California Educator

June/July 2019

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June / July 2019 Pri M I T ' S N E V E R too late in the year to teach the value of a safe, inclu- sive and affirming classroom and school — for LGBTQ+ and all students. Check out GLSEN (glsen.org/educate/resources) for lesson plans and resources. From "Be an Ally, Not a Bystander" to "Unheard Voices," all grade lev- els are served. (For more ideas, see page 13.) Beyond celebrating Pride Month in June, there's a big need. A recent Equality California Institute survey (safesupportiveschools.org) finds that school districts inconsistently imple- ment state laws designed to protect LGBTQ+ students. While the report gives relatively high marks to schools for anti-bullying and suicide prevention efforts, it notes that curricula, staff diversity training, and policies involving trans- gender and gender-nonconforming students could be considerably improved. NEA Human Rights Award Winner Eddy Zheng T H E 2 0 19 NEA Human and Civil Rights Award win- ners will be feted July 3 in Houston. The annual event honors leaders in racial justice, social justice, and human and civil rights. Winner of the Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Award is youth counselor and activist Eddy Zheng. Zheng emigrated with his family from China to Oakland when he was 12. The latch- key kid who spoke no English soon fell in with criminal activity. Zheng ended up spending 20 years in San Quentin State Prison, where he turned his life around. His story is a testament to second chances, the transformative power of education, and immigrant communities' positive contributions to American society. For the full list of winners, go to nea.org/grants/HCRAwards.html. Summertime, and the Reading is Easy M A K E S U R E your students know how important — and fun — it is to read during their summer break. Here are a few teacher-recom- mended books; for more, go to cta.org/californiareads. In Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson (grades 1-2), CJ sees his friend Colby leave church in a car with his dad. Why must he and his grandmother wait in the rain for the bus ride across town? Why don't they don't own a car? Why doesn't he have an iPod like other boys? Why? Nana's answers spark his imagination and help him see the beauty in the world around them. A Night Divided, by Jennifer Nielsen (grades 6-8), finds Gerta's family suddenly divided by the rise of the Berlin Wall after her father and brother go west in search of work. East German soldiers closely watch Gerta, her mother and other brother Fritz, as well as their neighbors. After she spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, she figures out that he wants her and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall. The consequences if they're caught will be deadly. Can she and her family do it? I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika L. Sánchez (grades 9-12), tells the tale of smart, rebellious teen Julia Reyes, who lives with her parents and "perfect" older sister Olga. After Olga dies in an accident, Julia discovers that she may not have been as saintly as everyone believed. She also finds out why her parents are so fearful of Julia building a different life for herself. in the world around them. 6-8), finds Gerta's family suddenly divided by the rise of the Berlin Wall after her father and brother go west in search of work. East German soldiers closely watch Gerta, her mother and other brother Fritz, as well as their neighbors. After she spots her father tunnel beneath the wall. The consequences if 8 cta.org In the Know C A L E N D A R

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