#EduColor was created both as a resource for intersectional discussions of race and education and as a safe space. Therefore, even though hashtags are open to the public, those of us who started it reserve the right to push back and challenge tweets we see as leading the discussion astray (see “derailing” for more details). This includes using #educolor on bios, blog titles, and paraphernalia.
Welcome everyone, I'm xian, a founding member of @coreteachers in the Chicago Teachers Union, former Political Director for CTU and a part-time 4-7th grade Math/Japanese #SpEd teacher/stay-at-home parent. Excited to talk unions tonight with all of you on #educolor!
Tamika Kelly from NC, elementary music teacher K-5th, #unionstrong, hoping to hear from more educators of color and how they feel about unions. #EduColor
I am currently a graduate student at the University of Michigan and this is my #EduColor chat! I look forward to learning about how I can be involved in unions as a first year teacher!
Joanne from Missouri. I teach 7th grade world history and 11th grade modern global issues. Always looking to learn. We have 2 unions in my district and issues are addressed through a collaborative team of admins and educators and support staff. Very different, I know. #educolor
Hey #EduColor, I'm Dulce-Marie. I taught High School bilingual special ed and lead classrooms onsite at a Harlem homeless shelter before taking a year off to get my Masters degree.
I'm Christina, teacher leader in Wake County, NC. I'm from a right to work state, but a member of @ncae. Hope to learn more about unions in other states. #EduColor
Alex from VT, higher ed & teacher ed. Adjunts at one of my institutions just unionized & so I am in a union for the first time. Looking to learn more! #educolor
A1: Generally positive, though a small part of me wonders if the more that our unions negotiate with the system, it becomes a part of it in intentional and unintentional ways. #EduColor
Hey #EduColor family! Mel here, recent college graduate & almost teacher. Being a first-year teacher brings me here, and I'm interested in the nuances in our conversation around Janus/"right to work" (race/class/gender/other intersectional dynamics).
I'm Sally, high school teacher and building rep from Philadelphia. I believe strongly that teacher's unions can and should be leveraged to build power alongside students and communities. #educolor
Thank you - happy to learn with you as well. Great opportunity to reflect on purposeful ways of building bridges and learning how to navigate challenging time’s with educational partners #EduColor
A1: Thanks to our grassroots organizing that threw out a top down administration and replaced it with all classroom level educator/organizers, CTU is strong. But times are tough and it's difficult for a union to avoid falling racist/sexist/ableist complicity. #educolor
A1: I've been interested in/troubled by/curious around (aka ALLL the emotions) around unions adopting a social justice "lens"/approach, but making it a "committee" rather than a foundation from which we collectively build and do all of our work. #EduColor
A1 I don't have a daily union experience. Since it wasn't required, I didn't join until I started worrying about liability. I have a lot to learn. A couple of friends are very active and i am listening more. #educolor
A1 My experience has been positive overall. But in RTW state, not many teachers know about the benefits of being in a professional organization. I want to change that. #EduColor
A1: Because we live in a RTW state, @ncae has an uphill battle with gaining traction from the general public. However, within our union, we have been doing amazing work. It does come with some push and pull between members and leadership. #EduColor
A1: My union has provided platforms for activism. Still, we need to refresh our ranks with more “people of the global majority.” Thanks for the language @AngryTeachr#educolor
(And I want to ground this tweet in a full, wholehearted commitment to the possibilities of unions rooted in a historical understanding of the radical spaces folks - primarily folks of color - have created/sustained through union spaces). #EduColor
A1: Wendy from Brooklyn here. At my school, we have many veteran teachers who live and die by the contract. Things have been contentious between staff and admin for a long time despite the fact that my school is a pretty pleasant place to work #EduColor
#EduColor Hi all, Martha from Los Angeles Q2 My union, UTLA has led the way by supporting ethnic studies grad requirement, spearheaded by the great @JoseDelBarrio
I second this Tamika. And I sometimes get frustrated when it's as if we're only forming committees and having meetings or events, and not actually "doing the work". #EduColor
A1: Because we live in a RTW state, @ncae has an uphill battle with gaining traction from the general public. However, within our union, we have been doing amazing work. It does come with some push and pull between members and leadership. #EduColor
Hey y’all! Clint from Virginia here. 7th grade teacher and learner. This chat always succeeds in teaching me. Thankful. Will be in and out tonight. #EduColor
A1: Great question - I’d like to reframe this from my context though - how can we keep focused on the students we serve when our common interests don’t always converge? Or when we can’t settle on who our most vulnerable kids are? #EduColor
A2: #educolor In my experience and in my school (which may not be typical), the chapter is most concerned with protecting teachers' rights, which may not necessarily be the same as advocating for students of color...given who most of the teachers are...
I will say that I appreciate that folks in @NJEA are working to cultivate spaces of intergenerational communication and collaboration, since there can be/is often tension between unionist of different generations. #EduColor
Q3 What are some challenges that people of color may face when navigating predominantly white union spaces, especially in the context of these racially-charged and politically-complex times? #EduColor
Hi #EduColor, Chris from NYC. Great topic and I’m really interested to hear perspectives. Generally believe in unions, but appreciate the challenge of who are they supporting, when, and how can this be challenged.
Our #May16th#ItsPersonal March & Rally created a gigantic amount of momentum as our #NCGA creates a budget and hopefully into midterms in Nov #EduColor
A2: I personally feel like organized labor is catching up to what Ts of color have been fighting for all along. Now, we can use the union to elevate those voices.
I was a UFT member while I taught in the DOE but lost that membership when I transitioned to teaching at the shelter. I love my work but man, I miss union representation. #EduColor
A2: Our students, esp SoC, know in their hearts and experiences that collective action is necessary to survive and thrive in this society. Organized labor is a good model for this. #educolor
NJ is an interesting state--@NJEA manages a couple hundred different little fiefdoms, and we do not truly have a statewide union.
(Guess I'm cranky because I hear more about auto insurance than I do about justice from the @NJEA....)
#educolor
Our #May16th#ItsPersonal March & Rally created a gigantic amount of momentum as our #NCGA creates a budget and hopefully into midterms in Nov #EduColor
I've seen these 2 forces work together and in opposition. I've seen some powerful joint organizing in response to things like school closures. I've also seen union spaces become somewhere for the predominantly white teaching force to kvetch about "these" kids/parents. #educolor
You won’t let me weasel out of answering - I see you 😊. I’ve seen where support for Ss, esp. minoritzed Ss, have been been positioned as being in opposition to support for educators. In these neoliberal days - it’s imp. To stay focused on who we serve as educators #educolor
A1: I'm Rebecca, 7th grade ELL math tchr and NEA member. I love having a union to look out for me and a team to navigate issues, but I wish they were ever willing to say no to adults in the interest of our kids. #educolor
A2: My students generally don’t get into the nitty-gritty of why we have unions, but I do believe we need ombudsppl to create conditions for student learning. Plus, my chapter leader is a strong teacher. #EduColor
A2 cont: Every time I teach labor history with a focus on movements by workers of color, students ask,, "So how do we start student unions?"
That said, the realities of institutional racism, ageism and other inequities within unions must be taught as well. #educolor
A2: “We need more student agency,” said @TheJLV in Keynote Address at #NJEA Convention in 2015… 2017 first student keynote panel on social justice led by @ilyasahShabazz@NJEAPD#educolor
RTW laws, generally passed in conservative-leaning states, are steeped in classist and racist mythology. Like the “work”-for-healthcare laws being adopted now. #EduColor
(Forgot to add #educolor & deleted my tweet *crying emoji*). Quick version from my limited, white, cis lens: foundation = we collectively build language/understanding/commitments to anti-racist, social justice work. Committee = fake "anti-racist checkbox".
A2 cont: And too often even community centered unions can see student voices as a commodity to be bartered for. So we need to work on unions affirming students as current partners in struggle. #educolor
A1: In some (dangerous) ways, local ed unions in NJ reflect same power struggles within union that occur in our culture. "Old guard" in unions just as dangerous as "old guard" in admins. How do we regularly blow up (in a good sense) our unions?
#educolor
They go further than that. In MS, even if we voluntarily join an association affiliated with a teacher's union, we can't have the dues auto-deducted from our checks.#EduColor
A2: I was honored to do that work @NJEA. Everywhere we go, we deserve to have speakers who push power back to students and those in our most marginalized schools. #EduColor
A2: “We need more student agency,” said @TheJLV in Keynote Address at #NJEA Convention in 2015… 2017 first student keynote panel on social justice led by @ilyasahShabazz@NJEAPD#educolor
Technically I'm unemployed, so no one is monitoring me now. Shelter teaching is lonely. The emotional toll is different from my experiences in the DOE. I'd like more organization for educators outside of public schools, especially in PL and psychological services. #EduColor
A3: One challenge is making everything "racial". Now that unions are focusing on social justice, we can't let that be a buzz word or a trend, especially if you have no teachers of color represented in that work. #educolor
Q3 What are some challenges that people of color may face when navigating predominantly white union spaces, especially in the context of these racially-charged and politically-complex times? #EduColor
#educolor Transformers don’t seek to scaffold to canon. Transformers realize there is bias in the very existence of a canon. We need to revisit what should be vaulted. Not pedestal. But in the pantheon. I hope that makes sense. Euphony is all.
A3: Power matters in these spaces and while unions have a fundamental focus around collective power, my experience is that white leaders and machines still vie to control/sheepdog members, often erasing members of color. #educolor
That's a reason to fight, not abandon unions.
Q3 What are some challenges that people of color may face when navigating predominantly white union spaces, especially in the context of these racially-charged and politically-complex times? #EduColor
To add additional nuance: in some RTW states, collective bargaining is prohibited, but in others it's permissible and/or limited to specific areas. Here's a good explanation along with a map to give you a sense of where states are https://t.co/TJj1CLdSjS#EduColor
A3: Power dynamics driven by racial-, gender-, and other hierarchies remain in/visibly entrenched. Staying present and committed feels so vital. #educolor
Q3 What are some challenges that people of color may face when navigating predominantly white union spaces, especially in the context of these racially-charged and politically-complex times? #EduColor
A3: One challenge is making everything "racial". Now that unions are focusing on social justice, we can't let that be a buzz word or a trend, especially if you have no teachers of color represented in that work. #educolor
Q3 What are some challenges that people of color may face when navigating predominantly white union spaces, especially in the context of these racially-charged and politically-complex times? #EduColor
A4: I can't overstate the power of community coalition building with organizations and with parents that are representative of the students we teach. #EduColor
When I began creeping towards a depressive episode in my second year, the UFT hooked me up with their counseling, a service I am outstandingly grateful for in hindsight. It was the worst depressive episode I'd experienced and the UFT was my first line of support. #EduColor
Unions often reflect the communities in which they’re built - how do we change that? How do we limit the impact of society’s racist, sexist, heteronormative structures within these spaces & pave the way for diversity & inclusion? How would this impact union advocacy? #educolor
A4: Connecting with other EOC in their districts. Speak with school community leaders. I think certain educators are cut out for this work though. The connecting and community building. #educolor
A4 I’m in a state that isn’t as union regulated like many on this chat but I can say that the challenges that POC face in any non-POC dominant space are similar when it comes to power dynamics, especially political. Lots of “I know” & not enough listening #EduColor
A3; Well um yeah...we'll address that racial thing in committee sometime, we'll get back to you, hey, great seeing you...wanna cheap magazine subscription?
(Wouldn't it be nice if union admin make-up reflected same proportion of PoC in their fancy magazines....)
#educolor
A4: This is the question all of us should be asking of our unions. If unions are not doing this work or worse impeding members who are doing it, then the leadership of the union must be moved or removed. #educolor
A4: I also believe it's important to build community and a collective with young and new educators of color. Reach out and find and support these new educators. I believe it could help keep more EOC in schools. #educolor
A5: It seems like active union members are often more aware of local and state politics. That info needs to be shared as we seek to shift power in school systems/classes. #EduColor
A4 cont: In Chi, this means that we work with student, parent and community organizations to develop school policy and reforms to fight for rather than just trying to fight separately against toxic neo-liberal #edpolicy and corruption. #educolor
A5: It seems like active union members are often more aware of local and state politics. That info needs to be shared as we seek to shift power in school systems/classes. #EduColor
A4: I also believe it's important to build community and a collective with young and new educators of color. Reach out and find and support these new educators. I believe it could help keep more EOC in schools. #educolor
A5: I think unions could be more deliberate in reaching newer or rookie educators to help and support these teachers so we can help fix the pipeline keep EOC in schools. #educolor
Yes, and too often the networking, social and organizing capacities of the union can be geared to white teachers (with a focus on women) when ToC are the most adept organizers for in many school communities. Your answer is so important; I hope union folks are listening. #educolor
A5: I really think that unions need to have a mechanism for developing and supporting teachers of color. I will say that @NEAToday does this, through its' own programming or through partnerships. #EduColor
Yes! As a member, I'd be lost in the ed policy landscape if it weren't for my association. Even non-members, look to their local/state assoc for legislative updates, even when thinking about who to vote for #EduColor
Teachers, in all positions and all places, need lots of support. The job is tough. And it's tougher for TOC in most places. Organizations supporting them matter. #EduColor
Technically I'm unemployed, so no one is monitoring me now. Shelter teaching is lonely. The emotional toll is different from my experiences in the DOE. I'd like more organization for educators outside of public schools, especially in PL and psychological services. #EduColor
A4 in my experience, A lot of this work for students of color took place through church & community organizations, especially local culturally driven fraternities/sororities. ToC are often leading these initiatives & if not, thoroughly supporting #EduColor
A5: I imagine first we all need to agree that the challenges faced by EOC are unique to the challenges faced by educators as a whole. It seems like such a simply, silly thing, but I've been told by seemingly well-meaning colleagues that "we're all tired and overworked." #EduColor
Yes! I completely agree. As a new educator, I look forward to being a part of a community of EOC. I think that mentorship is such an important part of retention. #educolor
A4: I also believe it's important to build community and a collective with young and new educators of color. Reach out and find and support these new educators. I believe it could help keep more EOC in schools. #educolor
A4: We need to build broader coalitions across racial, gender, and religious lines. We can’t just throw issues to committee, but make it a core of our work. #EduColor
I keep trying to remember to check the local Houston Federation of Teachers calendar but I never seem to make it to an event. I want to know more. #educolor
Q6 What role should unions play in creating, curating, and disseminating resources for educators to support a culturally robust student experience? #EduColor
Just tonight, @ncae had an all-member town hall with our awesome @NC_Governor about the state budget and action steps teachers can take to affect change #EduColor
#atlanticEDU@selmekki on more black male teachers. Culture- think in terms is windows & mirrors. White students see mirrors in their teachers. Black students are looking thru a window of white paradigm. Black students need more mirrors and white students need more windows
I'm in a RTW state as well. This is exactly why I'm a member of my state 'association'. I know they're doing the work that needs to be done. I'm happy to send some money their way. #EduColor
A5: I also think that programming within the union is important, as well, for developing leaders of color. NEA does and we are working on doing that within our state. #EduColor
A5: Not in the reformy sense, but we need disaggregated data to analyze systems and inform our decisions. We do that with many things -- why not to help elevate EoC? #educolor
A6: I already said this but I really want to see more students and teachers of color trained on how to organize. Hopefully integrated in curriculum! #EduColor
A5: I think unions could be more deliberate in reaching newer or rookie educators to help and support these teachers so we can help fix the pipeline keep EOC in schools. #educolor
Thank God for it, that episode was the worst of my life and I had no idea where else to go. Teaching is exhausting, vicarious trauma is real, and I'd be really happy to see more mental health initiatives for teachers beyond self-care routines. #EduColor
A5: As it should be: All unions should have a strategic plan for equitable recruitment, retentions, affirmation of educators with focus on ToC.
As it is: Many white-led unions fight for "teacher quality" policies that are 21st century "grandfather clauses. #educolor
I see colleagues and friends joining in neighborhood organizing work that isn't just about schools. I think the Black Lives Matter Week of Action helped start a lot of conversations about how educators can act in solidarity on issues that affect students and families. #educolor
Agreed! I'm baffled when Ts are like "why should I give my $$". I'm like they're working for YOU and your rights and our students are on the line. SO Yeah, I'ma pay them to help me and babies out! #EduColor
I think about this a lot for some of the black orgs that trend older as well. One reason why I've been pushing intergenerational edcamps in the area. #EduColor
A5: I think unions could be more deliberate in reaching newer or rookie educators to help and support these teachers so we can help fix the pipeline keep EOC in schools. #educolor
#educolor@nysut local @uupinfo has pressed for initiatives aimed at recruiting more students of color into teacher prep programs (modeled after other SUNY opportunity programs) /wamc.org/post/fred-kowal-2016-uup-initiatives
A3: unions often feel responsible for defending members against change, which can translate quickly into resistance against new concerns brought by Ts/Ss of color. #EduColor
Q3 What are some challenges that people of color may face when navigating predominantly white union spaces, especially in the context of these racially-charged and politically-complex times? #EduColor
A5 Collective bargaining is a really big part of this. A big part of what makes this job sustainable for me is the benefits and protections in our contract. #educolor
I see colleagues and friends joining in neighborhood organizing work that isn't just about schools. I think the Black Lives Matter Week of Action helped start a lot of conversations about how educators can act in solidarity on issues that affect students and families. #educolor
A5: how can unions begin to value educators of color? What frameworks are we using to uncover how our shared humanity are intertwined & our goals of justice, freedom and liberation (even our humanness) are tied together? #educolor
A6 What I’m wondering is how we build this support structure when there is no union. We may not have large say on policy but we can build our own support networks & channels of communication #EduColor
A6: The union, first, should be the resource for supporting teachers with instruction. If the union isn't providing resources to help with the vision of an equitable, representative education, demand it. #EduColor
A6: Unions should take a lead on this in general. Specifically, the @AFTunion, @NEAToday should fund a national campaign to develop and promote the use of strong #ethnicstudies, comprehensive #sexed and #disabilityjustice/mental health curricula within state affiliates. #educolor
Q6 What role should unions play in creating, curating, and disseminating resources for educators to support a culturally robust student experience? #EduColor
Something bothersome about the word "inclusion." Like "tolerance," it implies that *we're* showing off our wonderfulness by letting *them* join the party.
#EduColor
A5: there needs to be intentionally anti-racist approach. HBCUs produce the most educators of color—start there. But then in my conversations with teachers of color, their biggest problems come from admin—admin who don’t use anti-racist approaches #EduColor
Not sure this is related but I'd love to see more disaggregated data on black & brown recent immigrants vs longer-term residents in education. #EduColor
A5: Not in the reformy sense, but we need disaggregated data to analyze systems and inform our decisions. We do that with many things -- why not to help elevate EoC? #educolor
A5: I think stronger mentorship programs connecting veteran and rookie EOC would be dope. I went to Twitter to find mentors that looked like me. #EduColor
I have two very different perspectives. I come from an organized labor heavy city, Chicago, to a non-organized labor state Arizona. My perspectives have lead me to believe teachers are subject to harsh environments, unless they are part of an organized labor agreement. #EduColor
Great Q! My state assoc was formed in 1970 as a result of 1970, by the merger of the NC Education Association (white Ts) and the NC Teachers Association (Black Ts). So have a twisty racial history and we still see the affects... #EduColor
A5: Yes, and most programs pile on the institutional racism in the prep process when we as ToC need the opposite--support within our pre-service programs to learn how to effectively address and survive racist admin. #educolor
A5: continued—also creating support groups that address the social, professional, and pedagogical development of these teachers is important to retaining teachers of color #EduColor
I went to twitter to find folks who don't look like me. We definitely need more EOC getting the support they need to rise up and lead. All children need that. #EduColor
A6: I would hope it takes on a large role. Too much conversation centers around contracts (and rightly so), but not enough on making sure our teachers are doing well, esp. in the service of students. #EduColor
Q6 What role should unions play in creating, curating, and disseminating resources for educators to support a culturally robust student experience? #EduColor
Many Black Ts left the profession and many left after merger... Luckily for us, our leadership now is diverse and our EOC do feel empowered and are seen as critical stakeholders in equity work #EduColor
I desire and have started to organize locally some within the past year. I wonder is that what we should do in RTW states? Build our own collectives that meet local needs in our schools? I know this is hard work, so any suggestions would be appreciated #educolor
Hello I'm Alexandra and currently teach pre-k in the DMV. I am on the board of directors for our local association..in a right to work state lol . I would like to learn how to collaborate with unions to retain teachers of color #educolor
A2: FI feel organized labor has positively impacted the lives of students, by positively impacting the educators. If educators feel they are welcome, wanted, and taken care of, they operate with a greater sense of agency. This trickles down to student learning. #EduColor
I know the Boston Teachers Union offered space for student leaders to meet as they planned the March of Our Lives. They offered whatever resources or support the students wanted but followed their lead. #educolor
I know @BLoveSoulPower has talked about intersection of organizing/SJ and schools. I think that's an element of her Get Free Hip Hop Civics Ed #educolor
A1: I love my union, I rep my union in my Twitter bio, I'm so thankful and proud to be in a strong union. I would like to see more support from union leadership on how to organize alongside students and parents. Elections are important but that's not the only way. #educolor
Many Black Ts left the profession and many left after merger... Luckily for us, our leadership now is diverse and our EOC do feel empowered and are seen as critical stakeholders in equity work #EduColor
A3: There is always a danger of being placed in a position of deference. Often in predominantly Caucasian unions, it is difficult for educators of color to assert themselves. #EduColor
Q3 What are some challenges that people of color may face when navigating predominantly white union spaces, especially in the context of these racially-charged and politically-complex times? #EduColor
Nope won't be joining a district anytime soon but I've been talking with leaders about what different models of support might look like toward this end #educolor
.@NCTE’s Cultivating New Voices is a great model for this at the academic level. It’s been a long running, well organized, and respected program. I wonder how they could mentor an effort at K-12? https://t.co/ReJHjRBDxr#EduColor
I promise I'm not this ugly in person, y'all! Lol #educolor we're hiding out from the GOP party happening in the hotel lobby, how's y'all's evening going??
A7: All in, but in a real sense of "help"="resource and support without trying to divert or redirect".
In my xp supporting student activists, students crafting policy remember educators' needs when they have been treated affirmingly and equitably by educators.
#educolor
Yes! And recognizing when we need help in the first place. Everything I knew about depression came from sitcoms. But my depression lasts more than a week, I ate no pints of ice cream, and I didn't cry at all. We need training to unlearn mental health stereotypes. #EduColor
Building a collective is hard work. I appreciate what #educolor has done and stepped in a huge gaps for EOC and SOC nationally. I know locally we have @GwinnettSToPP addressing S2PP. But would love to hear of smaller local orgs trying to support EOC or SOC #educolor
A7: I’m challenged by this, because I often see unions supporting students with conditions...that they be seen and get credit. I believe support should come with resources, possibly training, and most importantly—an open mind/heart. #EduColor
A4: Speak up about what you are seeing inside of your classroom, your school, your district, your state, and especially inside of your local educator regime. Hold people accountable openly and engage in dialogue about what can change & what needs to change. #EduColor
A8: Not sure I'm invested as much in transforming union as I am in making organizing strategies more widely accessible. But I see that work being done in conjunction with unions. #EduColor
Shared goals can be a strong foundation- how does teacher advocacy and efficacy impact their wellbeing? How can shared/common purposes unite people and create community? How do these impact employee satisfaction? #EduColor
Well worth your time to catch up on. Exceedingly nuanced chat tonight about representation in the teacher work force, RTW states, mental health, labor history, the future of teacher unions, and much more. #EduColor
A 5: Actively recruit from within for positions of administration and leadership. Reach out into the local HE structure and recruit participants to become a teacher within your organization. Reach into HS's and recruit students to become future educators. #EduColor
This is literally why I'm involved with the Houston and Texas Alliance of Black School Educators. So much institutional knowledge mostly inaccessible to young EOCs. #EduColor
Exactly! In many cases, the best way to do this is to create opportunities for student activists to conduct those training for the union adult allies who say they want to help. It transitions from adultism + good motive to actual righteous collaborative struggle. #educolor
A3: the biggest one I’ve witnessed and experienced is the need to tokenize us. and when we refuse to be tokenized, then isolation, and blackballing #EduColor
Q3 What are some challenges that people of color may face when navigating predominantly white union spaces, especially in the context of these racially-charged and politically-complex times? #EduColor
A6 I'm really thankful to live and work in a city where this work is happening (e.g. Caucus of Working Educators summer book groups, most of which have this focus) #educolor
I wonder what unions can do to foster these connections. Teachers are already navigating social media to do this work-- how can this translate to organized events, PL, conferences? #EduColor
A5 create relationships with HBCUs!!! And other minority serving institutions. Create specific mentoring programs and call out the a culture of undermining the voices of poc #educolor
A8: representation matters! Union leadership should be reflective of the labor force it represents. We need to actively recruit diverse talent into leadership roles AND support current leadership to be more inclusive. #educolor
Absolutely! We also have specific caucuses like Black caucus and Latinx caucus, etc so marginalized voices have spaces to build community and lead. I'm still learning too as I wonder about how the mass exodus of ToC post merger affected our long-term recruitment of TOC #EduColor
A 6: Unions already play an important role as artifact historians for the local educators. Continue to build foundations that institute these historical underpinnings can held new educators to understand the landscape as they begin their careers. #EduColor
Q6 What role should unions play in creating, curating, and disseminating resources for educators to support a culturally robust student experience? #EduColor
#EduColor is truly a beautiful movement. With students from 58 countries and professors around the world, Westcliff University believes in your mission. EduColor, we stand by you.
Here are some ways you can get involved: https://t.co/X9EPKwrnFB
Wait, woah. I knew about white Ts leaving too, but had no idea they formed assoc that still exist. Do you have know of any readings on the topic? #EduColor
ACTRESS JENNIFER ANISTON: “ME AND ALL THE TRUMP SUPPORTER CELEBRITIES DECIDE TO MAKE A COMPANY NAMED “CELEBRITIES FOR TRUMP”, WHICH FIGHT AGAINST ALL ANTI TRUMP CELEBRITIES, I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP NEEDS OUR SUPPORT”. DO YOU SUPPORT HER?
We stand with the notion that she should be treated the same as Keith Olbermann, Joy Reid, Joy Behar, Bill Maher et al. @therealroseanne simply deserves identical treatment. That’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less. Equal protection, equal standards of treatment. Any questions?
The Incubator that birthed me loved to punish me by instigating violent beatings on me by her husband; the step-person. She'd feed off the violence & then tell me I provoked it. Then they'd go to the #KingdomHall like nothing happened. #JWorg#Watchtower#JehovahsWitnesses
Yassss!!! A mutual exchange of ideas. I rarely see students offered this space. And when it does happen, it’s the honors students. Nah! I want us to center the voices of the ones be putting in ISS!! #EduColor
Exactly! In many cases, the best way to do this is to create opportunities for student activists to conduct those training for the union adult allies who say they want to help. It transitions from adultism + good motive to actual righteous collaborative struggle. #educolor
A8: It’d be good to be more explicit about our love for students, schools, and communities, especially our most marginalized spaces. We also gotta do a better job of amplifying our folks in those spaces. #EduColor
actually, yeah, can we? because my graduate experience is very different without the blessing of #educolor and Twitter teachers. Can we make this an organized thing?
Iger, where is my call of apology? You and ABC have offended millions of people, and they demand a response. How is Brian Ross doing? He tanked the market with an ABC lie, yet no apology. Double Standard!
A8 by going to teachers and asking ,revisiting the history of the labor unions (for ex the exclusion of black members) and creating a system to address the gaps that were created by bogus policies #educolor
A8: Starts with these conversations like tonight. Folks are doing this work all over the country. A bunch of us started @UCOREjustice by flying around having small meetings, and it really just takes a core group of a dozen or so activists to reorient a major union. #educolor
A8: A lot of us teachers at non-traditional settings are dope and brilliant and would love to connect to organized educational spaces. I'm just sayin'. #EduColor
A8 cont: So then the question becomes: "Who is going to do that?" I'd argue it's the folks on this chat. If not, we risk the new folks being a more progressive, but equally white supremacist leadership.
Let's do it right. #educolor
That's the wildest part to me. There are so few people doing real work it's usually not hard to step in and really take ownership in progressive ed spaces. #EduColor
A8: A lot of us teachers at non-traditional settings are dope and brilliant and would love to connect to organized educational spaces. I'm just sayin'. #EduColor
When we organized against top down intervention at my school last year, @YUCphilly really took the lead-- which was only possible because we had built relationships there already
Jumping out a tad early but want to give major love and appreciation to @xianb8 & @ygt_rise for facilitating this conversation and all of the #EduColor folx doing this work in all the ways. Blessings.
Who's doing that well already? @JessJTang and @BTU66, @Organize2020 in NC, @CaucusofWE in Philly, and Liz Davis' crew in Washington from what I hear, but I'm sure there's other little brilliant explosions happening in so many other places.
#educolor
In reply to
@JessJTang, @BTU66, @Organize2020, @CaucusofWE
A7 I think we first need to educate our communities on what student advocacy is. Too often it’s labeled as insubordination. One thing that I’ve seen unions do, through my unionized peers, is empower advocacy/voice. Fear cycles must be broken for teachers & students #EduColor
A6: They should be leading on this! If the union says it, Ts do it. If admin says it, Ts use the union to file a grievance about add'l work added to their jobs. #educolor
Q6 What role should unions play in creating, curating, and disseminating resources for educators to support a culturally robust student experience? #EduColor
In NJ we have an "early career network" of educators organizing spaces for other new educators to create entry points into union activism. Often times, local leaders can also be the initial point of contact. #EduColor
Organized labor are an organized grassroots movement. They should fully support others in their movements as it aligns to the goals of the communities they serve. #EduColor
A7 I think we first need to educate our communities on what student advocacy is. Too often it’s labeled as insubordination. One thing that I’ve seen unions do, through my unionized peers, is empower advocacy/voice. Fear cycles must be broken for teachers & students #EduColor
A8: It's really important to "call the question" and ask why the union isn't what you need. Then get with people who want to make the change and do the work. #EduColor
A 8: So difficult, create opportunity for educators of color to have agency within the organized movement. Help them create something that is educational novel. Help them to succeed. #EduColor
A9: A couple lectures from authors I've heard that speak to this topic well:
Cathy Cohen "Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics" #EduColor
Also Marcia Walker-McWilliams: "Reverend Addie Wyatt: Faith and the fight for labor, gender, and racial equality" isn't specific to youth but speaks to race, religion, class, and gender #EduColor
A9: #educolor's own @TheJLV's "This is Not a Test" covers his in a way that weaves it into everyday teaching/life as a ToC.
@labornotes has good organizing resources, but I'm not sure if the definitive intersectional educational organizing book has been written yet. #educolor
honestly, connecting with you and your classroom is on my 2018 highlight reel. Social media has reshaped collaboration and organizations should be consciously exploring this. #educolor
Most have a cursory introduction as they traverse the educational pipeline. In larger unionized states, IL, it is understood that if there is a union attached to your employment, you will be part of that union.
