Last week, a 7-year-old black boy came home from school with a realistic-looking gunshot wound painted on his forehead—by his drama teacher. The image understandably alarmed his mother. And it reminds us of the harm educators inflict when they insist they "don't see race." We hope you'll read and share these recommendations for protecting, respecting and celebrating the identities of your black students.
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we're sharing resources for destigmatizing conversations about this critical topic. We hope you'll read, share and use them to make your classroom, school and district safe and inclusive for all students.
In a year during which lawmakers across the country continue to restrict the rights of transgender people—particularly transgender students—we encourage you to propose supportive policies and lead critical conversations about transgender and nonbinary students at school. These resources can help.
Social justice education is crucial right now to develop the next generation of responsible decision-makers. This week’s resources from the Fall 2023 Learning for Justice magazine explain the importance of educating children early and in age-appropriate ways about their identities and key concepts about race. And they point out the significance of learning about honest history, in the classroom and in communities, as we reckon with the past to build a more just future.
