NEA member Leslie Crow lives in South Dakota and is Ihanktonwan/Hunkpati/Sicangu Sioux. Photo by Moses Mitchell. The virus has already hit the Navajo Nation especially hard, with more than 830 cases and 30 deaths as of April 21. As the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise across the United States, the pandemic … Continued
During the COVID-19 quarantine, educators across the country are learning how to continue to provide a safe and affirming experience for LGBTQ students via distance learning. Recent data supports the need for educator action and focus: According to HRC’s 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report: 67% of LGBTQ students hear their families make negative comments about LGBTQ … Continued
Every significant immigration issue that might affect students or educators, from DACA renewals to federal support of immigrant workers and their families, is impacted by the current COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, more than 200,000 DACA recipients – including nearly 15,000 educators and 29,000 health care workers – are working to protect our health … Continued
Photo by Joe Brusky, used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license. As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to rise across the United States, the FBI has issued an alert, distributed to law enforcement agencies across the country, warning of an increase in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. According to an FBI analysis … Continued
By Félix Pérez Native American students in Washington who want to wear tribal regalia at their graduation ceremonies should be heartened by two recent actions, one by the state legislature and the other by the state superintendent of public instruction. The state House of Representatives, on a 95-1 vote, passed a bill Feb. 12 that “expressly acknowledges that students … Continued
By Félix Pérez, photo above of Alaska Native teacher Kristi McEwen with Native dance paraphernalia. Information about Native Americans is either completely absent from public schools or relegated to brief mentions, inaccurate portrayals or negative stereotypes, concludes a groundbreaking analysis of state efforts to deliver high quality, contemporary and tribally specific educational content about Native … Continued
By Félix Pérez Speaking on the marble steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, Karina Alvarez bore down against the on-again, off-again snow and rain on a raw November morning. It was as if the San Antonio, Texas, elementary school teacher, using a firm and measured delivery, wanted the nine justices hearing arguments inside the court … Continued
By Félix Pérez Image courtesy of MDGovpics Ghouls, ghosts, gremlins and goblins will soon be flittering among us. Children, students and adults alike will celebrate Halloween in all manner of costumes. Some zany, some clever, some scary, some funny, some that push boundaries, and, unfortunately, some that objectify and degrade a culture or community The … Continued
Every day, educators, administrators and students carry with them attitudes and beliefs that may affect their understanding of a situation, their interactions with others, and their decision-making. If these beliefs are colored by negative stereotypes or biases, they can lead to misunderstandings and an unhealthy school climate, if not outright hostility or conflict. Acknowledging, understanding … Continued
Reports from the FBI, school administrators and advocacy groups that track hate incidents indicate that white nationalism, hate speech and other forms of bigoted extremism are on the rise across the United States. Because schools are hubs of our communities – and often the center of interactions among students of diverse races, ethnicities and religions … Continued