Social Justice Schools Conference Program

4:305:00pm Registration and Dinner 5:00-7:00pm Bill Fletcher Small Group Discussions Question and Answer Closing 8:30 to 9:00am Registration and Breakfast 9:00 to 10:55am Panel: John Rogers, Kahllid Al-Alim, Taylor Bloom, andRosa Jimenez Small Group Discussions Question and Answer 11:00am to 12:15pm Student Session on Saturday is in the Middle School Cafeteria Workshops Session I 12:20 to 1:00pm Lunch Cultural presentation by students in Mr. Torres' class from UCLA-CS by the Middle School Cafeteria 1:15 to 2:30pm Workshops Session II 2:40 to 3:00pm Call to Action/General Assembly 3:00 to 4:30pm Action: March and Protest at Chase Bank at Wilshire and Vermont See reverse side of this program Childcare on Friday is in the high school cafeteria on Saturday it is in L207

Friday

Saturday

Workshops Childcare

Conference Presented Jointly by

Coalition for Educational Justice Progressive Educators for Action

Additional Endorsors: Latina/o Caucus, PESJA Los Angeles, Raza Education, United Valley Caucus, Women's Progressive Caucus

Bill Fletcher

Labor/civil rights leader and author Bill Fletcher will speak to the attacks on the public sector, the need to project an alternative social vision, and the critical need for an organizing strategy (he is co-author, with Fernando Gapasin, of Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and New Pathways Towards Social Justice).

John Rogers

John Rogers from UCLA IDEA (Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access), will speak on a panel with student, parent, and teacher leaders on real, community and labor led reform models in schools, including a community schools model, and the difficulty of implementing reform within a climate of unrelenting attacks against our communities.

Workshops
Session I Only
Location Organizing for Balanced Literacy L212 In this workshop, come learn about: the story of how the teachers at two schools organized to revolutionize the literacy curriculum using Balanced Literacy pedagogy the structures teachers used at their school sites to challenge mandated curriculum how you can apply lessons learned to your own organizing Kirti Baranwal and Kate Beaudet, UCLA Community School Location Dual Language Programs: A Socially Just, L240 Culturally Relevant Curriculum for Creating Education Reform Learn about the dual language program model at UCLACS and how it is a part of our social justice vision and curriculum, part of what we believe as real education reform. We will discuss our challenges and possible actions in hopes of making such reform continue to be possible within our school and beyond. Jehangir Jo Ann Carvajal, Den 1 (grades K and 1) classroom teacher, Teresa Haro, Den 2 (grades 2 and 3) classroom teacher, Elia Lara, Den 2 (grades 2 and 3) classroom teacher Liberation through Literacy: R.A.I.S.E. (Reading L220 Apprenticeship Improving Secondary Education) Learn about the dual language program model at UCLACS and how it is a part of our social justice vision and curriculum, part of what we believe as real education reform. We will discuss our challenges and possible actions in hopes of making such reform continue to be possible within our school and beyond. Mrs. Courtney Stanton-Gomez, MS

Session I and Session II

Location Teacher Evaluation and Learning L219 The UCLA Community School is committed to increasing teacher effectiveness and student achievement through a continuous and rigorous process primarily focused on student need. As social justice educators, we are accountable to the students and community we serve, which drives us to develop a meaningful and innovative process for improving teacher effectiveness. This process, which is teacher-driven and peersupported, examines our instructional practices and documents professional growth toward innovation and high student achievement. Queena Kim and Janet Lee, UCLA Community School Learning for Liberation: Problem-Based, L214 Community-Connected Learning In this exciting social change and education model, students are involved in academic projects that analyze community issues and put forward solutions. There is an explicit link to key critical thinking and cognitive skills, and there are connections to internship and job experience opportunities with organizational partners that are involved in addressing racism and inequality. Cathy Garcia, UTLA Chapter Chair, Crenshaw High School and Kahllid Al-Alim, CEJ Steering Committee, Extended Learning Parent Coordinator Ticketing: The first phases of pre-prisoning L213 This workshop will go into the ways in which LAUSD/LASPD/LAPD have influenced the school to prison pipeline and how the Community Rights Campaign has been organizing and transforming the debate around truancy. Patrisse Cullors and Manuel Criollo Building a School Community L221 In this workshop we will discuss ways that we can build a school community and how we can organize our community to fight for educational justice for our students. We will share strategies to successfully avoid charter co-location at our school site as well as saving important educational programs like SRLDP (Pre-Kinder). Jehangir Dastur and Jennifer Villaryo are proud teachers at Grand View Blvd. Elementary in LAUSD. In addition to being a teacher, Mr. Dastur is a former parent at Grand View and a long time resident of the Grand View community. Ms. Villaryo is also an active member of the Grand View community.

Session II Only

Location "Math is a powerful tool:" Transformative L212 Resistance, Community-Centered Projects, and Youth Action Research in the Math Classroom Audre Lorde said, "The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." This presentation explores the possibilities and challenges of engaging students in community-centered projects and youth action research, while challenging the oppressive nature of our school system. Facilitated by teachers at a public schools in Los Angeles Unified, Mary Candace and Dina Mahmood will share about a student-led projects; and we will together discuss student voice and empowerment in the math classroom. Mary Candace Full, Humanitas Academy of Art and Technology, and Dina Mahmood, Los Angeles School of Global Studies Ethnic Studies: A look at the Tucson Unified L216 School Districts Mexican American Studies Department This workshop will explore the work of the Tucson Unified School Districts Ethnic Studies Program, specifically the Mexican American Studies Department and program. The workshop will examine the history and positions around the recent ban of Ethnic Studies by the Arizona Legislature. Participants will be provided with samples of the TUSD Mexican American Studies materials and curriculum. Jose Lara, Social Justice Educator, Santee Education Complex HS and Tomas Martinez, former TUSD Raza Studies Teacher, and CTA Organizer