It’s ‘Black Lives Matter at School Week': Why That Matters, and How Classrooms are Taking Part

Black Lives Matter at School Week was started by teachers, parents and administrators who organize for racial justice in education and sponsor an annual week of action during the first week of February. It is connected to but not directly linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, and it has been supported by school boards, unions and other organizations along with public officials.

The goal of the week is to teach young people through lessons, discussions, art and social action about structural racism, black identity and history, and restorative justice and related issues. The organizers say thousands of people throughout the country took part last year and they expect a similar level of participation this year. Read more >

Denver Teachers Set to Strike Monday

Teachers in Colorado’s largest school district are preparing to strike on Monday after Gov. Jared Polis announced he would not intervene in a pay dispute between the Denver school district and the teachers union.

This would be the first strike by Denver teachers in 25 years. It comes amid a national wave of teacher activism that has seen educators in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona and most recently Los Angeles walk off the job to demand higher wages and better working conditions.
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Edgar Villanueva to Join President Obama at My Brother’s Keeper Alliance’s First National Gathering

MBK Rising! will bring together hundreds of young men of color and leaders from organizations in the growing network of MBK Communities to connect, learn, and share. Schott Foundation Vice President Edgar Villanueva. The event marks the fifth anniversary of the initial launch of My Brother’s Keeper, an initiative started by President Obama following the death of Trayvon Martin. This event will be livestreamed.
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Little Rock Education Advocates Deliver Petition to Arkansas Governor

Supporters of the Little Rock School District have found frustration at every turn as they try to bring it back under local control. They went as high as they could Wednesday, bringing their case to both the Governor and Lt. Governor. “It’s time for them to give us our district back,” said Anika Whitfield, co-chair of Grassroots Arkansas. “It’s time for these students to have an excellent education, no matter what school they go to in Little Rock School District.”
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Fewer AP Classes, Suspended More Often: Black Students Still Face Racism in Suburbs

Even in generally high-performing suburban school districts, students of color, particularly black students, say they face pervasive prejudice when it comes to access to advanced coursework, academic achievement and discipline.

In the wealthy Phoenix-area school district of Paradise Valley, white students are about twice as likely as black and Hispanic students to be enrolled in at least one AP class. In Collier County, Florida, black students are 2.7 times more likely to be suspended.
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