Teaching for Change partnered with Filmfest DC: The Washington, DC International Film Festival for a tenth year to spread the word about the international film festival and to bring filmmakers for some of the films into D.C. classrooms in June 2021.

D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice and the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum invited D.C. area teachers and allies to a convening to decry the GOP legislation that would require teachers to lie to students about the role of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and oppression throughout U.S. history on Saturday, June 12. The rally was part of a national day of action to Teach the Truth organized by the Zinn Education Project and Black Lives Matter at School.

By Laura Mufson

Virtual school has forced many educators to rethink how to engage students with social activism from behind a computer screen. I discovered that reading books aloud to my 4th-grade students during the virtual class was one of the times where I had the highest engagement and excitement from my students.

On Saturday, April 17th, the DCAESJ People’s History Curriculum Working Group met to reflect on fugitive pedagogy, try out a new lesson on Brown v. Board, and to foster community care.

Teaching for Change is partnering with Filmfest DC: The Washington, D.C. International Film Festival (June 4-13) for a tenth year to spread the word about the international film festival and to bring films and filmmakers for several films into D.C. virtual classrooms.

The library at Claremont Immersion, a bilingual Spanish-English elementary school in Arlington, Virginia, hosted two special literature events this November to celebrate Indigenous cultures and languages with the school community.

The people of D.C. are in collective grief and mourning on the death of Washington Teacher Union president Elizabeth “Liz” A. Davis in a car accident on April 4, 2021. She has been a powerful presence in the lives thousands of students, teachers, and families through her unwavering dedication to radical teaching, righteous activism, and grassroots organizing.

Thanks to support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Teaching for Change can schedule artists for remote classroom visits.

By Amy Trenkle, 8th Grade US History Teacher, Washington, DC
Every year, during our unit on the New Nation, I teach about the founding of Washington, DC and have a basic discussion around the arguments for and against Statehood. Last year, I purposefully set out to teach my students the complexities of the perspectives surrounding DC Statehood.

Tiffany Mitchell Patterson opened the session, welcoming newcomers, and noting ”It is so important to be in community with each other. I hope everyone can use this time to find inspiration and motivation for the upcoming weeks.” She engaged everyone in a spirited round of people’s history Kahoot. The last question acknowledged the vital role of everyone in the sessions: Which group of people work the hardest and contribute the most to a just future for this country? (a) Politicians (b) Corporate executives (c) City planners (d) Classroom teachers.

From February 1-5, 2021, Teaching for Change's D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice hosted the fourth annual D.C. Area Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. This local week of action is part of the National Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action and Year of Purpose campaign taking place in cities across the U.S. to promote a set of national demands based in the Black Lives Matter guiding principles that focus on improving the school experience for students of color.

Students in Sam Chiron’s Introduction to Law class at Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS discussed images and text related to the questions: What is Black Lives Matter? What are the 13 Guiding Principles? The lesson was an introduction to a month-long unit on the Black Lives Matter movement.

Students in grades 9/10 English Language Arts classes in the International Academy (newly arrived immigrant students) and a grade 11/12 elective course at Cardozo Education Campus (DCPS) collaborated throughout the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. This followed a unit on the Civil Rights Movement.

Third graders at Concord Hill School learned about the principles of Restorative Justice and Loving Engagement by studying the role of young people in the Civil Rights Movement.

Fourth Grade students at Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School read and discuss Don’t Touch My Hair.

Using the Black Lives Matter guiding principles and the book Don't Touch My Hair to discuss consent with young children.

On February 15, 2021, 36 preservice teachers from Gallaudet University, Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, and the Maryland School for the Deaf, gathered for a virtual workshop presentation titled Teaching about the Black Lives Matter 13 Guiding Principles in Early Childhood Classrooms.

Students and staff from Lafayette ES gathered virtually for a special “Wellness Wednesday” during the Black Lives Matter at School Week featuring an introduction to the Black Lives Matter Movement 13 guiding principles and a lesson on the history of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.

By Lila Chafe
On the warm Wednesday evening of March 3, 2021, early childhood educators joined the DCAESJ Anti Bias ECE Working Group’s monthly meeting. As they logged on, participants shared memories from years of collective joy and action, preparing for the departure of the working group’s coordinator, Rosalie Reyes.

On February 2nd, educators and school leaders at Two Rivers PCS organized an all school virtual community meeting celebrating the themes of Black excellence, joy, freedom, and culture. Members of the school community recorded and shared in a video their responses to the prompts: What does Black Lives Matter mean to you? and What is Black joy?