News

Puerto Rico… ¡fua!

Join Teaching for Change for a sneak preview of the musical Puerto Rico…¡fuá! by Carlos Ferrari.

This is a great opportunity for a night on the town with family, friends, and the extended Teaching for Change community. All proceeds from this event benefit Teaching for Change’s programs for parents and teachers.

About the play:
A hilarious and satirical take on the most notorious times in the island’s history and the development of today’s “Boricua”-- this musical was an instant hit in Puerto Rico when it first opened. Ferrari, an established and frequently produced playwright in Puerto Rico spins tales of the Taíno natives, foreign invaders from Conquistadores to the USA, and the ups and downs of contemporary life in the island. Performed in Spanish with English surtitles.

We send special thanks to the GALA Theatre for selecting Teaching for Change as the beneficiary of this preview night. (The play runs from June 7 to July 1.)

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

7pm reception | 8pm performance

Raffle with special prizes ($2 per ticket or 3 for $5)

Tickets are available for a suggested minimum donation of $10 each. You can also sponsor seats for teachers, students, and parent leaders, or donate any amount. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Options:

Tickets: “Pay what you can” ($10 min. donation each)

Playbill Sponsorship: $100 donation, 5 tickets, and acknowledgement in the program

Title Sponsorship: $250 donation, 10 tickets, acknowledgement in the program, and pre-event recognition

Patron Sponsorship: $500 donation, 10 tickets, acknowledgement in the program, pre-event recognition, and a handcrafted plaque in Teaching for Change’s Busboys and Poets Bookstore

Donate: Click here to donate in any amount.

GALA Hispanic Theatre
3333 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20010
(Columbia Heights Metro – Yellow/Green Line)

Parking: Parking is available at a discounted rate at the Giant Food garage directly behind the theatre on Park Road, NW. Additional parking is available at the Target garage also on Park Road, NW, between 14th and 16th streets.

Accessibility: GALA Hispanic Theatre is accessible for persons with disabilities, offering wheelchair-accessible seating and restrooms, as well as audio assistive devices.

Download the flier here.

Photography Credit: Paulo Andrés Montenegro

THE STAKES ARE TOO HIGH

Now more than ever, an education that teaches students to examine the truth in history and society is under attack. Children are being denied books, lessons, and teachers that encourage social justice and academic excellence. Schools are places where children can either learn to make this world a more just and equitable place, or to reinforce the status quo. Stand with Teaching for Change as we stand with teachers, students, and parents who are building social justice, starting in the classroom. Read more.

Students in Washington, D.C., had the rare opportunity to discuss the hidden history of labor through Brothers on the Line, a new film they screened in school, with Sasha Reuther, who is both the filmmaker and grandson of one of the famous Reuther brothers.

Teaching for Change and Filmfest DC, with the support of the Wyncote Foundation, worked with educators Julian Hipkins III at Capital City Public Charter School and Susan Ikenberry at Georgetown Day School to bring Reuther to the two schools in mid-April for question and answer sessions with the students.

Reuther later told Teaching for Change, “Your organization is doing such important work. I was honored to play a small part in that. The school visits were enlightening and inspiring. We had a robust discussion of history and film technique in both settings, each with their own unique observations. . . . My primary wish for the film is that it would have a long shelf life as a strong educational resource and I feel that we are now on our way.”

During the meetings with Reuther, students asked critical questions about the work that went into creating the historical documentary, the people and politics in the film, and Reuther’s personal challenges and triumphs during production. “Some of their questions caused me to view the film in a new light and with a fresh pair of eyes. The students appeared to be most excited about seeing landmark moments in U.S. history (the March on Washington, Kennedy presidency/assassination, the Vietnam War, etc.) from another perspective . . . through working-class eyes, so to speak,” Reuther reflected later.

In response to a student wondering what sparked his decision to make Brothers on the Line, Reuther explained, “I had immediate access to this fascinating piece of U.S. history. If I hadn’t grown up in this family, I don’t think I would have learned about labor history in high school. Textbooks only touched on it.”

Students also asked if Reuther believed the labor movement aspects of the Civil Rights Movement should be emphasized more in history, how corporations responded to the truth being told about their practices, if it was a conflict of interest as a filmmaker to be a member of the Reuther family, and if any funders tried to influence the film. Reuther assured the students that his family only encouraged his honest and balanced approach in depicting the Reuther trio that led the labor movement of the time, and that he was able to maintain full directorial control throughout the process, though he had to deflect an attempt from a funder to read the script before he finished the film.

One student commented that the teachers’ unions in Wisconsin must be enthusiastic about the film. Reuther agreed, saying, “The economy is in the dumps, it’s really a timely story. Having an organization that fights for everyday people is important. . . . It was a great boon for the industry that labor was there. They protected everyone and lifted all the boats, because people getting paid more means they will buy more.”

Another student asked Reuther what history topics he plans to document next. Reuther referred to his research for this documentary, explaining, “It’s called Brothers on the Line, but honestly there were a lot of the sisters on the line. I was excited to learn at the end not just about the men inside the plant but also about the wives and mothers and sisters who were there. They were organizers on the picket line. Many spoke multiple languages and translated for people, so it was a family and community movement. They weren’t just cooking. The women’s story is a very dynamic story. If a PBS or HBO buys this documentary and wants a part two, I would be very excited for it.”

Tony Gittens, the festival director for Filmfest DC, later thanked Teaching for Change for the “invaluable outreach and guidance.” He explained, “At Filmfest DC we celebrate the power of cinema to educate and inform, and the importance of the opportunity to make a personal connection with the creative people who are responsible. Sasha’s face–to-face interactions with the students provided a living link to bring history and the struggles of working people alive for them and also demonstrated how media is made by real people making choices about what they will show us.”


By Jozi Zwerdling, Teaching for Change Staff | May 10, 2012

Teaching for Change is proud to join the coalition of organizations and individuals that have endorsed the National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing including Advancement Project, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, FairTest, Forum for Education and Democracy, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Education Association (NEA), Diane Ravitch, Deborah Meier and more.

Click here to sign the resolution as an organization or individual.

NATIONAL RESOLUTION ON HIGH-STAKES TESTING

WHEREAS, our nation's future well-being relies on a high-quality public education system that prepares all students for college, careers, citizenship and lifelong learning, and strengthens the nation's social and economic well-being; and

WHEREAS, our nation's school systems have been spending growing amounts of time, money and energy on high-stakes standardized testing, in which student performance on standardized tests is used to make major decisions affecting individual students, educators and schools; and

WHEREAS, the over-reliance on high-stakes standardized testing in state and federal accountability systems is undermining educational quality and equity in U.S. public schools by hampering educators' efforts to focus on the broad range of learning experiences that promote the innovation, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and deep subject-matter knowledge that will allow students to thrive in a democracy and an increasingly global society and economy; and

WHEREAS, it is widely recognized that standardized testing is an inadequate and often unreliable measure of both student learning and educator effectiveness; and

WHEREAS, the over-emphasis on standardized testing has caused considerable collateral damage in too many schools, including narrowing the curriculum, teaching to the test, reducing love of learning, pushing students out of school, driving excellent teachers out of the profession, and undermining school climate; and

WHEREAS, high-stakes standardized testing has negative effects for students from all backgrounds, and especially for low-income students, English language learners, children of color, and those with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the culture and structure of the systems in which students learn must change in order to foster engaging school experiences that promote joy in learning, depth of thought and breadth of knowledge for students; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that Teaching For Change calls on state legislators, education boards, and administrators to reexamine public school accountability systems in this state, and to develop a system based on multiple forms of assessment which does not require extensive standardized testing, more accurately reflects the broad range of student learning, and is used to support students and improve schools; and

RESOLVED, that Teaching For Change calls on the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as the "No Child Left Behind Act," reduce the testing mandates, promote multiple forms of evidence of student learning and school quality in accountability, and not mandate any fixed role for the use of student test scores in evaluating educators.

Teaching for Change is pleased to announce special events for DC area educators. They include author events with books about teaching and middle school literature. Thanks to a grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, we are able to offer free books for teachers at selected events.

Click here to check out and share the full series...

April 19, 2012 – “Tellin’ Stories activities encourage parents to voice and work proactively, often jointly with school staff, to address their concerns,” concluded Policy Studies Associates, the firm conducting the evaluation of Teaching for Change’s parent engagement initiative, in a preliminary report this spring.

Teaching for Change's Tellin’ Stories Project has been recognized by the Harvard Family Research Project as one of the most effective approaches in the country for breaking barriers to school engagement for traditionally marginalized parents. This year, the Tellin’ Stories project is undergoing a formal evaluation thanks to generous grants from the Gwendolyn and Morris Cafritz Foundation, the Horning Family Foundation, and an anonymous foundation.

Here are some of the findings from Policy Studies Associates’ preliminary analysis of activities:

• Across all sites, evaluators observed interactions that demonstrated parents were comfortable engaging other parents and school personnel.
• Observable evidence that school personnel respected and valued parent participation was also present.
• Tellin’ Stories activities provided opportunities for parents to learn strategies to communicate effectively with school personnel.
• Tellin’ Stories activities seek to encourage parents to not only voice their concerns but work proactively to effect change in their child’s school. Observable indicators include the presence of opportunities during meetings for parents to raise concerns, actively develop plans to address problems, and work collaboratively with school personnel to improve the learning environment.
• Evaluators recorded several observations of parents participating in academic activities or developing plans to address concerns related to achievement.

A PDF copy of the report can be viewed here.

“I feel more confident because of the Tellin’ Stories meetings – I can approach the principal and the teachers… What I didn’t do when my other children were in school, I’m doing now,” says Olga Salazar, a parent from Thomson Elementary (DCPS) in Washington, DC.

Using Teaching for Change’s unique approach to family engagement, Thomson has seen more parents participating this year than in recent memory. Parents volunteer in the classrooms, meet regularly with the principal to discuss academics, assist with meals, help in the library, and read books to students in classrooms. Thompson parents pictured above read the book One in classroms in March for Roving Readers.

Interim principal Carmen Shepherd noted that, “Parents feel more welcome and involved in the life of the school on a daily basis.” In the past, many parents viewed the school as an unwelcoming place.

Thomson Elementary is the latest school to partner with the Tellin’ Stories Project of Teaching for Change, and parents are more than excited about reconnecting with the school.

More than 170 parents attended Thomson’s Back to School Night in September, which was redesigned this year with the help of Tellin’ Stories parent organizers. Dozens of parents attended the Welcome Back Breakfast in September and the academic-based workshops held since then. More than 100 students’ parents came to grade level parent-teacher meetings in March to discuss student progress and the upcoming DC CAS tests. Mrs. Shepherd noted the help from Tellin’ Stories in building relationships with parents to get them to come to the school “has been a huge step in the right direction.”

The Tellin’ Stories approach begins with community building as the basis for meaningful parent engagement. Parents at Thomson participated in the signature story quilting series in the fall semester and have continued to engage with the school.

The Tellin’ Stories Project at Thomson Elementary is funded in part through generous grants from the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, the Cafritz Foundation, and an anonymous foundation. - April 18, 2012

As national attention continues to focus on the tragedy of Trayvon Martin's murder and schools hold Hoodie Days for Trayvon Martin, teachers have asked for advice for talking about Trayvon in their early childhood classrooms.

Many other schools have remained silent about Trayvon Martin's murder. This could be because of concern about how to address a story with young children that is so full of hate and injustice. But it is important for children to have a place where they can process what they are hearing in a nurturing and honest setting, share their fears and questions, and be comforted through collective action. 

Here are some suggestions from early childhood educators Bill Sparks and Louise Derman-Sparks (co-author of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves) about how to talk with young children about Trayvon Martin and actions to take. We welcome your feedback and stories.

1. Start by asking children what they have heard about Trayvon Martin. Correct any misinformation. Listen for their feelings.

2. Explain: If they don't know or have a lot of misinformation about what happened, you could use a description like this one: 

Trayvon Martin was an African-American teenager who was walking home from the store. A man named Zimmerman believed that Trayvon looked "suspicious" because he has a lot of stereotypes (wrong ideas) about young Black males. He thought Trayvon did not belong in that neighborhood, even though some of Trayvon's family lived there. The man decided to take the law into his own hands‒even though the police told him not to‒and he shot Trayvon. This was a terrible thing to do. It is a tragedy.

3. Explain: Many people‒parents, teachers, ministers, professonal athletes, authors, actors, congresspeople, students, and the president‒are working together to make sure that people with wrong ideas about skin color do not hurt people of color. One way is to make sure people learn fair ideas about skin color. Another way is by people meeting, marching, and talking to people who make laws.

4. Explain: Millions of people all over the U.S. are sad about and thinking about Trayvon Martin and other people who were hurt or killed unfairly. Hoodie Day is our school’s way to say how we feel.

5. Ask: How does what happened to Trayvon make you feel? (It’s good for the children to voice their fears.)

6. Reassure children that their parents and teachers will keep them safe.

7. Engage the children in brainstorming ideas about what they can do in their classroom and school to make sure it is fair and safe for all children. They can also write (dictate) a letter or make cards for Trayvon Martin's family.

Thanks to Jhonna Turner, Allyson Criner Brown, and Amy Rothschild for ideas and feedback for this post.

Related Resources

For teachers of older students: African American History: Standing on the Shoulders of the Ancestors

For teacher educators: Teaching Trayvon Martin: Three Strategies for Teacher Educators

Essay from Teaching Tolerance: Will We Learn from Trayvon Martin’s Death?

News for students and teachers: Stories from Democracy Now!

A forum for D.C. area teachers

This session was prompted by the recent attacks on ethnic studies in Tucson and the firing of Brooke Harris in Michigan for supporting a student fundraiser for Trayvon Martin's family. The teachers in Tucson’s Mexican-American Studies program heard the same message her superintendent gave to Ms. Harris: “You were hired to be a teacher, not an activist.” Now is a key time for teachers in the D.C. area to come together to proactively share strategies and build community to defend teaching for social justice.

The format will include brief presentations from the guest presenters and then time for small group discussion and sharing on the following topics:

• Activist teaching in your class/school
• Obstacles to activist teaching
• Examples of overcoming the obstacles
• How to support activist teaching

Join us at the
African American Civil War Museum
1925 Vermont Ave NW

The event is free and open to the public.

Please RSVP on Facebook.

Sponsored by Teaching Tolerance and Teaching for Change.

On March 12, Teaching for Change hosted a riveting panel with Dr. Khalil Muhammad, Jeff Biggers, and Dr. Enid Lee on the intersection of K-12 history education and informed civic engagement. Read more.