Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1234752
Cesar Chavez "Sí Se Puede" Human Rights Award CARMINA RAMIREZ Associated Calexico Teachers Teacher librarian Carmina Ramirez regularly visits migrant shelters in Mexicali to work with children and adults, reading to them and conduct- ing lessons to enhance their literacy and bilingual abilities. She provides curriculum and materials for children waiting to be processed into the United States, so they will have a head start. Ramirez has organized charitable drives to collect clothing, toys and food for migrant families. And she has hosted migrants coming out of detention facilities as they transition into the U.S. A CTA State Council member- at-large, Ramirez offers trainings and events that promote equity among educators, students and community. She is a vigorous advo- cate for women's rights and leads her county equity team, providing workshops on domestic violence prevention. As her school district's only teacher librarian, she trains students, teachers and parents in the use of libraries for acquisition of information and literacy. CTA Member Human Rights Award JAYSON CHANG East Side Teachers Association Jayson Chang's involvement in mul- tiple extracurricular activities — both on campus and through CTA — pro- motes human and civil rights in his classroom, local association and community. As a high school social studies teacher, Chang focuses on racial and social justice through his curriculum, which he makes available for free to other educators on his website, changtheworld.com. In addition, Chang serves as an adviser to multiple student clubs (some of which he helped to create). These include the Future Business Leaders of America and Social Jus- tice Society. Chang is an early career educa- tor, having left his corporate job to become a teacher. At CTA, he par- ticipated in the Ethnic Minority Early Identification and Development lead- ership program, and is currently the human rights advocacy coordinator at Santa Clara County Service Center Council and an Institute for Teaching South Bay Think Tank member. CTA Peace and Justice Human Rights Award GUILLERMO GOMEZ San Diego Education Association Guillermo Gomez helped author the ethnic studies model curriculum for the California Department of Education. The curriculum, currently undergoing revisions, is in support of Assembly Bill 331, which aims to make ethnic studies a graduation requirement across state public and charter schools. Gomez also co-wrote the ethnic studies model curriculum for San Diego Unified School District, which was adopted by the school board; students who start high school this fall will be required to take a semester of ethnic studies to graduate. Gomez teaches high school social justice and ethnic studies, and is also an adjunct professor at San Diego State University. The community activist is co-founder of "Mi Papa," an organization that brings Latino fathers into their children's elementary school. He is also on the advisory board of MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán), has served as a Rotary Club delegate to Africa, and has partici- pated in an educational exchange in Oaxaca, Mexico. CTA Service Center Council Human Rights Award SAN DIEGO COUNTY SERVICE CENTER COUNCIL The San Diego County Service Center Council has partnered with other community organizations to promote human rights and to support public education, members and the community. For example, this past year, SDCSCC partners (including UC San Diego Extension) created a series of social-justice-themed, daylong professional development symposiums in which mem- bers could earn a salary schedule credit. SDCSCC community 44 cta.org CTA & You