Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1449741
encouraged to participate in ongoing work and reflec- tion throughout the school year. Jones and Myart-Cruz's workshop dovetails with this goal. "We must make Black lives matter at school every day," Myart-Cruz says. "When we talk about Black Lives Matter at School, it's beyond wearing a shirt. It's beyond having a Zoom background. It's beyond having a poster. Educators, what are you embodying?" T h e t r a i n i n g h a s e v o l v e d a n d expanded over time. It now embraces the community schools model and pro v i d e s m ore supp or t f or m em - bers to continue the work after the training. Jones and Myart-Cruz have continued to facilitate during the pan- demic, leading Black Lives Matter at School trainings with educators at El Cerrito High School, with health and human ser vices professionals who work in multiple school districts, as part of CTA's Tuesday Takeovers for Racial and Social Justice, and in numerous CTA service centers. e duo was recently joined as facilitators by CTA Board member Taunya Jaco. Jones hopes educators take away from this training: • A better understanding of racial justice movements and the role educators can play in these movements. • A historical understanding of how Black students are marginalized within the public school system and the connection with all marginalized groups. • Actions they can do at the classroom, school site and local levels to ensure that Black lives do in fact matter. "e training starts an important discussion and breaks down racial narratives that deep down we all have to face. With the awareness, members can be more thoughtful and intentional about creating change on their campus," Jones says. "ough we give examples of where to begin, undoing decades of disinvestment in Black youth will not be answered in one training. Coming into the space, educators need to understand that this is a first step, but they have to continue walking if sustainable change is going to happen." e Black Lives Matter at School Year of Purpose asks educators to reflect on their own work in rela- tion to anti-racist pedagogy and abolitionist practice, persistently challenging themselves to center Black lives in their classrooms. Jones says educators need to create spaces to listen to students and provide and support opportunities for students to lead. "What that looks like can vary. For UTLA, it meant hosting student forums where parents, educators and community members actually had to stop and listen to the lived experience of our Black students," says Jones. "It also meant supporting student groups and providing opportunities for student groups to lead." Jones and Myart-Cruz are offering the training at the Equity and Human Rights Conference and the Good Teaching Conference in March; for more information, visit cta.org/conferences. Members can also reach out directly to set up trainings by emailing ejones@cta.org. "When you center the most marginalized and create an educational environment where they can succeed, you have created an environment where all can succeed." —Erika Jones, CTA Board member A slide from the training, which asks educators what it means to be a member of a marginalized community and how they can bring racial justice to their schools. From the training in answer to the question: What does it look like in your classroom to center the most marginalized? 43 F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 2 2