Black Lives Matter at School - NEA EdJustice

Dear CUSD community:

We, the Executive Board of Chandler Education Association, stand in solidarity with students who are part of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities as they call out systems of oppression that directly impact marginalized students.

It is not enough to acknowledge the inequities in education. We must address the systemic racism that is inherent in everything from dress codes to discipline. Additionally, we must advocate for properly funding all public schools so that every student can receive the education they deserve. As a professional union of educators, CEA has been working deliberately and intentionally to ensure every student has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

This past year CEA created a:

  •  Social Justice and Equity committee to work as a partner with CUSD in which we:
    • Hosted film discussions for Harriet and Just Mercy
    • Celebrated Black History month by:
      • Attending the school board meeting where a resolution was passed to support Black History month and to acknowledge the life of Coy Payne, the first Black mayor of Chandler
      • Hosting a happy hour to discuss equity in Chandler and the NEA micro-credentials
      • Attending the Equity & Inclusion Lecture and Film series showing of 13th 
  • DELTA (Developing Educators and Leaders Through Action) Team which focuses on all areas of social justice including diversity and inclusion in our schools

This school year CEA commits to:

  • Facilitating quarterly book studies focusing on social justice issues that affect teaching and learning
    • Currently reading Push Out by Monique W. Morris
  • Facilitating the NEA micro-credential stack Teacher Leadership: Diversity Equity and Cultural Competence in which we will create action plans addressing classroom or site specific target areas 
    • Cultivate Socially Just Environments
    • Challenge Inequity
    • Purposeful Collaboration
  • Ensuring our membership demographics match the certified educator demographics of CUSD
  • Advocating for continued age-appropriate social emotional learning programs 
  • Advocating for adequate funding of public schools to provide for smaller class sizes, more counselors, and more social workers

Resources:

We are hopeful that the energy surrounding this renewed Civil Rights movement will create the necessary change to dismantle the systems set up to disadvantage and oppress BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. We look forward to working with our community to make this a reality.

If you are interested in joining us in this movement, please email treasurer@chandlerea.org.

In solidarity,

Chandler Education Association Executive Board