Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1539593
Keeping Schools Safe Spaces Since the beginning of the year, educators have been organizing to defend students, families and communities who have immi- grated to the United States. From visible shows of support and community rallies in Alhambra, San Francisco and Santa Maria to printing and distributing more than 350,000 Red Cards out- lining basic rights when approached by an immigration agent, to showing up to defend our friends and neighbors from raids in places like hospitals and agricultural fields, union educators are leading with our values and organizing against the threats. Our union continues to work with state leaders to protect our schools and other spaces from immi- gration enforcement and to curb the growing, unchecked power exercised by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. "When heavily armed federal agents — masked , militarized , dressed like extremist militias — target our commu- nities, the trauma is real," says Goldberg. "It impacts our students, their families and the educators who serve them." C TA B o a rd of D i re c t o r s m e m b e r Maritza Ávila spent time this summer protesting at fields in Oxnard and Camarillo when ICE was raiding and abducting farmworkers. She says it's important to speak out and take action for our communities and against hate. "I didn't grow up here, but I know what it's like to belong to a place where people work hard and get pushed to the margins," she said. "And I know this: No one should have to fear being taken for doing the work that feeds a nation." Fighting Against School Closures Despite school reserves being at record highs and California now being the fourth largest economy in the world , many school districts chose to close schools last year, upending students and communities. Last school year saw school boards vote to close neigh- borhood schools in Imperial Beach, Santa Rosa and multiple districts in San Jose. School districts considering closing schools must hold public meetings and processes before making any decisions. ese meetings often begin early in the school year when educators are busy getting started with their classrooms. Usually sparsely attended, crucial nar- ratives start in these meetings that can be dif ficult to counter, so just being there and sharing what you see with colleagues and the school community can make a significant difference. "The way to fight school closures is with the community it directly impacts — on the closure level and the receiving level," said Cassondra Curiel, president of United Educators of San Francisco, which successfully fought off school closures last year. "We need to be in sol- idarity with our students, families and communities who are under attack." Some tips from members who went through closure processes last school year : • Attend school closure meetings when you can, be present in the process, ask questions and share what you learn to keep people informed at your school site. • Be the eyes and ears for your school community. Southwest Teachers Assn. Educators, with parents and community members crowd a district meeting about school closures earlier this year. "Teachers in struggle are also teaching. With so muchgoingon,it'simportant to remain focused on our students and grounded in our collective work to help them learn, grow and thrive." —CTA President David Goldberg 22 cta.org Feature