Teachers For Social Justice

The Challenge of Teaching in a Racially and Politically Polarized Time

October 18, 2016 0 comments

Our panelists will address the complex issues faced by K-12 teachers struggling to help students make sense of the current tumultuous environment: the heated rhetoric around race, immigration and xenophobia in the 2016 election, the debates around race and policing here in Chicago and throughout the country and other controversial issues. What are the challenges of these developments for teachers and what are the different ways that educators meet these challenges? The panelists will address how to engage students in meaningful discussion, how to create safe classroom spaces and how to develop a mind-set of civic responsibility.

Dr. Horace Hall, Associate Professor, DePaul College of Education will present introductory remarks and moderate the panel.

Panelists include:

Liz Robbins, Social Science teacher, Lindbloom High School; Civic Instructional Specialist for Chicago Public Schools

Mario Perez, Coordinator and Social Science teacher, the Newcomer Center, Township High School District 214, Arlington Heights

Johnae Strong, Elementary school teacher and restorative justice coordinator, Chicago Public Schools

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#BlackLivesMatter », #BLM », Activism », Born Out of Struggle », critical race theory », David Stovall », dissent », Hunger Strike »

Born Out of Struggle: A Book Talk by David Stovall

October 6, 2016 0 comments

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#BrokeOnPurpose », #ElectedBoardNow », #ERSB », #ERSBnow », #FairContractNow », CTU », CTU Strike 2016 », Fair Contract », Stand with Teachers », strike », TIF »

Stand With CTU

October 3, 2016 0 comments

TSJ Strike Support Bulletin #1

As you probably know CTU voted 95% to authorize a strike, and the House of Delegates (union delegates from each school) voted to strike Oct. 11 if CPS does not meet their contract demands.

Key issues CTU is fighting for are:

RESTORE cuts to art, music, librarians, and staff-classrooms are overcrowded and understaffed!

RESTORE cuts to special education, which is in a desperate situation as CPS is balancing the budget on backs of the most vulnerable students

NO teacher pay cuts

YES job security

The challenges in the schools require money to fix so the Board of Education and the city will have to come up with it. CTU and GEM (the Grassroots Education Movement), along with other community groups, have proposed solutions that include tapping into TIF funds, taxing corporations, imposing a financial transaction tax, and more. The city council can pass the TIF ordinance sponsored by Garza/Cárdenas to restore TIF funds to CPS. Contact your alderperson if you live in Chicago and demand that they support the ordinance!

Actions-We urge everyone to participate!

Oct. 4: GEM and the Chicago Teacher Solidarity Committee joint press conference. 10:00 AM, at City Hall. We need to dispel the narrative that "greedy teachers" are holding parents and students hostage.

Oct. 6: School walk-ins. 8 am. This is in conjunction with a national day of walk-ins sponsored by AROS (Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools). See list of schools here. Students, parents, teachers, and residents will be walking into schools, rallying for the schools they deserve, before the school day begins. Please go to your neighborhood school or a school you have a relationship with to support them and tell them you read this here.

Oct. 10: GEM student/youth forum. Time and location TBA (tentative).

Oct. 11: Potential start of strike,. Again, please go to your neighborhood school/school you know to support them, walk the picket line, help out any way you can, and again, tell them you read this here! Picket lines start before and at the beginning of the school day (FYI, in 2012, they stayed up for 2-3 hours)

Stay Tuned! Please communicate with us by emailing here and letting us know what you are involved in and what is happening in your school community.

See CTU Contract FAQ, their proposal for A Just Chicago, and their info on the contract campaign.

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Are Police Necessary Teach-In

September 26, 2016 0 comments

Check out Labor Beat's coverage of our September 22, 2016 teach-in, Are Police Necessary? If you want to learn more about alternatives to policing and how we can shift resources to schools and communities, please join us for our annual Teacher's for Social Justice Curriculum Fair on November 19. The theme of this year's fair is Defund Policing: Fund Schools and Communities. Want to contribute to the dialogue? Please let us know through the forms available here. Check us out on twitter, @TeachForJustice, #ArePoliceNecessary, and #TSJCF16

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#TSJCF16 », 15th annual curriculum fair », abolition », Curriculum Fair Planning », economic justice », Education Justice », event », racial justice », volunteer »

Call for Tables and Workshops #TSJCF16

September 16, 2016 0 comments

TSJ Curriculum Fair

Call for Tables & Workshops

Due October 31

Not sure about which to apply for? What's the difference between a 'curriculum exhibit' and 'resource table'? Just want to know more about what the TSJ Curriculum Fair is all about? Click here for more info.

Download CURRICULUM EXHIBITOR FORM

Download RESOURCE TABLE FORM

Download WORKSHOP FORM

Theme: Defund Policing. Fund Schools and Communities.
Date: Saturday, November 19

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#TSJCF16 », 15th annual curriculum fair », economic justice », Education Justice », general meeting », police », race », racial justice »

September 13, 2016 0 comments

TSJ Teach-In: Are Police Necessary?

Date: September 24, 2016

UIC College of Education

1040 W. Harrison Street, Room 3427

Time: 5:00-7:00 pm

Sign up for the Teach-In here.

Download the flyer here.

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The Challenge of Teaching in a Racially and Politically Polarized Time