Teaching for Change
Encyclopedia
Teaching for Change is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. that has the goal of encouraging social justice
through classrooms, by building alliances between parents, community members and teachers interested in promoting social justice, and also through through publications, professional development, and parent organizing programs.
Through the early 90s they produced teaching resources on Nicaragua and El Salvador and hosted teacher workshops around the country based on the book Rethinking Columbus. In 1993, NECCA won the Humanities award from the DC Humanities Council and in 1994 they launched a mail order catalog for progressive teaching resources.
As the organization expanded its focus, NECCA changed its name to Teaching for Change. Through the 1990s, Teaching for Change organized seminars for educators on social justice education topics and published their own teaching guide, Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K-12 Anti-Racist, Multicultural Education and Staff Development.
In 1999, Teaching for Change hosted a seminar for educators in the DC area focusing on "putting the movement back into Civil Rights" history teaching at Howard University. That seminar led to the production of a teaching guide with the same name, in collaboration with the Poverty and Race Resource Action Council (PRRAC).
Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching won the Phillip C. Chinn book of the year award and Teaching for Change won the National Association for Multicultural Education Organization of the Year in 2004.
In 2005, Teaching for Change was invited by former board member and restauranteur Andy Shallal
to open a bookstore in Busboys and Poets
.
In 2008, in partnership with Rethinking Schools, they launched the Zinn Education Project to provide middle and high school teachers with free access to lessons for Howard Zinn
’s A People's History of the United States
and other people's history resources.
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
through classrooms, by building alliances between parents, community members and teachers interested in promoting social justice, and also through through publications, professional development, and parent organizing programs.
Programming
Programs include:- McComb, Mississippi teacher development and curriculum development - Works with the McComb School DistrictMcComb School DistrictThe McComb School District is a public school district based in McComb, Mississippi .-Schools:*McComb High School**1982-1983 National Blue Ribbon School *Denman Junior High School*Higgins Middle School*Kennedy Elementary School...
and the Mississippi Department of EducationMississippi Department of EducationThe Mississippi Department of Education is the state education agency of Mississippi. It is headquartered in the former Central High School Building in Jackson.-External links:*...
to incorporate lessons on the civil rights movement and labor historyLabor history of the United StatesThe labor history of the United States describes the history of organized labor, as well as the more general history of working people, in the United States. Pressures dictating the nature and power of organized labor have included the evolution and power of the corporation, efforts by employers...
in the curriculum. The stated intention is to help schools "end a decades-old culture of silence" on difficult historical events in the region.
- Tellin' Stories -- Trains parents to participate in schools. The training plan has four stages:
- Community Building: families meet each other and learn about their schools;
- Information Gathering: parents analyze the school climate, the facilities, and the quality of teaching and learning at their school;
- Identifying and Prioritizing Concerns: parents investigate concerns with schools (using Right Question ProjectRight Question InstituteThe Right Question Institute is a small nonprofit organization based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts whose mission is to "promote the use of a simple, powerful, evidence-based strategy that helps all people, no matter their level of income, literacy or education, learn to help themselves." Founded...
methodology); and - Taking Action: parents determine the action required to achieve desired results and work collectively to promote those actions.
- Publications
- Teaching for Change Bookstore - An independent, non-profit bookstore and webstore located inside the Busboys and PoetsBusboys and PoetsBusboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, lounge, and theater in Washington, D.C., founded in 2005 by Andy Shallal. A second location opened in Shirlington in 2007; a third location opened in Washington, D.C., in 2008; and a fourth in Hyattsville, Maryland opened in July 2011...
Bookstore. The bookstore hosts author events and provides vetted selections of books focusing on progressive politics, multicultural lessons for pre K-12, and stories of a people's historyPeople's historyA people's history or history from below is a type of historical narrative which attempts to account for historical events from the perspective of common people rather than political and other leaders.-Description:...
.
- Zinn Education Project - Provides teachers with free resources to help teach a people's historyPeople's historyA people's history or history from below is a type of historical narrative which attempts to account for historical events from the perspective of common people rather than political and other leaders.-Description:...
including over 80 free downloadable lesson plans as a companion to Howard ZinnHoward ZinnHoward Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
's A People's History of the United StatesA People's History of the United StatesChapter 7, "As Long As Grass Grows or Water Runs" discusses 19th century conflicts between the U.S. government and Native Americans and Indian removal, especially during the administrations of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren....
and other classroom resources for educators around the country.
History
In the 1980s, with a growing Central American population and U.S. involvement in the region, 11 committees of educators and community leaders formed across the country to assess how to address the needs of Central American students and increase public awareness about U.S. foreign policy in Central America. These committees convened in Los Angeles to form a national organization, the Network of Educator’s Committees on Central America (NECCA) that became incorporated in December 1989Through the early 90s they produced teaching resources on Nicaragua and El Salvador and hosted teacher workshops around the country based on the book Rethinking Columbus. In 1993, NECCA won the Humanities award from the DC Humanities Council and in 1994 they launched a mail order catalog for progressive teaching resources.
As the organization expanded its focus, NECCA changed its name to Teaching for Change. Through the 1990s, Teaching for Change organized seminars for educators on social justice education topics and published their own teaching guide, Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K-12 Anti-Racist, Multicultural Education and Staff Development.
In 1999, Teaching for Change hosted a seminar for educators in the DC area focusing on "putting the movement back into Civil Rights" history teaching at Howard University. That seminar led to the production of a teaching guide with the same name, in collaboration with the Poverty and Race Resource Action Council (PRRAC).
Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching won the Phillip C. Chinn book of the year award and Teaching for Change won the National Association for Multicultural Education Organization of the Year in 2004.
In 2005, Teaching for Change was invited by former board member and restauranteur Andy Shallal
Andy Shallal
Anas "Andy" Shallal is an Iraqi-American artist, activist and restaurateur. He is best known for his opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and as proprietor of the Busboys and Poets restaurant chain in the Washington, DC area.-Early life:Shallal moved to the United States with his family in 1966...
to open a bookstore in Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, lounge, and theater in Washington, D.C., founded in 2005 by Andy Shallal. A second location opened in Shirlington in 2007; a third location opened in Washington, D.C., in 2008; and a fourth in Hyattsville, Maryland opened in July 2011...
.
In 2008, in partnership with Rethinking Schools, they launched the Zinn Education Project to provide middle and high school teachers with free access to lessons for Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
’s A People's History of the United States
A People's History of the United States
Chapter 7, "As Long As Grass Grows or Water Runs" discusses 19th century conflicts between the U.S. government and Native Americans and Indian removal, especially during the administrations of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren....
and other people's history resources.
Awards
- Selected in 2010 by the National Family, School, and Community Engagement Working Group, coordinated by the Harvard Family Research Project, as one of twelve examples of leading innovations in family engagement, Taking Leadership, Innovating Change.
- Advancement Project-2006 Calendar. One of 12 national non-profit organizations selected to be featured.
- National Association for Multicultural Education-Organization of the Year 2004
- Philip C. Chinn Multicultural Book Award 2004 for Putting the Movement Back Into Civil Rights Teaching
- MetLife Foundation Teacher-Parent Engagement Through Partnership Award 2001 for Tellin’ Stories Project
- DC Humanities Council 6th Annual Public Humanities Award 1993