Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1491904
Living a Better Day F O R M A N Y, including me, a mass of data points — numbers, factoids, statistics — is just that: a mass, often hard to decipher for big-picture meaning. But as our new column "Building Your Social Media Toolbox" (page 38) explains, highlighting a single data point on Facebook or other platforms can be incredibly effec- tive and powerful. Consider the graphic above, which ran on CTA social media on International Women's Day 2022. (IWD is on March 8 this year, see page 8.) The fact that women in union jobs earn almost one-third more per week than those in non-union jobs is stunning, a stat that easily conveys a larger point. While focused, concise messaging is essen- tial for social media, it works for much of what we want to communicate in today's universe of short attention spans. Framing the message is critical as well - literally. In her Carrying Stories project, Fresno High School teacher Marina Santos chose a butterf ly motif for the art and text that students use to present their story to the world ("Metamorphosis," page 26). e visual impact of the colorful backgrounds and handwritten words help ele- vate student voices and life experiences. ese are voices and experiences that must be heard. One student writes of silently screaming at the grinding poverty and intolerable conditions he and his mother endure in Mexico. After a grueling border crossing, he enrolls in Fresno High and envisions his future: "is is where his legacy would begin...As time went on [he] grew into the man he had always dreamt to be...He was able to provide stable living conditions and love his family unconditionally. He was no longer dreaming of a better day, he was living a better day." Living a better day — with opportunity and meaningful supports for students — are what community schools are all about. "Building a Movement in School Communi- ties," page 16, tells of the steps needed to make them a reality. Funding is important. But ongoing collaboration is crucial. As the story describes, students, parents and community partners are joining educators and districts across California to build and transition schools into hubs that serve the whole child and benefit families, neighborhoods and cities. In some cases, educators and partners are putting structures in place so when districts and funding are ready, plans can come together quickly. Educators play major roles in this growing equity movement. "It's exciting and invigorating to do this work," says Elizabeth Kocharian, a high school teacher work- ing as a community schools coordinator for Montebello Teachers Association. "We all know the challenges our families are facing but now we have the opportunity to help them." ere is much opportunity for you, too, in the following pages: conferences, trainings, workshops to refresh your professional skills; and grants, scholarships and awards for you and your students (pages 9-12). Let me know what else you'd like to see in the Educator, and thanks for reading. Katharine Fong E D I T O R I N C H I E F editor@cta.org 6 cta.org E D I T O R ' S N O T E