Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/669580
T H E T H E M E O F CTA's Equity and Human Rights Conference in March was direct: "Social Justice: Let's Talk About the Elephant in the Room" — all those difficult issues that are rarely or never mentioned. Talking about the invisibility of Amer- ican Indians and others who are or feel invisible, keynote speaker and Native American activist Gyasi Ross told the attendees their role is critical. "Educa- tors are messengers, the conduits to get the word of social justice and visibility out," said the writer, poet and lawyer from the Blackfeet Nation. "We all have a responsibility." Simi l arly, y outh p o et s from Get Lit – Words Ignite, a nationally recog- nized organization founded to stem dropout rates and spark increased literacy among youth in Los Angeles, drove home the theme with their performance. Conference participants were engaged and excited about what they were hearing and discussing. Standout workshops included " Transcending Gender," "Black Lives Matter and Group Centered Leadership," and "White Allies, Anti-racists, Interrupters, Accomplices and Activists." "is conference was amazing because it's a place where my passion isn't the anomaly, but the norm," tweeted Carrie Blake, Fremont Unified District Teachers Association. "Powerful!" C h e c k o u t s o c i a l m e d i a h i g h l i g h t s f r o m # C TA E H R : bit.ly/CTAEHR2016. In Pursuit of Social Justice By SAM DEMURO Get Lit student group with SCTA President Jonalyn Smith (center) before its slam poetry presentation at the Equity and Human Rights Conference. C T A M E M B E R Ryan Ruelas, a social studies teacher at Ana- heim High School and a member of the Anaheim City School Board, was named by the U.S. Department of Education to the ESSA Negotiated Rulemaking Committee last month. e committee has already begun meetings to draft proposed reg- ulations for some sections of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) — the latest step in the process of implementing ESSA. Ruelas was one of two teachers nominated by NEA to serve on the 24-member committee, which includes educators, par- ents, civil rights activists, paraprofessionals, tribal leaders, business leaders and others. ESSA replaces the No Child Left Behind Act, and promotes equitable access to educational opportunities by asking states to hold all students to high academic standards and ensuring action in the lowest-performing schools, including high schools with low graduation rates and schools that con- sistently fail subgroups of students. Maintaining effective, quality assessments and ensuring that all states and districts know how to meet the updated "supplement not supplant" requirement — which says federal fund- ing can't replace state and local dollars — are key to achieving these objectives. In addition to his leadership roles in CTA and in his community, Ruelas grew up in Anaheim and teaches in a largely Latino area where poverty, violence and drugs are common. "I'm an Anaheim boy who witnessed a lot of stuff grow- ing up," he said in a 2014 Educator story. In 2010, Ruelas created the BROS program, a fraternity of sorts for Latino male students, at his school. The program helps students learn how to make responsible choices and do well in school, and is so successful that it has been extended to other high schools in the area. "In considering who NEA should nominate, we thought it vitally important that the committee represent the full spec- trum of people who impact the lives of our students on a daily basis," says NEA President Lily Eskelsen García about select- ing Ruelas as a nominee. "Our members support the whole child, and we know that the entire school team is critical to student success." CTA Representative for ESSA Ryan Ruelas named to implementation committee Ryan Ruelas 46 cta.org