Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1449741
W I T H E D U C A T O R S A N D C O M M U N I T I E S coming together nation- wide to ensure that Black students can live, grow and thrive with support and love, two CTA members have developed a training to help educators show that Black lives matter at school. CTA Board member Erika Jones and United Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz developed the training for the NEA Lead- ership Summit in 2016, highlighting the work done by UTLA's Racial Justice Taskforce to facilitate tough conversations around race and rac- ism in education. e task force was formed following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, which spurred the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement. " We developed the U TL A Racial Justice Taskforce and noticed that spaces for educators to talk through racial justice issues and begin unpacking what it means to be an anti-racist educator were nonexistent," says Jones, a UTL A member. "Students and commu- nity members were far ahead in their understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement and the impact it could and would have on classrooms." Jones and Myart-Cruz have trained thousands of educators nation- wide, tailoring each session to the needs of their audience, focusing on breaking down misconceptions of Black Lives Matter and racial justice, and centering the work of educators in love and empathy. e training asks educators to analyze what it means to be a member of a marginalized community and identify ways to bring racial justice to their schools. "Showing that Black lives matter at school is really about centering our most marginalized students. When you center the most marginalized and create an educa- tional environment where they can succeed, you have created an environment where all can succeed," Jones says. "We push educators to examine their own practices and existing school policies from curricular choices to discipline polices. These ref lective conversations are geared to plant seeds where educators then take agency to continue the work." e goal of the broader Black Lives Matter at School movement ( blacklivesmatteratschool.com ) is to spark ongoing critical reflection, honest conversation, and impactful actions in school communities for people of all ages to engage with issues of racial justice. Black Lives Matter at School organizers have designated 2022 as a Year of Purpose. Educators, students and parents are Training for educators focuses on racial justice, centering work in love and empathy By Julian Peeples CTA leaders developed a training for all members. 42 cta.org Social Justice New Section