absent from this plan is any mention of Chicago’s Local School Councils, which are meant to act as an avenue for parent and community voice in schools and already have the power to remove ineffective school leadership. We fear the parent trigger is an invitation for charter schools to market themselves to parents in schools that have been denied the resources to succeed. Nor does the plan address the need for student voice. If students are meant to be at the center of our education system, why are they not included in decision-making about the future of their schools?

Working w/ Teachers? : Perhaps the most perplexing claim is that Rahm will “work with the teachers’ union.” Considering that there are no union members or representatives on Rahm’s education transition committee, as well as his vocal support of union-busting legislation, the reality is that there is no voice for teachers in his plan. Attacks on teachers’ unions are especially scary when we consider the broader context of recent events in Wisconsin and attempts to dismantle public workers’ unions around the country.

Where’s the Democracy?

Rahm speaks to our common sense by addressing real problems in the school system: high “dropout” rates (school push-out), barriers to parent voice and community involvement, lack of access to learning that fosters critical thinking, and so on. Unfortunately, his solution is to further corporatize the education system. Rather than drawing on local knowledge and community perspectives, Rahm’s plan seeks top-down fixes. In addition, Rahm’s vision for education situates the students and families who rely on public schools as consumers: If you’re unhappy with your school, take your business elsewhere. We do not want to live in a city of top-down leadership & consumer-citizenship; we want to live in a city that invites us to participate in the creation of those institutions that affect our lives.

It’s clear that as educators committed to just, relevant and equitable schools, which are engaged in and responsive to our communities, we will be facing an array of challenges, both old and new, with the coming administration.

To get updated on TSJ actions and events, make sure you are signed up for the TSJ listserv (email teachersforjustice@hotmail.com), check out our get involved page for information on different TSJ projects and committees, and connect with us on Facebook.

TSJ ItAG Cycle Ends with a Bang!

2011-03-25T16:42:00.002-05:00

On Saturday March 12, TSJ held an event to mark the end of our second cycle of Inquiry to Action Groups (ItAGs).

Held at Marwen, this event served as the finale for an eight-week session of ItAGs, groups that met to study a topic together and plan action addressing the issues uncovered through their learning. TSJ adopted the ItAG structure from our partners in New York City, NYCORE, who developed this condensed model of reflection and action as a way to make study groups more accessible to teachers and more relevant to the communities where we work. This was the second year TSJ has held ItAGs, propelled by the effectiveness of last year’s cycle which included 5 groups.

This year’s four groups were LGBTQIA/Queer issues in education, ESL/ELL and Popular Education, the Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Task Force, and Media Literacy.

The LGBTQIA/Queer issues in education group had several actions including a list of recommendations for TSJ to make queer issues and visibility more present in our work. They also are supporting a screening of the film This Is Reteaching Gender and Sexuality followed by a discussion with the filmmakers on April 27 at 6:30 p.m. (Location TBA).

The ESL/ELL and Popular Education group is creating “codes,” curricular materials modeled after those used in literacy campaigns in Latin America that were rooted in Paolo Freire’s theories. These codes are designed to incite critical conversations within a political framework as a vehicle for language learning. In addition, the group is in conversation with Casa Juan Diego, a youth center in Pilsen, about ways to support them in incorporating popular education into their approach.

The Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Task Force is creating a curriculum about the history of education and education-related struggles in Chicago. It will be available on the web database of social justice-related curricula currently being compiled by the Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Task force (an organization independent of this ItAG currently creating and documenting radical curricula).

Finally, the Media Literacy ItAG is creating curriculum to support people developing a critical consciousness as media consumers. Their curricula covers issues related to media and identity, social media, politics and media, and advertising.

TSJ Inquire to Action Group Finale!

2011-03-02T19:10:00.002-06:00

MARCH 12TH

5:00 - 7:00 PM

At Marwen

833 N. Orleans

Chicago, IL
On Facebook

TSJ is wrapping up its 2nd annual round of Inquiry to Action Groups. The ItAGs gather educator activists and their allies to study, dialogue, share resources, build community, and create an action around social justice issues in education.

At the finale event, open to all, ItAG participants will share their experiences and help build this model of development and community building. All are welcome and urged to attend to learn more about the four ItAG topics Media Literacy and Education, LGBTQIA Issues in Education, ELL, Bilingualism & Popular Education, and the Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Task Force and also to learn better how to apply an ItAG model of the study group in your community.

What is an ItAG?

An ItAG is an Inquiry to Action Group An ItAG. It's similar to a study group, but the goal is that after the group inquires into a particular topic, they will together create action around their area of study, making it a true community of praxis. The topics and themes chosen are always consistent with TSJ's principles, which have to do with issues of education and social justice. Developed by our friends at NYCORE.

Raza Studies Tour | Save Ethnic Studies!

2011-02-23T17:14:00.000-06:00

Teachers for Social Justice, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) and Social Justice High School (SOJO) are excited to welcome Norma Gonzales and Jose Gonzales of the Tuscon Unified School District to speak about their struggle to save ethnic studies.

Friday, Feb. 25, 2010
7-10pm
Little Village Lawndale Social Justice High School

3120 South Kostner Avenue

Chicago, IL

On facebook
Download Flyer | En Español
The Arizona ban on Tuscon's Mexican American Studies Program represents an attack on immigrants, people of color, teachers, community control of schools, and cr...itical pedagogy. Norma Gonzales and Jose Gonzales are two teachers who are fighting back. They are part of the newly incorporated group called Save Ethnic Studies, which is mobilizing locally, statewide and nationally to resist this unjust law. Join us to learn about their struggle, stand in solidarity with Tuscon teachers and students, and build a movement uniting people of color and immigrant groups; teachers, students and parents in demanding our rights to self-determination and a quality education.

This is a free event, but we will be selling merchandise and asking for donations to support the efforts of Save Ethnic Studies.
http://saveethnicstudies.org/our_story.shtml

**Event will be simultaneously translated into Spanish**

Teachers for Social Justice - Election Day Resources 2011

2011-02-22T01:32:00.005-06:00

Mural by Maya Escobar for Del Valle

It's election day in Chi-town and we wanted to share a few resources. Thanks to everyone for adding to the vibrant debate about what kind of city and education system we want and what kind of leadership and elbow grease it's going to take to get there.

Don Washington's research team is what's up- check out his "Election Day Pep Talk" and other resources.

- FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE

- TSJ's EDUCATION-BASED VOTER GUIDE

- GENDER JUST's YOUTH-BASED CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT

- CTU's ALDERMANIC ENDORSEMENTS:

- HEAR WHY TSJ IS BEHIND MIGUEL DEL VALLE

- VOLUNTEER WITH MDV/GET OUT THE VOTE ON ELECTION DAY:

And finally, no matter how things go on election day and in the run off, let's remember that real negotiations take place in the streets and we're building community for the long haul. Real leadership & hope in the 'City that works' is everyday teachers, administrators, social workers, parents, youth and organizers like you all working hard in the trenches on the daily. We appreciate you dearly.

With Love & Solidarity,

Teachers for Social Justice

Suspension Stories: A New Resource to Address the School to Prison Pipeline

2011-02-21T20:26:00.001-06:00

The Rogers Park Young Women's Action Team and Project NIA are proud to announce the launch of Suspension Stories.

Suspension Stories is a youth-led participatory action research project that incorporates surveys, storytelling, and art to address the issue of harsh school disciplinary policies and their connection to pushing students out into the prison pipeline.

The Rogers Park Young Women's Action Team (YWAT) partnered with Project NIA to collect stories about students' experiences of being suspended and/or expelled from school. Over the past few years, some of YWAT's members have complained about the harsh discipline policies that exist at their schools. Members are concerned about youth in their community and how they are being "pushed out" of school because of the zero tolerance policies that many schools still implement. They believe that there is a need for youth voice to "talk back" to the educational system and to show how these policies are actually harming children.

Suspension Stories was coordinated by YWAT Leadership Core member and Project NIA advisory board member Lillian Matanmi with key assistance from YWAT Core member Chelsea Whitis. In addition, this project could not have been completed without the help of countless other youth and adult allies. We thank each and every one of them.

The young women of YWAT dearly hope that others who are organizing against school pushout and the school to prison pipeline will find value in the results of their hard work.
Please take a few minutes to visit Suspension Stories at www.suspensionstories.com

Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce and Curriculum Nights

2011-02-21T18:57:00.003-06:00

The Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce is a volunteer grassroots group working on curriculum development of A Peoples Chicago: Our Stories of Change and Struggle.

An invitation from the Taskforce:

We aim to create at least eight core curricular units, including:
- Urban Renewal or Urban Removal?
- A Look into Chicago School & Educational Struggles with Connections to Surrounding Communities - Past, Present, and Future

This space provides participants with a collective structure to brainstorm new units, decide on our "best practices" and develop relevant, creative, interdisciplinary curriculum for grades 3 - 12. They've got an excellent & attractive newsletter which you can Check out here. Read on for details for the monthly Curriculum Nights.

Every 2nd Tuesday of the Month
5:30-7:30pm
Chicago Teachers Center
770 N Halsted, Chicago, IL (enter on Chicago Ave)
On facebook

There's free parking across the street. Light snacks and refreshments provided. Feel free to bring food for yourself or to share.

Creating a curriculum clearinghouse together,

Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce
chicagotaskforce(at)gmail.com
773.387.1844

Upcoming:
March 8
April 12
May 10

Teachers for Social Justice Endorses Del Valle for Mayor!

2011-02-12T01:06:00.005-06:00

TSJ has decided to endorse Miguel Del Valle for Mayor.

We believe Miguel Del Valle is the candidate most likely to be responsive to the educational concerns of teachers, families, students and communities in Chicago. We know that real change in public education in Chicago will depend on all of us organizing and working together for the changes we need. But a mayor who listens to the people, not just business, is an important condition for us to have our issues heard and addressed and our solutions taken seriously. This election is a chance to make that happen.

To follow the Del Valle campaign, visit the Del Valle website and Facebook fan page.

For TSJ's education-focused breakdown of the Mayoral candidates, download our TSJ Voter Guide.

Be sure to Get Out the Vote on February 22nd!

TSJ General Meeting with Special Guest Bob Peterson of Rethinking Schools

2011-02-09T18:07:00.000-06:00

Sunday, Feb 13
1-3pm
UIC College of Education

1040 W. Harrison St; Room 3233 (Commons Room, 3rd Floor)

Chicago, IL

--Get Involved! Learn about current & upcoming projects: TSJ Voter Guide, Raza Educators Tour, Campaign for the Elected Representative School Board, and more...

-- At 2:00pm hear Bob Peterson (Rethinking Schools editor and candidate for president of the Milwaukee Teachers Union) speak on how Milwaukee educators and activists defeated Mayoral control of Milwaukee schools!

On facebook.

Democracy Remixed, Black Youth and the Future of American Politics

2011-02-09T17:00:00.013-06:00

In Democracy Remixed, award-winning scholar Cathy Cohen offers an authoritative analysis of the state of black youth in America today. Join us for a conversation about the politics, ideas and resistance of black youth.

Saturday, February 19

2 - 5pm

Chicago Urban Art Society

2229 South Halsted Street

Chicago, IL

On Facebook

The program will begin with a conversation between Cathy Cohen and Bakari Kitwana, about the future o...f young black Americans and American democracy. Then, a panel of national and local voices who work with black youth will address the question: what would a black youth political agenda look like? Participants in this important conversation include:
CATHY COHEN, author of Democracy Remixed and The Boundaries of Blackness

BAKARI KITWANA, author of The Hip Hop Generation and Why White Kids Love Hip Hop

BIKO BAKER, Executive Director of the League of Young Voters

ROSA CLEMENTE, community organizer, radio journalist, hip hop activist and a 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate with the Green Party

DARA COOPER (moderator), Chicago activist with Ella's Daughters, Rising In Solidarity with Ayiti, and Healthy Food Hub.

KENYON FARROW, former Executive Director of Queers for Economic Justice, writer, organizer, speaker

ANGIE FRESCO, youth organizer for Southside Together Organized for Power (STOP) and poetry coordinator for Southwest Youth Collaborative

FM SUPREME, hip hop artist, educator and talent manager for Young Chicago Authors

Reservations required. Register online at http://bit.ly/gI9FV0, email events@prairie.org, or call 312 422 5580.

This intergenerational conversation will launch a series of programs commemorating The Public Square's 10 year anniversary. A reception and book-signing will follow the program.

Presented by the Black Youth Project, The Public Square, Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago, Gender and Women's Studies Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and WBEZ 91.5FM.

Co-sponsored by Affinity; Chicago Freedom School; Chicago Hip Hop Civic Engagement Project; Chicago Votes; Ella's Daughters; Free Write Jail Arts and Literacy Program; Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy; Organization of Black Students at University of Chicago; The Black Star Project; Southwest Youth Collaborative; Teachers for Social Justice; and Words, Beats & Life.

TSJ Releases Mayoral Voter Guide (Education Issues)

2011-02-03T18:44:00.001-06:00

Hey Folks! So you know that Mayor Daley is outta here, and you’re probably wondering where the candidates stand on the issues. Well, TSJ is here to help on the education front. We hadn't endorsed a candidate at the time of researching this, but we are involved in a campaign to bring an Elected Representative School Board (ERSB) to the Chi. In this guide we give some info on the ERSB and break down where the candidates stand on a variety of education issues. So read on, and remember to vote on February 22nd.

http://www.theballot.org/2011/tsjmayor

Feel free to pass on the guide, print it out, or leave us a comment!

Also Check out Gender JUST's Youth-based Assessment of the Mayoral Candidates.

2011 TSJ Inquiry to Action Groups (ItAGS)

2011-01-06T18:09:00.011-06:00

TSJ is excited to announce our 2nd annual round of Inquiry to Action Groups (ItAGs). The ItAGs gather educator activists and their allies to study, dialogue, share resources, build community and create an action around social justice issues in education.

The ItAGs will meet once a week for 6 weeks starting the week of January 22 and conclude with a finale, same place, same time, March 12, where all the ItAGs will reconvene to share their work.

Signup is officially closed for 2011. See you at the March 12 Closing Event!

2010 Kickoff Event

On January 22nd at 5 PM, join us at Marwen, 833 N. Orleans, one block north of Chicago Ave. (right off the Chicago bus line and a block away from the Franklin brown line stop) to meet the facilitators and fellow participants to kick-off this year's ItAGs and build a community of people committed to social justice in education.

2011 ItAG Topics

LGBTQIA issues in education

This discussion group is a space for a community of queer teachers and allies of LGBTQIA issues in education. Possible discussion topics include history of queer issues in education, skill shares of how to incorporate LGBTQIA issues in curriculum, story telling of our own experiences, etc. The direction of the discussion topics will primarily be based on the interest of the people who attend.

Facilitators: Jenny Weston is a 4th grade teacher at a cps school, 2 years as a tsj member, member of Chicago childcare collective. Ali Jennings is a plowing through her seventh year of teaching nursery school at Park West Cooperative Nursery School. She has happily attended TSJ's curriculum fair over the years and has also organized with Chicago Dyke March.

Media Literacy & Education

This group will explore the interactions between media and education. We will start by understanding how we define media- conventional, alternative and abstract concepts- and explore how education does and could interact with these media models. Possible subsequent discussions may include: media literacy in educational settings and outside the classroom; power and oppression in media structures and language; using/creating media as a teaching tool; along with other topics brought up by the group. We hope to encourage participation from a diversity of voices that have a stake in these issues: educators, students, media makers and anyone who is exposed to media (everyone).

Facilitators: Lisa Matuska is a freelance reporter for the Chicago News Cooperative and coordinates youth media campaigns at WRTE Radio Arte. She also teaches ESL at Dorthy Stang Adult Popular Education High School and coaches at a girls sports program in Chicago. Allan Gomez works at Radio Populares, CAN TV and is an experienced youth & adult educator

ELL, Bilingualism and Popular Education

How do we connect English language learning (ELL or ESL) with social justice?

This ItAG will explore the intersections of social justice and English language learning with an emphasis on popular education and bilingualism/biliteracy. Some questions we may want to consider: how is English language teaching a political act? how do we promote our student(s)' home language/culture in the classroom? how is popular education more than a set of techniques in the ELL & Bilingual classroom/tutoring? what's our role as a teacher/ tutor/ facilitator? how do we build curriculum? how do we integrate speaking, listening, reading, writing activities related to social/community issues? This ItAG is open to all educators from early childhood to adult education.

Facilitators: Megan Wells has been the adult education coordinator and ESL instructor at Howard Area Community Center for the past 9 years. She has also taught ESL at Dorothy Stang Popular Education Adult High School and is a member of the Popular Education Alliance.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

This study group will focus on social, historical, and political foundations of education and centered on themes of diversity, race, ethnicity, & language in the K-12 classroom. We will read excerpts from scholars in the field, watch films, and listen to music that reflect these issues. The group will be discussion led and focus on our own reflections about culture and race and how our definitions tie into our pedagogical practices. We may go on some field trips as well. This group is open to everyone and anyone from all ages and study disciplines.

Facilitator: Karla Manning has been a member of TSJ for one year and has taught high school English in Chicago Public Schools for 4 years. She has also taught for City Colleges of Chicago and volunteered as a teacher in South Africa last summer. She enjoys reading books and taking long walks on the beach.

A Look into Chicago School & Educational Struggles with Connections to Surrounding Communities - Past, Present, and Future

Main Topic: Launching inquiries into Chicago's school, community, and education struggles - past, present, and future with nat'l and internat'l connections actively identified

Project Summary: Our ItAG inquiries will provide us with interdisciplinary content, activities, and a structure for a high school and college curriculum as one of 8 projected curricular units from A Peoples Chicago: Our Stories of Change and Struggle - a volunteer grassroots curriculum project with the Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce. All contributors are co-authors and are given credit for their work. All our products and other curricula (mostly integrated social science/language arts/fine arts) is going to be made available to each participant, to TSJ, and others.

End Results: The products, based on each persons' interests, would become contributions to an online and possible print publication of this unit of study with our ItAG researching and documenting readings, archival research, photography, art, video, and more. We'll also do some writing and interviewing in order to document our stories. An annotated bibliography of our work will be prepared and uploaded onto the TSJ and Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce website (under construction). Each of these products will have a smaller project team within the ItAG itself - even if its 2 people getting it done. We think the ItAG will continue to meet after the 6 sessions are completed - if people choose to do so.

Location: 4441 North Malden (just off Montrose - 2 blocks east of Clark), Basement is a Resource, Game, and Workout Room.

Facilitators: Lindsay Smith and Anton Miglietta with guest facilitators including David Stovall, Gabriel Cortez, Myrna Garcia, Lynette Danley, Kuumba Lynx, Halley Miglietta with photography activities, and possibly others.

UPLIFT's First Annual Social Justice Expo

2011-01-05T19:22:00.000-06:00

*Postponed!! New Date!!!*

UPLIFT Community High School's *First Annual Social Justice
Expo* postponed. Due to snowstorm, the new date will be Wednesday,
February 9, 2011.

UPLIFT's Social Justice Expo is a collaborative effort of Uplift
students, teachers, after-school programs and community organizations.

The Expo will feature some of the social justice related learning and
action that UPLIFT students, teachers, staff and community partners have been engaged in.

The Expo will involve two components:
- a daytime fair with exhibits, artwork and student presentations
- and an evening performance of poetry, music, spoken word, etc. (with
an opportunity to also visit the exhibits)

The Expo is open to all. Please spread the word. We hope to see you
for this special event. Also On Facebook.
*What: First Annual Uplift Social Justice Expo*

*When: !!New Date!! Wednesday, February 9, 2011; Day - 10:30am -
1:30pm; Evening - 6 -8pm*

*Where: Uplift Community High School (900 W. Wilson Ave. in Uptown,
Chicago)*

*Cost: FREE *

*Contact: Nathan Haines at **nfhaines@gmail.com
nfhaines@gmail.com>*
Nathan Haines
Social Studies Dept.
UPLIFT Community High School
Chicago, IL

Night At the Movies: Louder Than a Bomb

2010-11-28T11:32:00.001-06:00

Civic Cinema: Louder Than a Bomb

Tuesday , December 14 – 6:00 PM – Chicago Cultural Center Claudia Cassidy Theater

Join TSJ for this special screening of the award-winning documentary Louder Than a Bomb, a film about passion, competition, teamwork, and trust. It's about the joy of being young, and the pain of growing up. It's about speaking out, making noise, and finding your voice. It also just happens to be about poetry. A panel with filmmakers Jon Siskel and Greg Jacobs and Kevin Coval, co-founder of the youth poetry festival Louder Than a Bomb, will follow the screening. Plus, LTAB poets will grace us with a performance.

Update: Tickets are no longer available and registration has been closed. Keep an eye out for another screening in the new year!

Lean more about the event.

See below for a preview.

Louder Than a Bomb documentary demo from Siskel/Jacobs Productions on Vimeo.

10th Annual Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair!

2010-11-17T17:05:00.001-06:00

(En Español)
We are very excited that this November 20, 2010 will be the 10th Annual Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair, co-sponsored by Rethinking Schools. This year's theme is "Another Education is Possible, Another World is Necessary!"

In "science fair" format, and completely grassroots volunteer-organized, the Curriculum Fair will provide over 600 educators, activists, parents, youth & community members with a space to share curricula, resources, and inspiration. We'll be making friends & building relationships, exploring ideas & projects, connecting our histories & struggles. All in a spirit of social justice and education for liberation.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2010
10:00AM - 5:00PM

Doors open at 9:30am

Orozco School

1940 W. 18TH Street (map & directions)

Chicago, IL
(download Program PDF)(es Español)
(download Press Advisory)

*Pre-Registration Online is Closed. Feel free to register in person!

OPENING PROGRAM: (10am-noon) Always diverse, poignant, and inspiring, take a peek at this year's 2010 Opening Program Keynote Speakers & Performers.
CURRICULUM FAIR: (all day) K-12 Teachers will be on hand at the Curriculum Fair with poster-board visuals to discuss their favorite curriculum. Check out the Full List of 2010 Curriculum Exhibitor Topics.
RESOURCE TABLES: (all day) Local & national organizations will have tables to share relevant resources & books. Check out the full list of 2010 Resource Tables.
WORKSHOPS: (2 Sessions, beginning at noon) Community leaders will be facilitating dialogue through a number of workshops on vital educational & justice-related issues. Check out descriptions for the 14 2010 Workshops.

Also at the Curriculum Fair...

LUNCH: Lunch is provided for all, to sustain us as we move through our day. Donations from local restaurants and chefs will provide us with various options, including vegetarian & vegan.
EXHIBIT & INTERACTIVE ARTS. Movement artists will be on hand to inspire & amaze through social justice-themed paintings & banners, and will be inviting you to create with them.
CHILDCARE: We'll be offering childcare from 10am-5pm with thanks to the Chicago Childcare Collective. Registration through Online Registration.
HEALING SPACE: TSJ is collaborating with Sage Community Health Collective to provide a Healing Space for fair goers. There will be session signups for massage and acupuncture, as well as an ongoing quiet place where all you hardworking teachers can get away from the day's stress & relax.
TRANSLATION: For the first time, we've committed to expanding language access at the fair to spanish speakers. The opening program will be translated simultaneously and workshops will include translators upon request.
TSJ GEAR: One of our favorite things to do in prep for the fair is to get teachers together and create our own art. This year we've got some hot new t-shirt, totebag & button designs- come by the TSJ table to pick up yours!

After the Fair

AFTER-EVENT! "Liberation Lounge on Marshall". The unnofficial after-party, where TSJ members invite you to a night of arts, dancing & drinks. Details on Facebook. Featuring:

Performance Artist Una Aya Osato (NYC) & excerpts from "Recess"
Filipino cultural artists collective Bagwis
All-night dancing with DJ C: Dub, as well as DJs Scrabblor and DJ Limbs from the People's DJs Collective
Art Exhibits by Leftist Lounge Chicago

Update: (download Program PDF)(es Español)

Update: (download Press Advisory)

Update: Our Setup/Cleanup committee has committed to recycling paper & plastic this year and TSJ is striving to have a plastic-water bottle free event. Please bring a bottle of your own.

Update: We have also committed to having gender-neutral bathrooms, which will be clearly marked at the fair.

Update: Please support La Casita Community Library - Bring a Spanish-language children's book (3rd - 7th grade level most needed) to donate! Drop them by the La Casita Young Librarian's table where Whittier students will update you on their struggle for a library and community space.

We hope you'll help us shape this space to be accessible for people with disabilities, accommodating to those with language & dietary needs, and safe for all people to be their full selves.

A note on registration: we missed emails from Online Registrants before Nov. 2. If you registered online before then, we most likely have your info and can send you the program if you drop us your email. Either way, there is plenty of space and we'll look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

There is no registration cost, though we request a $5-10 donation (includes lunch) if you can give. This is an all-volunteer event and all volunteering, monetary donation & in-kind support is appreciated so we can cover costs. The Childcare Space & Healing Space will accept tips as well. Thanks!

Why a Curriculum Fair?

Following on the US Social Forum in Detroit in June, the national upswing in education organizing, the victory in Milwaukee against Mayoral takeover of their public schools, and the recent tremendous victory by CORE for Chicago Teachers Union leadership, we recognize the need more than ever to build the momentum of the Education for Liberation movement.

For 10 formative years of the Curriculum Fair, we have come together based on our commitment to education for social justice. Along with educators countrywide, we are working toward classrooms and schools that are anti-racist, multicultural / multilingual, and grounded in the experiences of our students. We believe Another Education is Possible and understand that we must take on discussions of school policy in order to create more just and humane schools, but we're also connected to a national & international network of educator activists and recognize together more and more that Another World is Necessary.

This Year's Keynote Speakers & Performers!

2010-11-17T15:50:00.000-06:00

(download full Program PDF)(es Español)

Patrick Camangian is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of San Francisco, currently teaching tenth grade English at Mandela High School in Oakland. His research interests and areas of expertise include: critical pedagogy and transformative teaching in urban schools; critical literacy, culturally empowering education, and urban teacher development.

Araceli González and her daughter, Daniela Mancilla, participated in a 43 day sit-in to prevent the demolition of the field house (known as La Casita) on the grounds of Whittier Dual-Language Elementary School in Pilsen. Rather than demolishing La Casita, the Whittier Parent Committee insisted that CPS use the allocated funds to renovate the building and create a library. The parents have won control of La Casita, while negotiations over the future of the library continue.

Karen Lewis is a product of Chicago Public Schools. Her parents taught in CPS schools and her husband, John is a retired CPS teacher. A 23 year CPS veteran, Karen taught chemistry at Sullivan, Lane Tech and King high schools before winning the presidency of the Chicago Teachers Union in June as a member of the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) slate.

The Opening Program will also feature words & poetry by Kevin Coval, Young Chicago Authors artistic director, with the Louder Than a Bomb (LTAB) All-Stars. See the video below for a preview!

Louder Than a Bomb documentary demo from Siskel/Jacobs Productions on Vimeo.

Why are We Interested in Teaching for Social Justice?

2010-11-16T14:21:00.000-06:00

"Part of the reason I became a teacher is to teach children about social justice, acceptance, and tolerance to improve the world we live in! If we can open the minds of children at a young age, just imagine where our country could be in terms of tolerance, love, and acceptance."

"Education is where there's so much potential to make changes in the way people see the world and interact with each other. I want to influence people to decolonize their minds, embrace curiosity, and value democratic communication. The curriculum fair supports me in doing that work."

"I want to get more ideas to use in classroom with my students."

"I think social justice should be implemented in classrooms all across Chicago, not just in urban schools but also in the suburbs. Understanding social justice is critical to changing the inequalities of our society and I want to be a part of the movement. "

Click here to read all the testimonials..

"I am a CPS teacher, CTU delegate and a CORE member. I believe teachers must be a part of the social justice movement."

"The youth I work with will benefit from the workshops and resources presented. They are all CPS students."

"Education is the civil rights battle of our time; if I say I care about equality and justice I sure as hell better be engaged in this struggle. The government says that all children are required to go to school--it is our responsibility as a nation to provide the highest level of education to EVERY student, regardless of class or race... We shouldn't be able to sleep at night for the mountain of inequities & injustices we pile up against innocent children."

"I'm interested in hearing teacher's methods of teaching because I am a high school drop out and I want to see if things have changed or what are their plans."

"I am 24 years old and am still new to the world of education. As I begin my journey to becoming the best teacher I can be, I am still figuring out what it means to be "a teacher for justice". I look forward to meeting other educators and engaging in thoughtful dialogue about the issues our schools face. I have much to learn, and am intrigued to find out what TSJ can teach me! "

""I work at a school, and I am around teachers all day, but rarely do I get the chance to build with an educator"

"I have been attending this curriculum fair since 2004 and I love it! Every year there is something new to explore and helps me grow as an educator."

"I love this community of teachers who work for justice in their schools and communities. As an employee of a community organization that also works for justice, I appreciate the opportunity to share with the TSJ community and to support one another's work."

"I hear you have great cupcake making parties. No but seriously I think pushing a dialogue for an equitable education is necessary--especially with regards to getting youth voice and parent input for what our schools should look like!"

"I love writing curriculums! I love social justice! I love educators! And that's why I'm down with Teaching for Social Justice."

"I am training to become an elementray school teacher and I plan to work in CPS. I am excited about the work TSJ, CORE, the Whittier parents, and GEM are doing. I am interested in the possibilities for teachers to support and develop a broader working-class movement in Chicago. Along with that, I am interested in promoting awareness among teachers and teachers-in-training about the role teachers play in movements like those here in Chicago, Oaxaca, Chile, and Puerto Rico. Looking forward to exploring our power inside and outside the classroom.""

"I enjoy TSJ because of the true commitment people have to work towards a better education! I believe in its mission and above all the fact that it is understood that education is political. I like that it takes a stance."

I'm dedicated to the process of teaching for social justice and learning how I can best help my students become actively involved global citizens and how I can best assist them in developing strategies to be positive leaders in their communities."

I am a mother of a 6 year old girl who just started kindergarten in CPS. Like any parent, I want what is best for my child. However, the conclusion I have come to is that "the best" for her means advocating for the best for all--fighting inequality and injustices not only in our own surroundings that affect us personally and directly but also outside our immediate worlds. This mean standing with and working in solidarity and love with all who struggle for justice and peace, feeding hope to the belief that another world is indeed possible. "

2010 Resource Tables!

2010-11-15T15:39:00.004-06:00

(download full Program PDF)(es Español)

American Friends Service Committee, Truth in Recruitment Program

Topic: To stop militarization of the public schools

American Indian Education Center @ Stockton Elementary

Topic: Literacy resources for contemporary American Indian culture

Angelic Organic Learning Center

Topic: Organic Farming and Food Education

AREA Chicago

Topic: Art, Research, Education, Activism

Beyond Media

Topic: Media arts for underserved and underrepresented women, youth and communities

Camp Kupugani

Topic: Multiculturalism, diversity, girls empowerment

Changing Worlds

Topic: Oral history, writing, art programs to improve student learning

Chicago Childcare Collective

Topic: Childcare to support the participation of parents, especially mothers, in racial and economic justice work

Chicago Classroom TV

Topic: Media to support educators and students with timely, relevant resources

Chicago Metro History Education Center

Topic: Chicago Metro History Fair

Chicago Teachers Union (CTU)

Topic: Union issues

Civic Education Project

Topic: Leadership program for young people to become active, engaged citizens

A Community Concern

Topic: A film about the power of organizing to improve urban public schools

Community TV Network

Topic: Digital video production for low-income youth

CORE

Topic: Caucus of Rank and File Educators

Dignity in Schools

Topic: Alternatives to a culture of zero-tolerance, punishment and removal

Dorothy Stang Popular Education Adult High School

Topic: Adult education using pedagogy of popular, liberatory education for marginalized groups

Do Your P’Art Foundation

Topic: Programs for diversity and artistic collaboration

Females United For Action (FUFA)

Topic: Resources and education for young women and queer youth

Haymarket Books

Topic: Progressive books; labor and working class history

Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence

Topic: Violence awareness & prevention

International Socialist Organization

Topic: Marxist perspective on the struggle for social justice

Learn Then Burn/Write Bloody Publishing

Topic: A multicultural anthology of high quality, contemporary spoken word poetry

Maya Essence/ Casa Guatamala

Topic: Community resources in health, education, labor and immigration for Guatemalans in Chicago

MuseWrite: Community Writing Workshops

National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), Programs for Educational Opportunity

Topic: Educational equity for race/ethnicity, gender, culture, language, and national origin

National Boricua Human Rights Network

Topic: Campaign to free one of the last Puerto Rican political prisoners

Open Books

Topic: Bookstore and literacy programs

Other Worlds

Topic: Media resources to document grassroots economic, social, and environmental alternatives

People’s Tribune; Speakers for a New America; Chicago Labor & Arts Festival;
Chicago Center for Working Class Studies; League of Revolutionaries for a New America

Topic: Labor and working class resources

Popular Education Alliance

Topic: Adult education using pedagogy of popular, liberatory education for marginalized groups

Project Nia

Topic: Restorative and transformative justice

Revolution Books Chicago

Topic: History, Culture, and Current Events

Sisters Empower Sisters [SES]

Topic: Anti-oppression training, research, artmaking and peer education for young women

TRACE [Teens Re-Imagining Art, Community and Environment]

Topic: Jobs-focused teen leadership

TRIBE—Total Resource Benefiting Everyone Inc

Topic: Engaging youth to address violence, illiteracy, poverty, and substance-abuse

UCAN

Topic: LGBT and Allies Host Home Program for youth who are unstably housed

UNITE

Topic: Urban Needs in Teacher Education

Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center

Topic: Multi-cultural diversity of Uptown and Chicago

World Can't Wait

Topic: Anti-War and Militarization

Young Woman's Action Team

Topic: Empowering women for social change against violence

2010 Curriculum Fair Workshops Announced!

2010-11-15T15:27:00.008-06:00

(download full Program PDF)(es Español)

Session One: 12:00-1:15 (Second Floor)

1] Cantastoria: Creatively Telling Our Stories. Room 210.

Kate Thomas, Megan Pahmier, Diane Worbec-Serratos

Using the art form cantastoria three art educators will perform visual storytellings and reveal the poetic and playful nature of this ancient art form as a method of social critique. The tradition of cantastoria originated in India as way to use visual paintings, with song and story, to communicate a social message of importance. The historical traditions of cantastoria make it a perfect medium for lecturing, critiquing, and conveying complex information in a creative format.

2] Towards a Social-Justice Oriented Chicago Teacher’s Union. Room 214.

Facilitated by members of the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE)

With Teachers’ Unions under attack nationwide, how can Unions survive against the onslaught of negative media from outside and negative perceptions from a new generation of teachers? Teacher’s Beyond an agenda of the “bread and butter” issues of teachers, unions can be a democratizing and social justice force for students and communities. Large emphasis will be placed on changes within the Chicago Teachers’ Union.

3] Don’t Just Talk About it, Be About It: Social Justice & Action in the US History Classroom. Room 211.

J. Cyriac Mathew & Nathan Haines

We will be presenting a Freirean perspective about what it means to teach for social justice in the US history classroom. This perspective radically differs from traditional history classrooms and differs significantly from most “liberal” and “progressive” history classrooms. Our contention is that the US history classroom must make its primary focus the conditions of oppression faced by our students, and also must build in action by students to transform that oppression.

4] NOT Waiting for Superman: The Money Behind the Movie and What We Should Do About It. Room 200.

Bob Peterson, Rethinking Schools.

This workshop will start with a presentation and group discussion on the money and ideology behind the movie “Waiting for ‘Superman.’” The second part of the workshop will examine the organized response to the movie and the strategic implications this movie has for progressive educators and teacher union activists.

5] Chain of Change: Mobile Media Youth Responses to Violence. Room 212.

Salome Chasnoff, Rebecca Connie and Tara Malik, of Beyondmedia Education

Chain of Change, a Beyondmedia Education initiative, organizes youth across community boundaries to create and broadcast media that expose the roots of violence. ChainofChange.com is a forum for youth-led discussion on the many forms of violence youth face, from relationship violence and street harassment to institutional and media violence. Through story sharing and hands-on activities, participants in this workshop will learn how to create and use mobile media devices, such as Flip cameras and cell phones, for preventative and curative anti-violence activism.

6] Leaving No ELL Behind When it Comes to Comprehension. Room 202.

Meredith Piec & Nalleli Martinez, Cleveland Public Schools

“I don’t get it”… “Huh?”… “Qué?” If you find yourself hearing these all too familiar, reoccurring phrases from your students, this workshop is for you. Our ELL students may have learned to read, they may even be fluent readers, but it’s time we teach them how to read for meaning. Learn how to scaffold your reading comprehension instruction utilizing the language domains and proficiencies of your students with culturally relevant picture books.

7] Start Building Supportive LGBTQ Educational Spaces. Room 213.

Edith Bucio, Jenny Weston, and Aerin Dugan

Join us in exploring the impact that allies have in your own life. Connect these experiences to the importance of allies in the LGBTQA community in educational spaces. Through interactive activities we will learn how to use these ally characteristics in real life situations.

---------------------------

Session Two: 2:30-3:45 (Second Floor)

1] Organizing for Radical Educational Transformation in Chicago, in a post-Daley era. Room 211.

Members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU)

Public education is under attack on many fronts. Where are these attacks coming from and why are they occurring? How can teachers, parents, students, community and education allies UNITE to demand a voice in education and school improvement issues? This workshop will emphasize the many educational transformation efforts that are occurring and engage participants to strategize on what else can be done to defend and strengthen Public Education.

2] Teaching through Lies: Ideological Literacy and Popular Culture. Room 212.

Patrick Camangian, University of San Francisco

This workshop will provide teachers with classroom strategies to help their students analyze the ideological structure through which ideas of race, class and gender are constructed in the media generally, and in corporate rap music specifically. Drawing on critical perspectives for a teaching framework, this workshop offers curricular examples for preparing students to examine issues of privilege, social control, and oppression in U.S. society while fostering their intellectual analysis, academic aptitude and creative writing and voice.

3] Urban Renewal or Urban Removal? Draft Curriculum Release and Practical Applications for Educators, Activists, and Community Members. Room 200.

David Stovall, Anton Miglietta, Myrna Garcia, Gabriel Cortez

Participants will receive a draft of Urban Renewal or Urban Removal?,* the first completed unit of A People’s Chicago: Our Stories of Change and Struggle, as well as other classroom projects and materials on Chicago’s history and some current realities (3rd grade, 7 – 12th grades). Everyone will get to examine key aspects of the curriculum including historic documents and a photographic journey into Chicago Communities 2010 – an ongoing photographic series. A classroom tour of curriculum exhibits, topic station choices, small group work, and chances to make practical connections are all emphasized. Please reach out on your areas of interest to attend monthly curriculum creation nights. *space limited to first 30

4] Empowering Parents for a Social Justice Classroom. Room 214.

Grow Your Own Students and Logan Square Neighborhood Association

This workshop focuses on the importance of including parents and community members in a social justice classroom. Currently, the disconnection between community and schools is thriving under policies in urban schools that uproot students from their communities. Logan Square parents recognize the need for school-family relationships and took it upon themselves not only to invite but to encourage parents to be an authentic part of the classroom. This workshop will highlight the barriers to parent participation and invite participants to brainstorm strategies that effectively use the assets of the community in a social justice-based classroom.

5] Using Spoken Word in the Classroom. Room 213.

Tim Stafford

Using Spoken Word in the classroom- Tim Stafford is the editor of the anthology Learn Then Burn and co-authored its Teachers Edition. He is also a poet and Chicago Public Schools Teacher. In this workshop Tim will show you how to use spoken word as well as your own writing to teach poetry in a way that is both productive and engaging.

6] Introduction to the Occupation in Palestine/ Israel. Room 202.

Muhammad Sankari, Shira Tevah, Ruby Thorkelson

This workshop gives high-school students and teachers an overview of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict leading to current Israeli occupation of Palestine, and the political struggles and everyday realities that are part of the occupation. The workshop uses media including maps and music videos to dissect the historical context of the occupation and break down Zionism, as well as relate the situation in that part of the world to displacement, eviction, brutality, and resistance that may look familiar to Chicago students. Students and teachers are welcome and will receive a workshop outline and resource list for those wanting to replicate the workshop.

7] Roots Of Violence- Heterosexism. Room 210.

Xia, KOKUMO, Benjamin, Nalleli, and Sam (Gender Just)

This training is designed so that trainees will be able to understand the ways in which everyone is impacted by systemic violence based on sexual orientation and gender-identity, as well as the ways that it is connected to other forms of systemic violence such as white supremacy and imperialism. The goal is to develop a shared recognition of systematic violence based on sexual orientation and gender-identities.

2010 Curriculum Fair Exhibitors

2010-11-15T15:21:00.004-06:00

(download full Program PDF)(es Español)

A list of this year's social justice curriculum exhibitors! Teachers who developed these curricula will be on hand with visuals & resources.

Art Education
Dances, Songs and Concepts of the Nahuatl Traditions
Social Studies—Peace throughout the city
Printmaking—Chicago Ecology Map Prints
Youth Voice, Student Leadership
Art and Hip Hop Culture
Art and Recycling
Language Arts, Social Studies, and Immigration
Critical Chemistry
Social Justice in the Art Classroom
Mathematics and Visual Art—Urban Development
Art—Graffiti Message
Art Education
Art Education and Democracy
History, Social Studies
Critical Mathematics
Special Education, History
Science Literacy and Critical Thinking; Various Environmental Issues
Social Studies and History Art Integration—Objects of Labor
Art Education—Self in Community
GLTB awareness, bullying, name-calling and teasing
Fair Trade in the production of chocolate and sports equipment
Critical Consciousness, Community/Family Collaboration, Anti-Racist
Art Education
Science, Music, and History
The People’s Chicago—Our Stories of Change and Struggle
Democratic Grading in the Classroom
Chemistry, Properties of Metals & Redox
Language Arts, Creative Writing, Spoken Word
Environmental Science and Water Quality
Action Civics in the Classroom
Art—Prisons, environmental racism, neighborhood violence
Myths and Stereotypes of American Indians and Thanksgiving
Transnational Identities
Sculpture—Building a Community through Shape and Balance
Examing the Roots of Youth Violence
Social Justice in Early Childhood
Identity and Hierarchy in Contemporary Art
Math-analyzing data, making graphs, maps—Criminalized Image of Youth

Social Justice Curricula, Resources & Workshops!

2010-10-31T22:39:00.009-05:00

K-12 Teachers will be on hand at the Curriculum Fair with poster-board visuals to discuss their favorite curriculum, local & national organizations will have tables to share relevant resources & books, and community leaders will be facilitating dialogue through a number of workshops on vital educational & justice-related issues.

Update: The Curriculum Exhibits, Resource Tables & Workshops proposal process is closed. Thanks for all your fantastic submissions!

And don't forget the always-uplifting keynote speakers & creative performers... to be announced soon!

More about the Curriculum Fair...

2010-10-30T23:31:00.004-05:00

Lunch is provided for all, to sustain us as we move through our day. Live art, paintings & banners from local movement artists will inspire & amaze, and there's even word (or rumor!) of a raucous after party in the mix...

Update: Childcare will be provided! From 10am-5pm. Courtesy of volunteers from the Chicago Childcare Collective. Childcare registration will take place through Online Registration for the Fair.

Update: Our Setup/Cleanup committee has committed to recycling paper & plastic this year and TSJ is striving to have a plastic-water bottle free event. Please bring a bottle of your own.

We hope you'll help us shape this space to be accessible for people with disabilities, accommodating to those with language & dietary needs, and safe for all people to be their full selves.

Register, volunteer, come to a meeting! We'll appreciate you dearly!

How to Participate

2010-10-29T23:43:00.014-05:00

*REGISTER ONLINE NOW!

*EMAIL THIS MESSAGE to your list and Invite Friends to the Facebook Event Page (click "Suggest to friends" to the left under the flyer image).

*DOWNLOAD & PRINT FLYERS (COLOR) / (BLACK-WHITE) (En Español)

*VOLUNTEER for Outreach, Setup & Clean up, Registration & Food donations help (through registration) (Click Here)

Update: Curriculum Exhibits, Workshops & Resource Table proposals process is closed. Thanks for submitting!

There is no registration cost, though we request a $5-10 donation (includes lunch) if you can give. This is an all-volunteer event and all volunteering, monetary donation & in-kind support is appreciated so we can cover costs. Thanks!

CAN'T MAKE IT TO CHICAGO?

Keep an eye on our website.. we're going to attempt to web stream the keynote speakers and will be sharing video, photo & audio from the event shortly after.

Have specific questions as an out-of-town guest or other specific inquiries? Hit us up at teachersforjustice@hotmail.com or on facebook.

With peace,
Teachers for Social Justice
Chicago, IL

Why is Teaching for Social Justice Important?

2010-10-28T23:46:00.001-05:00

Following on the US Social Forum in Detroit in June, the national upswing in education organizing, the victory in Milwaukee against Mayoral takeover of their public schools, and the recent tremendous victory by CORE for Chicago Teachers Union leadership, we recognize the need more than ever to build the momentum of the Education for Liberation movement.

For 10 formative years of the Curriculum Fair, we have come together based on our commitment to education for social justice. Along with educators countrywide, we are working toward classrooms and schools that are anti-racist, multicultural / multilingual, and grounded in the experiences of our students. We believe Another Education is Possible and understand that we must take on discussions of school policy in order to create more just and humane schools, but we're also connected to a national & international network of educator activists and recognize together more and more that Another World is Necessary.

Demystifying the Exhibitor Experience

2010-10-20T15:11:00.004-05:00

The following passage is from TSJ Member Sana to give you an overview of what it means to exhibit at the Curriculum Fair. Please sign up at: http://bit.ly/tsjexhibitor

This is a short account of my experience exhibiting at the TSJ Curriculum Fair.

Last year was my first year exhibiting, and like many, I was very apprehensive at first. However, with the encouragement of my dear friend, Jonah, active member of TSJ, I worked up the courage. Still a little worried about how I could possibly contribute to the fair, I enlisted the help of my co-teacher Mary. We brainstormed how we could or already had incorporated social justice ideals such as anti-racist, multilingual, student-centered, etc. education in the classroom. We realized we were implementing social justice principles while teaching the novel, Monster by Walter Dean Myers through our discussions of the injustices youth of color, specifically African Americans, face with the judicial system.

We looked at the TSJ exhibitor application, which mentioned that most exhibitors put up science-fair-like boards to exhibit their work. The board didn't take that long to put together, but to ground it in the TSJ principles, I am going to have my students put the board together this year.

The next step was to make copies of the worksheets we distributed to students. Also, we put student responses on our boards to help their voices be heard. We were finally ready and excited to exhibit at the fair. The day of the fair we arrived around 9 a.m. and put up our board and copies, which took a whole 5 minutes. During the fair we were at our exhibit, but we weren't chained down to the exhibit, so we were able to enjoy the curriculum fair as well.

I hope you end up exhibiting because although you may think you have nothing to offer, the very fact that you are reading this shows your heart is in the right place and have things to share!

--Sana Jafri
Fore more info about this year's fair and to sign up to be an exhibitor, click here.

Free Minds Free People Conference - Request for Proposals

2010-10-16T10:58:00.001-05:00

Proposal Deadline: January 21, 2011
Full Proposal Download

BACKGROUND

Free Minds, Free People is a national conference presented by the Education for Liberation Network,
The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, the Chicago Freedom School and Youth in Action that brings together teachers, high school and college students, researchers, parents and community-based activists/educators from across the country to build a movement to develop and promote education as a tool for liberation.
The conference is a space in which these groups can learn from and teach each other, sharing knowledge, experience and strategies.

Education for liberation prepares the most excluded, under-served members of our society, in particular low-income youth and youth of color, to fight for a more just world by:

Exploring with students the causes of inequalities and injustices in society and how communities
have fought against them.
Helping students to develop both the belief in themselves that they can challenge those injustices
and the skills necessary to do that.
Supporting students in taking action that leads to disenfranchised communities having more power.

The goal of Free Minds, Free People is to provide a forum for sharing knowledge, experiences and
strategies that support the use of education as a tool for liberation by:

Building and sustaining connections between people from different backgrounds with an interest in justice-oriented education work
Supporting participants in developing and deepening their practice as learners and educators
committed to social justice
Nourishing justice-oriented education work in various communities, with an emphasis on the host city, by making strategic connections to collective action in other parts of the country
Acting as a catalyst for the continued development of a social movement around education for
liberation
Supporting and promoting youth-led education and organizing efforts
Utilizing a collaborative conference planning process that elevates the leadership of students, parents, teachers, researchers and community-based organizers/educators.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

We invite K-12 teachers, community-based educators, students, activists/organizers, artists, parents and academic researchers to submit proposals

Full Proposal Download

TSJ Movie Night! Waiting for Superman

2010-10-06T05:37:00.004-05:00

You're invited to come to the movies with TSJ! We'll be heading as a group to check out the new "Waiting for Superman" film in theaters

Oct 16, 2010
TIME HAS CHANGED!
The viewing is at 4pm
We'll be meeting at the theater at 3:30pm
Landmark Century Theater, 2828 N. Clark

Tickets cost $11, we recommend getting advance tickets.

After the film the plan is to gathering in the sitting area in the mall where the theater is - it's on the ground floor.

Feel free to Contact Rachel S. to RSVP, although not required. Rachel's email is rachel.serra@gmail.com and phone is 773-954-9508

For some critical pre-reading & reviews from teachers, check out
http://www.notwaitingforsuperman.org/

We are also having a general meeting Sunday to discuss the film 'Waiting for Superman' in more depth and also to plan for the Nov. 20 Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair. Come on out! Bring a friend!

TSJ General Meeting
Sunday, Oct. 17
1-3pm
UIC-- College of Education, 3rd Floor
1040 W. Harrison St., Room 3233, Commons Room
Chicago, IL
(on facebook)

Chicago Teachers Union Celebrates 'Stunning Legal Victory' Against CPS Over Layoffs

2010-10-06T05:07:00.002-05:00

FOX Chicago News

Chicago - A federal judge ruled Monday that the Chicago Public School system does not have the right to fire teachers without regard to seniority or tenure, handing a victory to the Chicago Teachers Union.

Before the start of the school year, 750 teachers were let go because of budget deficits.

Monday, a court ruling sided with CTU over the firings. Judge David Coar ruled that the district has 30 days to work with the union on a process that would set up so called "recall rules".

The teachers believe the ruling will get them back at work.

Read the full article.

NOT Waiting for Superman - Take Action!

2010-10-02T15:31:00.000-05:00

Reposted from Rethinking Schools.

NOTWaitingforSuperman.org is live!

We've got news, articles, and resources, as well as discussion boards to keep the dialogue active. Please invite colleagues and friends to the site and join the fight.

Read on for ways to get informed, create dialogue & take action.

1. Write a letter to the editor or an op-ed. The editorial page is a powerful forum for countering influence and finding solidarity. Davis Guggenheim is a storyteller, but you need to tell your own story, and the editorial page is an excellent place to start. We offer FREE assistance to writers who need help framing, editing and placing a letter or op-ed. Contact Fred McKissack at fred@Notwaitingforsuperman.org for more information.

2. Pass out leaflets at the theater. On-the-ground, direct action is a hallmark of American democratic values. Passing out leaflets gives moviegoers something to absorb as they are bathed in Guggenheim's oversimplified emotionalism. You can find ideas and samples of leaflets here. Note: it's important to include local contact info.

3. Invite others to watch better documentaries. You, too, can bring people together to watch a documentary or two that treats the subject of education reform as a complex problem that requires a holistic approach from the entire community, not as a pet project for the wealthy. Here are four we recommend.

The Education They Deserve

Race to Nowhere

August to June

Inconvenient Truth About WfS

4. Join the discussion about the movie. Even if you haven't seen the film, you can provide context to why the reforms touted by this film will be the demise of public education. Below are places you can start.

The official "Waiting for Superman" website

Washington Post review

New York Magazine review

Yahoo.com's "Waiting for Superman" community

5. Join the discussion about education policy. Let your voice be heard in contrast to so-called reformers and their acolytes who frame the debate with dubious claims and specious arguments.

Joel Shatzky's blog on Huffington Post

Teacher Ken blog on Daily Kos

Oprah Show's Get Educated About Education section

Edutopia.org's page on education reform documentaries

Teacher Leaders Network's Get in the Fracas blog

Education Week's Living in Dialogue blog

6. Visit the Rethinking Schools website at www.rethinkingschools.org and support one of the nation's leading grassroots voices for social justice in public education. Subscribe to the Rethinking Schools e-list. (You can also make a donation to support the NWfS campaign.)

Sept 22 Rally for Education

2010-09-20T15:27:00.001-05:00

Chicago Teachers Union:

Tuesday, Sept. 21
4pm @ Daley Plaza

Washington & Dearborn Streets

(across from Chicago City Hall)

WHY PROTEST?

Chicago parents, teachers and students demand...
1. Mayor Daley give $350 million in TIF funds back to our schools!
2. Chicago Public Schools end overcrowding and reduce class size now!
3. Rehire 1,000 seasoned educators with the $106 million sent by Congress!

4. Stop turnarounds & closings, promote neighborhood stability and school safety!

Peace Party for TSJ! Monday Nov. 8

2010-09-03T03:51:00.000-05:00

Join Teachers for Social Justice & dancefloor allies for Peace Party at Danny's, a monthly benefit with resident DJs Jeff Parker, David M, Naomi Walker & guest Brotha Onaci. Funk & soul vinyl to groove to on a school night. Spread the word!

Monday, November 8, 2010
9pm-2am
Danny's Tavern
1951 W. Dickens (block north of Armitage & Damen)
Chicago, IL

Percentage of bar sales will support the

10th Annual Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair, November 20, 2010

Danny's Tavern is
21+
Space is not wheelchair accessible.

TSJ Curriculum Fair 2010 - Email Re-submission

2010-08-10T20:35:00.002-05:00

Report Back from the Delegation to Honduras

2010-08-05T13:52:00.001-05:00

TSJ were privileged to participate in a Honduras delegation last fall and saw first hand the importance of the struggle and courage of people there. We witnessed the leadership and strength of the teachers in Honduras that are models to educators everywhere.

Please come out to support this report back from the most recent delegation to Honduras! One Year After the Coup - The Right to Resist From June 26-July 4th twelve people traveled with the La Voz de los de Abajo delegation to Honduras for the mobilizations protesting one year of the military coup and celebrating the birth of the new Resistance in Honduras. The delegation traveled throughout the country observing and interviewing political prisoners; campesinos; journalists; human rights and indigenous leaders and members and leaders from the National Front of Popular Resistance.

Join us for our report back with members of the delegation, video, photos and plenty of discussion. Friday, August 6th 8pm-11pm Decima Musa Restaurant 1901 South Loomis (Pilsen) www.hondurasresists.blogspot.com

Freire Forum!

2010-07-18T21:15:00.002-05:00

Teachers for Social Justice and the Education for Liberation Inquiry to Action Group (ItAG) invite you to the Freire Forum:

Learn about Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy
Build a movement of education for liberation
Meet fellow educators from across the city
Develop curriculum for your classroom and education practices

Saturday, July 31st: 10am- 3pm UIC EDUCATION BUILDING 1040 W. Harrison 3RD FLOOR Want to hang a flyer in your school? Download it here. All teachers, educators, activists, community members welcome! This space is wheelchair accessible and we'll have lunch together-- please bring $5 to contribute if you can. Questions? Drop us a line at teachersforjustice(at)hotmail.com

Another Education is Possible at the US Social Forum!

2010-06-18T15:04:00.007-05:00

Join TSJ at the US Social Forum in Detroit-- June 22nd to June 26th (http://ussf2010.org for info). We've partnered with progressive education groups around the country to put on a workshop and People's Movement Assembly and we'd love to see you all there!

Another Education is Possible:

WEDNESDAY JUNE 23rd 3:30-5:30 Cobo Hall: W2-58

Across the country, we are facing a critical moment of national 'reform' that will ultimately define the future of education in the US. Many of the initiatives garnering national attention, while supposedly created and implemented with intentions to “close the achievement gap,” often carry negative side effects that both harm low-income students of color and reinforce a profit-driven and capitalist system.

As teachers and community-based educators for liberation, we tend to spend a significant amount of time analyzing and tearing these programs to pieces, fighting both locally and nationally against privatization. While we have become increasingly adept to identifying the enemy and knowing what we are against, it can sometimes be difficult to articulate what alternative visions can be presented and advocated for.

We invite USSF participants to join teacher activists from across the country in this workshop where we will explore the current moment in education by connecting the dots between seemingly disparate educational reforms such as school closings and takeovers, exponential growth of charter schools, budget cuts, teacher lay-offs, merit pay, attacks on teacher unions, and high-stakes standardized testing to paint a complete picture of the impact of such ‘solutions’ on low-income students and students of color.

We will also identify viable, creative, and sustainable solutions to the public education crisis by investigating the key components of the problem, connecting local education struggles, and focusing on what’s working: our successes, lessons learned, and visions for the future. Youth, parents, educators, and those passionate about educational change welcome! Participants will be engaged in small group activities and discussions, as well as large group debriefs and report-backs.

CORE Wins Leadership of Chicago Teachers Union!

2010-06-13T05:41:00.010-05:00

In a decisive victory, the Caucus of Rank and File Educators won leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union!

Check out these three videos of CTU Delegates after this historic win, including President-Elect Karen Lewis' acceptance speech. Nathan Goldbaum CTU delegate Jackson Potter CTU delegate Karen Lewis CTU acceptance speech

On June 11, 2010, 20,406 members of the Chicago Teachers Union voted in a run-off election for the leadership of the CTU. Headed by Karen Lewis, a chemistry teacher at King College Prep, the Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators was declared the winner by the American Arbitration Association on June 12, 2010. The results were CORE at 12,080 votes and UPC, headed by Marilyn Stewart at 8,326. CORE swept all elected offices in the run-off.

"Today marks the beginning of the end of scapegoating educators for all the social ills that our children, families and schools struggle against every day. Today marks the beginning of a fight for true transparency in our educational policy -- how to accurately measure learning and teaching, how to truly improve our schools, and how to evaluate the wisdom behind our spending priorities."

TSJ and Jitu Brown, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, challenge Duncan's education agenda on Democracy Now!

2010-06-13T05:33:00.002-05:00

University Students in Puerto Rico strike and occupy campus to defend public education

2010-06-13T05:30:00.003-05:00

Liberation ItAG invites you to the Freire Forum

2010-06-04T20:15:00.004-05:00

Teachers for Social Justice and the Education for Liberation Inquiry to Action Group (ItAG) invite you to the Freire Forum:

Learn about Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy
Build a movement of education for liberation
Meet fellow educators from across the city
Develop curriculum for your classroom and education practices

Saturday, July 31st: 10am- 3pm
UIC EDUCATION BUILDING
1040 W. Harrison 3RD FLOOR
Register by clicking here.

Want to hang a flyer in your school? Download it here.
All teachers, educators, activists, community members welcome! This space is wheelchair accessible and there will be a potluck lunch. Questions? Drop us a line at teachersforjustice(at)hotmail.com

Save Our Schools Rally - A Huge Turnout!

2010-05-26T05:49:00.008-05:00

On May 25, TSJ joined several thousand fired-up teachers, parents, students, and school staff, in a huge show of outreach at CPS's proposed budget cuts.

Marching from CPS headquarters to City Hall, we took to the streets with demands: * Save our Schools! * Chop from the Top! * Stop investing in Private Schools! * The Money is There- Give the TIF $ back to the People!

Clark Street was clogged with buses unloading marchers (by our count about 40 buses). As part of the Grassroots Education Movement (GEM), TSJ and other GEM partners (KOCO, Blocks Together, Pilsen Alliance, among others present) joined the current leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union and CORE (Caucus of Rank and File Educators) which initiated the rally in the union and is in a run-off for the leadership. This powerful outpouring signaled the power of unity between teachers and community that we will need we will need to defeat the drastic budget cuts hitting school districts around the country as politicians, corporations and banks try to dump their financial crisis on our backs.

The rally gave us a taste of the power of the teachers union, a sleeping giant, which if fully awakened as a social justice union in principled alliance with children and communities, has the strength to bring the city and the school district to listen to the people' demands. This is why it is strategically important to support CORE for the CTU runoff election on June 11!

CORE is in the Chicago Teachers Union Hunt

2010-05-24T12:04:00.002-05:00

In Chicago Teachers Union elections last week, the Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators (CORE) garnered enough votes to take it to a run off, falling just 1.9 points behind the incumbents. Taking in account all of the opposition groups, 2/3 of CTU voters sent a message calling for change and CORE, a social justice caucus within the union, has a chance of winning.

TSJ has officially endorsed CORE in the elections and we're encouraging all to respond to the call to help.

CORE is having a dinner & planning meeting this Monday, open to all those want to find out how they can support in the June 11th Runoff Election.

Monday, May 24th 2010 4:00-6:00 PM
Letter Carriers Hall
3850 South Wabash
Food will be provided.

Check out info on the Run Off & Elections at:
http://coreteachers.com

Save Our Schols Rally this Tuesday!

2010-05-20T06:35:00.004-05:00

Join Educators, Union members, Parents,

Community Leaders and Students to protest the

Board's devastation of Chicago's public schools.

CPS is planning to

* Increase class sizes to 37 students

* Cut after-school programming

* Fire thousands of teachers

* Eliminate full day kindergarten

UNITE!

Rally - Tuesday May 25

4-6 p.m.

Starting at the Chicago Teacher's Union: 125 S. Clark Street

Marching to City Hall

Chop from the Top - Eliminate Board Waste

Stop investing in Private Schools - Freeze Charter Schools and Turnarounds

The Money is There. Give the TIF $ back to the people.

TSJ Officially Endorses CORE for CTU Leadership

2010-05-16T09:03:00.000-05:00

TSJ Members and Friends,

The upcoming election for the leadership of the CTU (Chicago Teachers Union), on May 21, is extremely significant given the current political and economic situation facing Chicago.

On the basis of our political principles and 12-year history of fighting for justice and equity in education (and society), Teachers for Social Justice officially endorses CORE (Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators) for CTU leadership.

We believe CORE has the best chance to lead the CTU forward towards being a democratic, social justice union, in solidarity with communities and community organization, that will fight for the interests of Chicago students, parents, and, of course, teachers. We know and respect many in CORE leadership because many came out of TSJ and are still members/friends and participate in TSJ events.

We urge all TSJers to vote for the CTU in the election (if you are a union member) and to otherwise help in EVERY way you can to support CORE. CORE is holding a May 8 "training event" for outreach to schools (flyer attached) for all who want to volunteer to support their election drive. See http://coreteachers.com/election/ for more details, their specific platform, and candidates. They will also be doing some phone banking, so stay tuned!

In solidarity and struggle,

Teachers for Social Justice Active Core

Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers

2010-05-15T03:08:00.002-05:00

Our friends at the Education for Liberation Network just announced the publication of the 2010-2011 edition of Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers. This unique resource is packed with all new social justice anniversaries and birthdays as well as lots of new resources, quotes and essential questions for students.

Pre-order your copy from Rethinking Schools for a discount price today! Or learn more by visiting www.justiceplanbook.com.

2011 ItAG Online Registration

2010-05-06T18:11:00.001-05:00

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Feria Anual de Curriculos de los Maestros para la Justicia Social, 20 nov 2010

2010-05-05T12:42:00.001-05:00

Estamos bien emocionados que este proximo 20 de este noviembre 2010 será el 10º Anual Feria de Curriculos de la Justicia Social, patrocinado por los Maestros para la Justicia Social (Chicago) y copatrocinado por Rethinking Schools. La tema de este año es “Otra Educación es Posible, Otro Mundo es Necesario!”

En el formato de una feria de ciencias, y organizado por voluntarios, La Feria de Curriculos proveerá a más que 600 educadores, activistas, padres, jóvenes y miembros de la comunidad de un espacio en que puedan compartir curriculos, ideas y recursos. Estaremos haciendo amigos y construyendo relaciones, explorando ideas y proyectos, conectando nuestros historias y luchas. Todo en el espíritu de la justicia social y la educación para la liberación.

Maestros de K-12 se presentarán con carteles para discutir sus curriculos preferidos (favor de inscribirse!), organizaciones locales y nacionales tendrán mesas con recursos y libros, y líderes de la comunidad facilitarán el diálogo por unos talleres sobre varios asuntos importantes.

Y no te olvides de las palabras de presentación que siempre nos inspira… ya pronto anunciaremos el orador.

Proveemos el almuerzo para todos, para sostenernos mientras pasamos por el día. Arte en vivo, pinturas y pancartas por artistas de movimientos locales inspirarán y asombrarán, y además, hay rumores de alguna fiesta por la noche…

Esperemos que nos ayuden a dar forma a este espacio para que sea accesible para las personas con discapacidades, abierto para las personas con las necesidades de lenguaje, además deísmos que la feria sea un espacio seguro.

Inscribete, ofrece tus servicios, ven a una reunión! Te apreciaremos mucho!

REGISTRARSE & ENSCRIBIRSE ONLINE

POR QUE:
Siguiendo el Foro Social del EEUU en Detroit este junio, las luchas para la educación las están pasando por todo el país, la victoria en Milwaukee contra la relevación por el alcalde de las escuelas públicas, y la increíble victoria reciente de la CORE para el liderazgo del Sindicato de Maestros de Chicago, reconocemos que ahora, más que nunca, hay que construir el momento del movimiento de la Educación para la Liberación

Por 10 años de la Feria de Curriculos, nos hemos conjuntado por nuestro compromiso a la educación para la justicia social. Junto con educadores de todo el país, trabajamos para que tengamos aulas y escuelas que existan en contra del racismo, que sean multiculturales/multilingües, y que tengan sus bases en las experiencias de los estudiantes. Creemos que Otro Mundo es Posible y entendemos que es necesario enfrentarnos con los discursos de la política de la educación para crear las escuelas más justas y humanitarias, pero también estamos conectados con una red nacional e internacional de educadores activistas y reconocemos más y más que Otro Mundo es Necesario.

CUANDO & DONDE:

SABADO 20 NOVIEMBRE 2010
10:00AM – 5:00PM
Las puertas abren a las 9:30am
Orozco School
1940 W. 18TH Street (mapa & direcciones)
Chicago, IL

Estaremos reciclando el papel y el plástico este año y deseamos tener un evento sin las botellas plásticas de agua. Favor de llevar su propia botella de agua.

¿COMO PUEDES PARTICIPAR?

REGISTRARSE ONLINE AHORA!

MANDAR ESTE MENSAJE a tus contactos e invitar a tus amigos por la Página del Evento en la Facebook (haz clic en “Seleccionar Invitados” en la izquierda abajo del imagen del folleto).

SER EXPOSITOR DE CURRICULO (Haz Clic)

BAJAR E IMPRIMIR FOLLETOS (DE COLORES) / (NEGRO&BLANCO)

SER VOLUNTARIO para el Alcance, Levantar y Limpiar, Inscripción y Comidas.

No hay costo para inscribirse, pero pedimos una donación de $5-10 (incluye el almuerzo) si puedes dar. Este es un evento de voluntarios, donaciones de dinero y necesidades es apreciado para que podamos cubrir los costos. Gracias!

¿NO PUEDES VENIR A CHICAGO?

Visita nuestro website, intentaremos poner un video de las palabras de presentación de los oradores durante el evento y compartiremos videos, fotos y audio del evento un poco más tarde.

¿Tienes algunas preguntas sobre viajar a Chicago desde otro lado? Contactános en teachersforjustice@hotmail.com o en facebook.

Con paz, 
TSJ
Maestros Para La Justicia Social
Chicago, IL

Inquiry to Action Groups-- Report Back on our Stories and Successes

2010-04-12T10:35:00.010-05:00

Chicago's Teachers for Social Justice just completed our first-ever round of Inquiry to Action Groups (ItAGs). Shared with us by our sister organization NYCORE--New York Collective of Radical Educators--ItAGs are an opportunity for educators and their allies to build community, access new resources, and link social justice with classroom practices.

The goal of an ItAG is to pursue a common inquiry on a social justice topic and create an action around this area of study.

Here's what teachers had to say about the iTAGs:

" [The ItAG] kept me aware of my own motivation to work towards social justice and it gave me support from others trying to do the same."

"We decided to use our ItAG space to help each other stay on top of our projects. It made us go above and beyond our meeting space to affect change in the world."

"I loved the opportunity to share ideas and hear perspectives of teachers at all different age groups and types of schools."

"It was very rich, relevant and applicable; it as really made me rethink what I do in my classroom."

With this in mind, Jonah Bondurant and Sarah Atlas got together to launch this process. We did outreach among educators across the city, surveyed interested people for the most relevant topics to their studies and practice, and found amazing facilitators to help us get this off the ground. This past January, educators, parents, students, activists, teaching artists, and community members formed five ItAGs--Early Childhood Education, Education for Liberation, Arts and Social Justice, Hip-Hop and Social Justice, New Teachers and Social Justice. This range of themes brought together a community of learners from all over Chicago.

We began with a kickoff event to cultivate the common energy we all had for studying together, learning from one another, sharing resources, and taking action. We launched into this with the idea that you cannot have study without action nor action without study.
With this idea in mind, the ItAGs met for 6 weeks, for approximately two hours each meeting. The ItAGs became spaces for democratic education to take place while allowing for each group to have its own structures, activities, readings and processes. And each group had its own successes and challenges.

As the individual ItAG meetings came to a close, we came back together for our finale and celebration. It was evident that though the ItAGs were around different topics and were meeting all across the city, each group shared a passion for critical analysis, energy for learning and sharing, necessary hope, and shared commitment to bring social justice even deeper into our practice as educators.

As we reflect on this process and harness this energy, TSJ will definitely continue hosting Inquiry to Action Groups. At the request and commitment of many of the ItAG participants, we will launch our next round of ItAGs in the summer of 2010.

Interested in participating? Interested in facilitating? Want to know more? Let us know, this is definitely a learning community we want to grow! Email Jonah Bondurant holajonah(at)gmail.com and Sarah Atlas seatlas(at)gmail.com

Illinois Teachers, Unite for Your Undocumented Students!

2010-03-08T19:07:00.004-06:00

Posted by TSJ member Belen Donahue:

As most of you know, I'm a teacher and I'm deeply concerned with the future of my undocumented/immigrant students. The current, broken immigration system is denying them a right to higher education and putting their future in jeopardy.

I'm looking to get a team of teachers together that support immigration reform so our students have the opportunity to higher education and a successful future. The intent is to maximize the pressure on Congress by having a teacher-led action in Chicago before the big march in Washington DC on March 21st. We need to provide leadership and advocate for our undocumented and immigrant students, NOW!

Time is of the essence and I urge you to join me!

Contact:

Belen Donahue at teachers4CIR(at)gmail.com

Or on the Facebook event page: http://tinyurl.com/teachersforcir

Summary of Research Studies on Renaissance 2010

2010-02-24T19:35:00.015-06:00

Research findings: A growing body of research indicates Chicago’s Renaissance 2010 plan to close, phase out, consolidate, or turn around schools and turn them over to private charter school operators or selective enrollment schools does not benefit low-income students of color.

Students have been transferred from one low-scoring school to another; overall the moves did not significantly affect student achievement.
Renassaince 2010 leads to exclusion of vulnerable students, increased school violence, disruption of teaching and learning, disruption and demoralization of receiving schools, destabilization of students and communities, and displacement of teachers.
CPS charter high schools are not performing significantly better than CPS neighborhood high schools, while enrolling less special-need, ELL, and low-income students.
Students and communities disproportionately affected are low-income African American and Latino.
School closings are concentrated in gentrified and gentrifying areas.
Case studies of schools proposed to close for under-enrollment indicate that CPS uses flawed enrollment data.
There has been little genuine participation of parents, teachers, students, or communities in decisions affecting them.
R2010 schools’ governing bodies are not open to public scrutiny.
Charter schools nationally tend to be more racially segregated than regular public schools.

Recommendation: Freeze Renaissance 2010 and implement a school/community-centered school transformation process.

Reports:

1. Students as Collateral Damage? Preliminary Study of Renaissance 2010 School Closings in the Midsouth.
P. Lipman, A. Person, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, February 2007. http://www.uic.edu/educ/ceje/papers.html As a result of school closings and student transfers, teachers, administrators, and parents in Midsouth receiving schools reported: a) lack of necessary resources, staff, and professional support; b) disruptive and demoralizing climate; c) negative effects on teaching and learning; d) problems with safety and discipline; e) schools were “set up for failure” due to a history of declining resources and lack of support from CPS.

2. Public Accountability and Renaissance 2010. Parents United for Responsible Education, 2008. http://pureparents.org/data/files/FOIAreport11-16-08.pdf Two-thirds of R2010 schools failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests for basic information about their governing bodies in 2008. Information from the schools that did respond showed that only 5% of their governing body members were parents.
3. Examining CPS’ plan to close, consolidate, turn-around 18 schools. Data and Democracy Project: Research Paper #1: Feb. 2008. A. Greenlee, N. Hudspeth, P. Lipman, D. A. Smith, J. Smith. http://www.uic.edu/educ/ceje/resources.html Case studies of two schools slated for closure show that when actual utilization of space for educational programming is taken into account, both schools have currently acceptable and educationally appropriate rates of utilization, while CPS AMPS schools have lower utilization rates. Schools to be closed or turned around are in areas with higher than average poverty rates, a majority residents African American or Latino, and are experiencing gentrification. The communities have not had opportunity for full participation in decisions affecting them.

4. The Charter Difference: A Comparison of Chicago Charter and Neighborhood High Schools. L. Brown & E. Gutstein, Feb. 2009. http://www.uic.edu/educ/ceje/resources.html Charter high schools in Chicago enroll fewer low-income, limited-English-proficient, and special needs students than neighborhood high schools, and there is no significant difference in student achievement scores. Charter schools have less-experienced and less-educated teachers who work longer hours for less pay. Charter high schools’ significant under-enrollment of special needs students may be discriminatory and warrants further investigation.

5. Examining CPS’ plan to close, phase out, consolidate, turn-around 22 schools. Data and Democracy Project, Research Paper #2, Feb. 2009. J. Fleming, A. Greenlee, E. Gutstein, P. Lipman, J. Smith. http://www.uic.edu/educ/ceje/resources.html Case studies suggest CPS is using flawed assessments of under-utilization. School closings seem to be correlated with gentrification and contribute to neighborhood destabilization. There is insufficient evidence of efficacy of the turnaround strategy, particularly when weighed against destabilizing effects of replacing all familiar adults. There is a lack of community involvement in local school decisions.

6. High School Reform in Chicago: Renaissance 2010. SRI International, June 2009. L. Cassidy, D. C. Humphrey, M. E. Weschler, V. M. Young. http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/publications/other/Renaisance_2010.pdf R2010 high schools have higher attendance rates than most other CPS high schools but achievement data do not show gains to ensure large numbers of students will be ready to succeed in college. Despite some promising practices, most teaching is at the basic or unsatisfactory level in a majority of observed classrooms. Outcomes can be explained in part by constant focus on start-up processes.

7. When Schools Close. Consortium on Chicago School Research, Oct. 2009. J. Gwynne & M. de la Torre. http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/content/publications.php?pub_id=136. Eight in ten CPS students displaced by school closings transferred to schools ranking in the bottom half of system schools on standardized tests. Because most displaced students transferred from one low-performing school to another, the move did not, on average, significantly affect student achievement.

8. Choice Without Equity: Charter School Segregation and the Need for Civil Rights Standards. Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA, Feb. 2010. E. Frankenberg, G. Siegel-Hawley, J. Wang http://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/ Charter schools continue to stratify students by race, class, and possibly language, and are more racially isolated than traditional public schools in virtually every state and large metropolitan area in the country.

In Support of Phillips High School

2010-02-24T18:51:00.019-06:00

Check out this powerful statement by John Schmitz, a Phillips High School Teacher and longtime member of Teachers for Social Justice. Phillips is on the list to become a turnaround school and give over to the AUSL.

Why resist it? Simple – the accusations against us are false and our cause is just.

We at Phillips high school do not have a “dysfunctional” school as some of the powers that be have suggested. Quite the contrary – despite facing tremendous challenges - the Phillips faculty provides our students with an emotionally supportive and academically demanding environment. The students themselves have said so in polling data from CPS’s 2009-2010 High School Directory.

86% of Phillips students reported having “supportive teachers and staff at school.” This places Phillips in the top 10% of all CPS high schools (9^th out of 98 high schools). It also places Phillips ahead of all 7 of the elite, selective college prep high schools in this category.* 83% of Phillips students report having “academic rigor at the school,” placing Phillips 27^th of 98 schools or in the upper third of all CPS high schools in this category.

This is merely statistical evidence of what is self evident to those of us who work at Phillips or anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in the building that the faculty and staff at Phillips care about the students as learners and individual people. The genuine concern the adults at Phillips have for its children has provided the impetus for quality instruction and the creation of numerous programs and activities that benefit the students, especially their social and emotional needs.

Many of these programs have been years of sweat and toil in the making and all of them will be shredded with a turnaround.

So resist we must. We are vested in the lives of the students we serve as teachers and staff but also as, mentors, moderators, coaches, counselors, and confidants. While our jobs are on the line, this is not why we resist so passionately. We are a well educated, competent lot; we’ll be fine.

Teaching is more than just a job. It’s a vocation – a calling, to reach out, to connect, to make a difference, particularly for those working in schools with the challenges Phillips faces. At Phillips numerous students are classified as homeless, almost a quarter have special needs; we have a high mobility rate, etc. The later statistic reflects the large number of our students that have been forced out of their homes and neighborhoods through the re-development of the CHA. Consequently for many students, Phillips and its staff are one of the few stable factors in their lives. The faculty at Phillips is not daunted by the task before us; we embrace it. We accept the challenge of trying to make a difference in the lives of young people who attend Phillips, so many of whom bare burdens beyond their years. We are committed to Phillips and the students it serves and it is that commitment and devotion that motivate us and why we must resist!

John Schmitz – Wendell Phillips Academy Teacher j.f.schmitz(at)att.net
*The 7 selective, college prep CPS schools were categorized separately on the CPS survey and Walter Payton scored the highest on this measure with 84% reporting supportive teachers and staff.
Download the Full Report HERE

Fighting the Meeks Anti-LSC Bill & Supporting Ren2010 Moratorium

2010-02-16T20:11:00.001-06:00

The Sun-Times recently released an article about the Anti-Local School Councils Meeks Bill, which would strip a vital source of remaining democracy in our school system.

Here follows a message from PURE (Parents United for Responsible Education) regarding the Meeks Anti-Local School Councils Bill and Renaissance 2010 Moratorium Bill.

Two things you can do right away:

Fight the Meeks anti-LSC bill -- Strategy meeting tomorrow, Wednesday Feb. 17, 6 pm, at Mollison Elementary School, 4415 S. King Drive (and get LSC training credit for 7-8 or -9) - sponsored by the MidSouth Education Committee.

Call on City Council Education Committee members to sign on to the R2010 moratorium resolution and call for a hearing on the resolution BEFORE the Feb. 24th Board of Education meeting.

Here is the list of Education Committee members' contact info.
Here is the language of the moratorium resolution on R2010.
Here is a sample letter to the members which includes evidence of R2010's failure.

CURRICULUM: Something is Wrong: Exploring the Roots of Youth Violence

2010-02-01T18:17:00.014-06:00

Project NIA, the Chicago Freedom School and Teachers for Social Justice have partnered along with other volunteers to develop a curriculum guide in order to contribute to the ongoing efforts by young people and their adult allies to analyze the root causes of youth violence and to create local solutions.

At a time when frustration is running high and many are expressing a sense of powerlessness in the face of pervasive violence, this curriculum guide is an offering intended to make a positive contribution to the dialogue about violence in the lives of young people.

Download the Curriculum

Through this curriculum, we want to challenge youth to think about a) the roots of violence in their lives; b) the enforcers and victims of violence; c) the effects of violence on both victims and perpetrators; and d) how violence can ultimately be minimized through systemic changes.
This 350 page curriculum guide is being provided at no cost to the community. In lieu of compensation, please complete the following questions PRIOR to downloading the guide.

Join Project NIA, the Chicago Freedom School, and Teachers for Social Justice on February 20, 2010 (2-5pm) as we unveil a new curriculum guide edited by Mariame Kaba, J. Cyriac Mathew, and Nate Haines. During this session, curriculum editors and contributors will discuss the content of the guide and offer specific suggestions about how best to make use of it. Roosevelt University, room 320.

Our goal is to help young people to constructively “channel their righteous rage” towards the actual sources of their oppression.

Download more information

You can also hear founding director Mariame Kaba on Chicago Public Radio promoting the Guide.

New Campaign: Towards an Elected Representative School Board

2010-01-07T11:32:00.000-06:00

After 15 years of privatization, school closings, high stakes tests, and control of teachers, we have a critical opportunity to challenge mayoral control of education in Chicago. Education activists, community organizations, and the CTU are taking the moment of the local elections to launch a campaign for an Elected Representative School Board (ERSB)-"representative" of the 92% students of color and 86% low-income CPS student body. Although the campaign is just beginning, it has been percolating for years. This message describes some of the current state of public education in Chicago: the attacks, the pushback, and some public forums around the mayoral election. Stay tuned for more information on the ERSB Campaign.

These next few months, through the February (April?) Mayor election will be an intense period, starting this coming week. We just received this from CTU:

Red alert: there is a legislative agenda to greatly damage teaching and learning in schools throughout the state. A corporate backed organization out of Oregon, Stand for Children, invested millions of dollars into last November's election cycle and is now working with Advance Illinois to cripple teacher unions This legislation will be discussed at 1pm on Thursday (Dec. 16) and 10 am on Friday (Dec. 17) in Aurora, Illinois. They need to hear that people won't stand for it. If you can attend, testify, and/or submit testimony, please let Jackson Potter (CTU Staff Coordinator) know at jacksonpotter@ctulocal1.com.

This week there are three forums for mayor candidates, two specifically about education. If you can attend and want to hook up w/ other TSJ people and raise our issues, including ERSB, email Rachel rachel.serra@gmail.com or Stephanie at stephanie.daelaine@gmail.com.

The forums are:

Dec. 14:

New Chicago 2011 Chicago Mayoral Town Hall & Candidates Forum

5:30PM - 8:00PM

UIC Forum

725 W. Roosevelt Road.

Dec. 15:
        Chicago Mayoral Forum on Education
      7:00 PM
1034 N. Wells
   Walter Payton High School
Dec. 16: [Sponsored by the CTU]
        2011 Mayoral Candidates Forum
   6:00 PM
International Union of Operating Engineers Hall (2260 S. Grove St.)

[register on-line at

http://ctunet.com/legislative/Mayoral_Forum_RSVP.html

To stand against yet more charter schools in Chicago, join community organizations and CTU to protest new charter approvals at the next Chicago Board of Education Monthly meeting (Dec. 15, 10:30AM, 125 S. Clark St-but if you plan on speaking, be on-line no later than 6:30 AM).

More from the CTU on the legislation:

Some of the pernicious legislation they are promoting includes:

1) Preventing teachers from ever working in Illinois again if they are

labeled unsatisfactory twice in a 5 year period: We think this could

greatly embolden principals to threaten, cajole and hold hostage good,

conscionable educators who will speak out against injustice. It also

attempts to make it easier to fire "ineffective teachers." Currently the

Illinois School Code gives unsatisfactory teachers 90 days to re-mediate

-- we think this is a reasonable amount of time and streamlining opens the

door to stripping all educational workers of due process rights on the

job.

2) Tie student performance to teacher evaluation: A new teacher evaluation

system has already been mandated by the federal legislation Race to the

Top. Chicago is required to roll it out in the Fall of 2012 in half the

schools. We need time and careful analysis to develop the best system

possible that objectively measures the quality of education a classroom

teacher delivers. This cannot be limited to test-scores, which are an

inadequate and superficial measure of learning and teaching when taken in

isolation of other factors. Value added is also problematic, many

statisticians claim that the kinks have not been worked out. How can you figure out the value added of a high school psychology teacher when there is no test that specifically measures that knowledge? Too many variables, too little

understanding of unforeseen consequences.

3) Teacher Strikes: The committee seeks to strip teachers of the right to

strike: Believe it or not the right to strike has actually reduced the

number of strikes since it was permitted. Since there is a legal process

of mediation and negotiation, prior to striking, teachers and school

districts have found ways to work out there differences. By jettisoning

these basic rights, teachers will have little choice other than to

with-hold their labor in the midst of draconian budget cuts, policies that

are antithetical to learning and teacher and attacks upon our ability to

deliver high quality instruction to our students. In addition, one of the

first teacher union strikes in Chicago was based on unsanitary drinking

water in the schools. If we are turned into captive employees it will have

a chilling effect on our ability to be good student advocates.

4) Firing people according to performance not seniority. See # 2 on

performance. If we rely upon a faulty model of measuring student growth,

then all terminations will be suspect and subject to abuse and

misapplication.

Let's instead promote a positive, social justice based agenda for

improving our schools. Below are some preliminary ideas. Let's build it

together.

1) Equitable per pupil funding throughout the state.

2) Quality collaborative, professional development and mentoring of

teachers to improve instruction.

3) Lower class sizes, peer mentoring, and more teacher assistants, mental

health professionals and wrap around services for our schools

4) Better teacher recruitment and training and higher education

opportunities for students in the Chicago Public Schools and communities

of student origin.

5) A representative / elected school board in Chicago.

Kicking Off Inquiry to Action (ItAG) Study Groups

2009-12-31T03:46:00.008-06:00

Chicago's Teachers for Social Justice is excited to launch Inquiry to Action Groups (ItAGs)-- an opportunity for educators and their allies to build community, access new resources, and link social justice with classroom practices. ItAGs are small groups of educators, parents, students, activists, teaching artists, and community members who meet to share experiences, dialogue about readings, exchange ideas and develop plans of actions. The goal of these ItAGs is to pursue a common inquiry on a social justice topic and create an action around this area of study.

2010 ItAG topics
* Hip Hop and Education, date TBD
Explore the intersection of Hip Hop and education for social justice.

* Arts and Education, Sundays from 12:00 to 2:00
Explore the connection between art and social justice.

* Social Justice in Early Childhood Education: Saurdays from 3:00 to 5:00.
Geared toward parents, early childhood teachers, childcare workers, and anyone with a stake in the education of young children, this ItAG will focus on ways to teach 2 to 9-year olds with an orientation toward social justice. As a group, we'll collectively select topics, and our discussions will involve sharing personal experience as well as engagement with readings. Examples of possible themes include protecting a place for imaginative play in this era of testing, development of understandings of race, gender, and sexuality, advocating for early childhood workers, working with and standing by families, practicing nonviolent communication and rethinking classroom management and discipline etc.

* The Education for Liberation Movement: Sundays from 4:00 to 6:00
The Education for Liberation ItAG will be organized around some key questions:
Š What are different ways of thinking about education for liberation;
Š how have different authors written about it;
Š how has it been practiced in various parts of the world?
Although the ItAG members will decide what specifically we read (and do) and whether, for example, we'll focus on critical pedagogy (i.e., what does this look like in my/the classroom), broader theoretical questions, or what it looks like concretely in the struggles in Chicago against R2010, we'll start with reading Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of Hope, which repeats many of the themes within Pedagogy of the Oppressed, but puts them in historical context and is more accessible in many ways.

* New Teachers and Teaching for Social Justice: Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:00
Engage in a dialogue with experienced teachers about issues of social justice in education. Hear from a variety of perspectives, disciplines and grade levels.

Timeline
--January 15, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM -- ItAG kickoff event for all ItAG groups, Decima Musa, 1900 S Loomis
--January to March -- ItAGs meet weekly for at least 6 weeks, usually for 2 hour sessions
--March 12 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM -- ItAG finale event, ItAG groups come together to report back on their learning and actions
Please contact Jonah Bondurant at holajonah(at)hotmail.com and Sarah
Atlas at seatlas(at)gmail.com. Thanks!

CURRICULUM: Understanding Social Systems through the Olympics Bid

2009-12-31T00:47:00.007-06:00

This exhibit will present material on a student action-research project around the Olympics created for a History course. It's geared towards helping students understanding social and economic systems, events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations.

Download the Curriculum

Curriculum Writer: Nathan H.
Level: 11th grade
Area: Social Studies (contemporary American history)

Social Justice Movie Night: Avatar in 3D

2009-12-15T02:53:00.001-06:00

Both Teachers for Social Justice (TSJ-Chicago) and Chicago Youth Initiating Change (CYIC) invite you on a movie date to see:

AVATAR in 3D Film & Discussion
Saturday, January 23 6pm showtime
AMC River East 21 322 East Illinois Street
Chicago, IL

TBA. James Cameron's "Avatar" tells of the mystic, nature-loving Na'vi – tall blue creatures who inhabit the planet Pandora and must contend with humans intent on grabbing its resources. The film uses fantastic 3D technology, and aside from it's entertainment value, also prods discussion around capitalism, imperialism, occupation, eco-destruction, ableism, dissertion, resistance and traditional Hollywood race narratives. It has earned more than $1.1 billion worldwide since its release last month.

Learn From Honduras: Teachers On the Front Lines!

2009-12-05T21:12:00.011-06:00

Saturday, December 5
5:30pm - 7:00pm
DECIMA MUSA
1901 S. LOOMIS St., Chicago

* Hear from our very own TSJ delegates who went to Honduras with the La Voz de los de Abajo delegation in October...as they share in depth what TEACHERS are doing on the front lines of the Honduran People's Movement. To include video, photos & audio with Honduran teacher activists.
* Update on the struggles of the Honduran people for constitutional democracy!

All are welcome- please join in.

2009 Teaching for Justice Curriculum Fair Recap

2009-11-29T23:57:00.008-06:00

Thanks everyone for coming to the Teaching for Justice Curriculum Fair and adding to the vibrancy of the TSJ community.

The energy, vibe, conversation, sharing that took place was really inspiring and we're so grateful to all of the event organizers, educators, presenters, youth workers, administrators, cultural workers, activists, parents, students and young folks who came out. The critical mass of volunteers was truly inspiring.

Curriculum and resources presented at the fair will be uploaded to this website very shortly for everyone's use. We've got photos, audio recordings, videos coming.. Keep an eye out!

In the meantime, check out our Facebook group if you'd like, and send an email to teachersforjustice(at)hotmail.com to be added to our growing listserv.

We would also LOVE if you would let us know how things went for you and how we could improve on TSJ and next year's fair. If you have a few minutes, please fill us in! Click: http://bit.ly/7H9QUa.

Peace, Solidarity & Gratitude,
- TSJ

Below is a summary of happenings, resources:

Curriculum! Workshops! Resources! Culture And more critical tools to fight for social justice in the classroom, school, and community!

Keynote Speakers:

Our keynote speakers for this year's curriculum fair were from the Association of Raza Educators (ARE - California). ARE arose as a response to the continued stereotyping and violation of the civic and human rights of the Raza community. Specifically, ARE emerged out of an organized struggle against the anti-Raza hysteria created by the passing of Calif. Prop 187 in November of 1994 and oppressive propositions such as Prop 209, 227, 21; ARE is working against more current policies such as HR 4437 and the "No Child Left Behind" federal legislation.
The title of their talk: "Ser Pueblo, Hacer Pueblo, Estar con el Pueblo: A Collective Struggle for Our Liberation"

Check out this highlight video from the panel presentations:

The Opening Program also included a special report back from two Teachers for Social Justice members who traveled to Honduras in October with the La Voz de los de Abajo Human Rights Delegation, and representatives from Chicago's Caucus of Rank & File Educators (CORE) and Chicago Youth Initiating Change (CYIC).

The Teaching for Justice Curriculum Fair is an all-volunteer event and we would love your contributions!

2009 Workshop Descriptions:

* Exploring the Roots of Youth Violence: Curriculum Development Project
Mariame Kaba; Chicago Freedom School / Project Nia/TSJ
We agreed to do this as a front of work, in collaboration w/ CFS/Project Nia, and to tie in the national TAG network to create the curriculum. Goals for the project: (1) To produce and disseminate an interdisciplinary curriculum guide to help interested adults facilitate youth-led action research projects (in and out of school) to explore the question, “Why Did Derrion Die?” (2) To foster spaces across the city for youth and adults to use the data gathered through these projects for discussion and action.

* The Battle for Relevant Curriculum – Creating a Social Justice Course on Chicago from the Grassroots by Us!!
Nzinga Hill, David Stovall, Gary Henry, and Anton Miglietta from Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce – a project of CYIC
CPS students learn very little about Chicago and our communities, the people’s history, the politics, economics, or culture! In response, a taskforce of community folks, educators, and students have joined together to design a grassroots social justice curriculum all about Chicago by Chicagoans. This workshop seeks to involve you in the process of building a curricular movement for the right to learn about Chicago and our communities. Participants will get down and dirty with Chicago topics of importance, will give their input into the curriculum, and will have a chance to begin writing history. Books, video, handouts, speakers, music, and more will be offered to interested participants.

* Restorative Justice Practices for Schools
Jane Nicholson, Jeanne Walker, Jean Klasovsky (Women for Peace in Education, Orr H.S., Farragut H.S.)
Our Restorative Justice Practices for Schools workshop promises a lively team-led and interactive experience. The workshop begins with a teach-in on restorative principles. A few basic terms such as justice, harm, and discipline will be brainstormed by the group. We will explore how restorative practices benefit schools. Following the teach-in, trained peace circle keepers will demonstrate a peace circle discussion. After observing the peace circle practices, we will have a question and answer period so that all present can ask for clarifications, make their concerns known, and get information that will be applicable to their school settings. Hand-outs with resources and restorative justice basics will be available for everyone.

* The Potential of all Students – Sin o Con Papeles
Emelda Bekkal and Rene Díaz / Chicago Teachers Center, NEIU
This interactive workshop will share new findings on the struggles of undocumented adolescent students and will look at how teachers and communities can empower students to battle oppression. We will also share strategies on how communities and individuals can proactively develop support systems both in an academic setting and beyond the classroom.

* Mapping a Peoples Atlas of Chicago(land)
Jayne Hileman, Art & Design, Saint Xavier University, Chicago
Building on the AREA Chicago Peoples Atlas Project, this workshop looks at patterns in Chicago as place and displacer. Connecting the visual space of maps of Chicago to alternative experience of place, this workshop will encourage using the AREA Chicago templates of Chicago and of the Calumet Region, for developing Alternative Neighborhood Tours and “No-Go” Zones in the region in group mapping work, lesson ideas on the mapping ‘graffiti” of cartouche designs by cartographer/mappers, and mapping inner self and outer appearance as personal identity exploration.

* Renaissance 2010 goes national – And How We Are Fighting Back
Teacher Activist Groups and GEM Chicago – Facilitator, Pauline Lipman, TSJ
Representative of TAG from several cities will describe how the Duncan education agenda of privatization, mayor control, and breaking unions is hitting their cities and how people are fighting back. They will dialogue with members of the Grassroots Activist Movement Chicago and the audience to share lessons and strategies.

* Theater as a Weapon for Social Change
Je Nepomuceno, Nara Movement Project
The issues and problems of class struggle cuts across the social scope of race, ethnicity, gender, education and social influence. The workshop is an interactive exercise on exploring classism and power structure in the society. A departure from the conventional sit-down lecture, the workshop is based on the techniques of the Theater
of the Oppressed. The aim is to use an experiential approach to pinpointing and hopefully solving the problems.

* To Fight and to Win: Building a Social Justice Teachers Union
Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE)
CORE members will facilitate a discussion about what a membership based Teachers union connected with students lives, parental concerns and other unions throughout Chicago might look like. We are poised not just to talk about it, but actually implement our vision. CORE has, for the first time in history, defeated the incumbent leadership in a mid-term election. Share your concerns, experiences, and help us design a platform that reflects our pedagogical and political aspirations.

* Chicago Youth Initiating Change: Building Youth Power through Youth Organizing and the Social Justice Student Expo”
Kellina Mojica, Raymond Flowers, Anthony Johnson, Xian Barrett (CYIC)
Join the students and adult allies of Chicago Youth Initiating Change (CYIC) as we show how youth across the city are fighting for our educational rights and how you can join us! Students will involve you in activities and simulations as well as give you some specific advice on how to organize your school. We will look at both school and civic budgets, and also what is happening in Chicago education. In addition, you will learn about the Social Justice Student Expo and how to get involved/registered for 2010.

2009 Curriculum Exhibits:

Homeless Policy and Art. Albert S (Bowen Environmental Studies Team High School).
Chicago Student Bill of Rights. Alvaro O (CYIC).
GLTB awareness. Alicia M, Mary K (Eberhart and Carl Von Linne).
Language and power. Emily F (Farragut Career Academy).
Game-based learning. Jay B (Game Wise Consulting, Tiltfactor Lab, Global Kids)
Mathematics of Neighborhood Displacement. Rico G (Greater Lawndale/Little Village School for Social Justice/UIC)
Oppression, equality, justice. Bob S, Samantha G (HEART)
Labor unions. Stephanie D, Gina C, and Sarah W (Illinois State University)
Social justice, human rights, direct services, arts. Asad J (IMAN--Inner-city Muslim Action Network)
Training for humane education. Amy M (Institute for Humane Education)
Science, society. Institute for the Study of the Science of Society
School funding, transportation. Julian (Jaguars for Justice/CYIC)
Drugs and drug laws, gentrification, education, criminalization of youth. Jitu B (Kenwood Oakland Community Organization)
Hip hop arts. Kuumba Lynx
Youth violence. Mariame K (Project Nia, Chicago Freedom School)
Restorative justice, peer juries. Miguel G (Rudy Lozano Leadership Academy)
Disability. Caitlin O (School of the Art Institute)
Public space and the breakdown of communities. Amanda A (School of the Art Institute)
Teaching art and social justice. Mary S (School of the Art Institute)
Emphasizing importance of community, inviting student experience and knowledge into arts. Meaghan B (School of the Art Institute)
Visual culture and media literacy. Katie M (School of the Art Institute)
Language practices and the school. Luthando M (School of the Art Institute)
Youth critically examining their realities. Roberto R (Social Justice High School, UIC)
Food access/food justice. Zarah C, Ilana Z (Umoja Student Development, Manley Career Academy, Collins Academy, ACE Tech Charter School)
Imperialism and military recruitment. J. Cyriac M (UPLIFT Community High School)
Housing, gentrification, Chicago olympic bid. Nathan H (UPLIFT Community High School)
Peace. Cynthia B (Wadsworth Elementary)
Children fighting back against manipulative media and advertising. Lindsay S (Lincoln School)
Developing the young civic leaders, activists, policy-makers. Brenan S (Mikva Challenge)
Social justice and mandated curriculum. Liav S(P.S. 230 Doris L. Cohen, Brooklyn)

Resource Tables:

American Friends Service Committee (Darlene G). Militarization of the public schools.
AREA Magazine (Daniel T, Dave P). Topic: Arts, Research, Education, Activism
Beyondmedia Education (Tara M). Topic: Media arts for underserved and underrepresented women, youth and communities
Camp Kupugani (Kevin G) Topic: Multiculturalism, diversity, girls empowerment
Casa Guatemala (Cesar S) Topic: Community resources in health, education, labor and immigration for Guatemalans in Chicago
Changing Worlds (Kay B) Topic: Oral history, writing, art programs to improve student learning
Chicago Copwatch (Rocky P) Topic: Criminalization of youth; monitoring police brutality
Chicago Freedom School (Hilda ) Topic: Resources and education for youth empowerment
Concern Worldwide USA (Sylvia W) Topic: Reduce suffering and poverty
CYIC--Chicago Youth Initiating Change (Anton M) Topic: Social Justice Student Expo sign-up and information table
Day of Healing--Restorative Justice (Ryan H) Topic: Day of healing for restorative justice schools and organizations
Educators' Network for Social Justice [ENSJ] (Steaphanie S) Topic: Milwaukee area schools promoting pro-justice curricula and policies
Females United For Action [FUFA] (Daisy Z) Topic: Resources and education for young women and gender-queer youth
Haymarket Books (Joe A) Topic: Progressive books; labor and working class history
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (Jeannette P) Topic: Jews for the liberation of Palestinian people and land
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum Topic: Memorial to Jane Addams; contemporary social issues
La Voz de Los de Abajo Topic: Report back from Honduras (Alexy L)
Labor Education Program—UIC (Jennifer S, Nancy L) Topic: Workers' rights, union organizing, history of labor movement
Marwen (Sarah A) Topic: visual arts education for under-served youth
NYCoRE--New York Collective of Radical Educators (Bree P) Topic: Social justice in school system
People's Tribune/Speakers for a New America (Bill W, Nick M) Topic: Paper as voice of revolutionaries
Popular Education Alliance; WE LEARN; Literacy Chicago; Dorothy Stang Adult Popular Education H.S.; Community Writing and Research Project; LiteracyWorks (Janise H) Topic: Adult education using pedagogy of popular, liberatory education for marginalized groups
Seven Generations Ahead (Courtney W) Topic: Build healthy and ecologically sustainable schools and communities
Small Schools Workshop Topic: Equity, school closings, privatization
Teaching For Change (Lauren C) Topic: Education and activism
The Black Youth Project (Fallon W) Topic: Resources for black youth
TRIBE--Total Resource Benefiting Everyone Inc (Greg M) Topic: Engaging youth to address violence, illiteracy, poverty, and substance-abuse
TSJ Math Inquiry to Action Group Topic: Where is the math? Connecting gentrification, R2010, and Criminalization
Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center (Chris D) Topic: Multi-cultural diversity of Uptown and Chicago, provide creative outlets
US Social Forum-- Chicago Road to Detroit Coalition (Robin H) Topic: Preparing for US Social Forum 2010
Women for Peace in Education (Jean K) Topic: Restorative Justice in public schools
The Chicago Foundation for Education (Sarah H) Topic: Improving education experiences for elementary schools
The Children's Music Network (Anna S) Topic: Education and community building through music
The Public Square (Charlotte K) Topic: Debate and dialogue about cultural, social and political issues
TRACE Program [Teens Re-Imagining Art, Community and Environment] --Chicago Park District (Carla M) Topic: jobs-focused teen leadership

Curriculum Fair Talkback & How To Get Involved in TSJ

2009-11-28T21:09:00.000-06:00

Curriculum Fair Talk Back and & How to Get Involved in TSJ: 4:00pm - 5:30pm

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5
4:00 - 5:30pm
DECIMA MUSA
1901 S. LOOMIS St.(corner of 19th street in Pilsen)
Chicago

* Help evaluate the Currculum Fair, we'd love to hear your thoughts & stories.
* Get involved in TSJ and planning the Spring calendar: Inquiry to Action Groups, Social Events, Movie Nights, Forums, Anti-Renaissance 2010 Actions, and more.
* Check out video highlights from the fair's speakers.

CURRICULUM FAIR EVALUATION FORM: We value reflections and would love if you'd take a few minutes to respond- click below::

http://bit.ly/6TOGY6

Thank you!

Video

2009-11-20T04:05:00.000-06:00

Teaching for Social Justice from the Ground Up

2009-11-20T04:00:00.001-06:00

Teaching for Social Justice from the Ground Up from Teachers for Social Justice on Vimeo.

We are very excited that this November 20, 2010 will be the 10th Annual Teaching for Social Justice Curriculum Fair, co-sponsored by Rethinking Schools. This year's theme is "Another Education is Possible, Another World is Necessary!"

In "science fair" format, and completely grassroots volunteer-organized, the Curriculum Fair will provide over 600 educators, activists, parents, youth & community members with a space to share curricula, resources, and inspiration. We'll be making friends & building relationships, exploring ideas & projects, connecting our histories & struggles. All in a spirit of social justice and education for liberation.

CURRICULUM: Using Maps to Explore Place Awareness Through Abstract Design

2009-11-14T14:28:00.006-06:00

DESCRIPTION: Even though students may live in a city, where the people they encounter each day come from all over, they might still be unfamiliar with any neighborhood outside their own. This lesson seeks to open the door to the exploration of Chicago neighborhoods and the unfamiliar through the use of mapping in abstract art. Students will explore the idea of creating artwork from the lines, shapes, and design of neighborhood maps. Students will select two neighborhood cutouts at random in addition to their own neighborhood, to trace and create an abstract design, exploring different techniques with oil pastels. They will utilize the elements and principles of line, shape, balance, and pattern in their composition. In the end, students’ compositions will connect the three different cutout neighborhood shapes into one cohesive design, allowing them to contemplate how these different shapes and neighborhoods exist in the same space.

Download this Curriculum

View in Google Docs

Exploring the Roots of Youth Violence

2009-11-13T22:59:00.004-06:00

A Youth-Led Action Research Curriculum Guide

Call for Curriculum Submissions

The Chicago Freedom School, Project NIA and Teachers for Social Justice are partnering to develop a youth-led action research curriculum guide in order to contribute to the ongoing efforts by young people and their adult allies to analyze the root causes of youth violence and to create local solutions.

The question of "Why Did Derrion Die?" lends itself to city-wide youth-led action research projects. What is currently missing however is a curriculum guide that can help youth workers and teachers to facilitate such projects.

We invite all interested individuals to help us to develop the guide by submitting readings, activities and curricula ideas focused on helping young people to understand and to critically analyze the root causes of youth violence.

All submissions are due by December 15th 2009.

Full details here: http://bit.ly/41aAsj

TSJ Extends Solidarity to Honduras

2009-10-29T04:03:00.002-05:00

In October 2009 two members of TSJ traveled to Honduras with the La Voz Human Rights Delegation