August 2021 IL Newsblast No images? Click here Two Teach Plus Illinois alums recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English with their Early Career Educator of Color Award!Congratulations to Dillin Randolph (Policy Fellow 2020-2021) and Briana Morales (Policy Fellow 2020-2021, Senior Fellow 2021-2022), who were chosen as recipients of the National Council of Teachers of English Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award! From Teach Plus Illinois Dear Teachers, Just this week, I was talking to a group of Teach Plus alumni who spent the summer resting, getting out in nature and rejuvenating, but also facilitating a PLC for other educators on antiracist education. I hope this summer has provided some of the same balance of rest, rejuvenation, and growth for you-- and that the resources we share below provide yet another set of opportunities to recharge or add tools to your toolbox. Two highlights of what we’re sharing this month include an opportunity to hear from the US Department of Education - and Illinois alum Krystal Clifton - about the American Rescue Plan and how you can help shape your district’s approach to using those monies, and a refreshed antracist toolkit developed by Teach Plus alumni, which can help you continue to develop your own understanding of how to bring an antiracist approach into your classroom. I hope you can squeeze a little more rest and rejuvenation into the end of your summer and arrive back at school even a little more recharged than you are right now. Fondly, Josh Kaufmann, Executive Director, Teach Plus IL OpportunitiesInvesting American Rescue Plan Dollars Where You and Your Students Need it Most Your district has funds from the American Rescue Plan to reopen K-12 schools safely and equitably expand opportunity for students who need it most. Districts are required to consult with teachers on the plan for spending the funds. Has your district asked what you and your students need? Join the nationally recognized teacher leadership organization Teach Plus and teachers from around the country for a webinar and discussion where you will learn:
Speakers include:
Teach Plus holds regular webinars to help Teach Plus teacher leaders from across the country learn more about the issues and prepare to advocate on behalf of educational equity. Come learn how you can impact policy and advocate for teachers and students. Time: Aug 26, 2021 04:00 PM Central Time Advance Illinois' Educator Advisory Council Advance Illinois is seeking accomplished, innovative, and passionate educators who have made a significant impact in the lives of students, peers, and/or their community to join the 2021-2023 cohort of the Educator Advisory Council. The Council gathers on a regular basis to build an understanding of the education policy landscape in Illinois, share the vital perspective of educators to inform Advance Illinois’ education policy agenda and statewide policy broadly, and build members’ leadership in advocating for issues that advance educational equity statewide. Read more about the Educator Advisory Council and Advance Illinois. Nominate an Educator! If you know outstanding educators that would be great candidates, please let us know by nominating them! Click to apply for the 2021-2023 Educator Advisory Council Cohort. Deadline to apply September 24 Good Reads 2020-2021 K-12 Teaching Policy Fellows Erica Abangan, Jeanette Delgado, Daniel Jackson, Jay Mehta, Irene Post, Lisset Rosales, and Shawnita Tyus published Strengthening the Pipeline: Recommendations from Teach Plus Illinois Policy Fellows on Supporting Educators of Color in Teacher Preparation Programs - and have presented their findings already to the Illinois State Board of Education! Key findings include
See the report here...
The Illinois State Board of Education has released Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools, which includes the new mask mandate and requirements around contract tracing. While this might not be the most "fun" reading here, if your district is struggling with compliance this document may help you in making an argument for school policies that protect the health of students and teachers as much as possible. Teach Plus IL in the News Teach Plus Alumni Shawnita Tyus published I'm Qualified, But Will I Be Assessed Fairly in ACSD's blog. Her piece showcases how a diverse and inclusive hiring process can help job candidates feel comfortable and can improve workforce diversity. "It can be alienating to enter a room and find that no one on your interview panel looks like you or understands your background. That is how I felt, as a Black woman, when I interviewed for a teaching position nine years ago at a suburban school. Palms sweaty, stomach dropping like the plunge on a roller coaster, I felt like I had to be perfect as I looked across the table at a white, male-dominated panel." Read the full op-ed here. Despite COVID Challenges, Illinois State Teacher of the Year Justin Johnson Has Found Ways to Connect With His Students Through Music. Justin, a 2020-21 Teach Plus alum, was profiled in our blog, What's the Plus. "When people focus on ‘learning loss,’ they’re devaluing the students. I think the message some of my students are getting is that something’s wrong with them. I just wish people would acknowledge the things that the students are actually learning right now, and the resilience that a lot of them have shown during this pandemic," says Johnson. Teach Plus alumni Shayla Ewing was interviewed on the Ethical Schools podcast, which reached out to her after reading her article about compassion fatigue in EdWeek. She also speaks about teaching about privilege in an all-white classroom, something that she wrote about for EdPost last year. Teach Plus IL alumni Jordan Hohm and Alex Parker, and Teach Plus IL close friend Jaci Fabian, presented a workshop to nearly 500 educators at the National Board Virtual Academy 2021 on Empowering Educators to Facilitate Conversations on Equity and Antiracism. They shared the stage with Miguel Cardona (US Secretary of Education) and Juliana Urtubey (2021 National Teacher of the Year and Teach Plus NV alum)! The workshop highlighted the new version of the Teach to Change Now Toolkit, an antiracist toolkit by educators for educators. |