Fundamentals of Organizing: Education Teaching & Discipline

2 Forms of Organizing Accepts existing power relationships Challenges existing power relationships

3 Direct Action Organizing Wins real improvements in peoples lives Makes people aware of their own power Alters the relationships of Power NAACP version attacks structural racism Decision-makers factor NAACP in beforehand

4 Dual Forms of Bias Individual Bias A teacher who says, Theres no way your son could have written that essay. Institutional Bias A policy that doesnt offer advanced placement courses at a predominantly Black school., because, Those students will never use that kind of knowledge.

5 Speaking truth to power Individual Bias Direct Service Self Help Education Advocacy Direct Action Institutional Bias Education Advocacy Direct Action

6 Our Goals Put theory into action! Attack institutional racism in education with a national campaign for Excellence & Equity A campaign is a sustained plan for change using strategies that impact our issues. Identify issues in agenda Identify promising strategies Apply known tactics to each strategy

7 Our Issue Agenda Improving Teaching Improving Discipline Increasing Resource Equity Ensuring College & Career Readiness * All applied to turnaround schools

8 Our request – Each unit/branch picks one Participate in the Campaign for Equity & Excellence by: Adopting (at least) one issue area in education Committing to (at least) one strategy Targeting turnaround schools Applying tactics that fit your community Working to perfect our education organizing capacity

9 FOCUS ON TEACHING

10 Teachers who close the achievement gap 1. fully prepared when they entered teaching, 2. had taught for more than two years, 3. certified in field &/or by National Board

11 Strategies to improve teaching Strategies: Stronger, More Diverse Pipeline (preparation) Tactics: ID future teachers, TEACH grants, residencies More Mentoring & Coaching (slows turnover) Tactics: Lead Teacher, mentoring, new teacher supports More teachers with Advanced Certification (certification) Tactics: Support for National certification, changes to state licensing

12 Local tactics by function & engagement Communications (Promote) Education (Sensitize, inform) Advocacy (Influence decision- makers/policy) Direct Action (Grassroots Mobilization) Medium Engagement 1:1 meetings with journalists, newsletter articles, feature issue in a blog post Workshops, town halls, testing, monitoring data, conducting internal research and surveys Phone individuals, school and board of ed mtgs; advisory boards Hearings, panels, candidate surveys & scorecards

13 Putting it all together – medium engagement Branches with a medium interest in advanced certification Arrange a local media profile (communications) Conduct & share a survey of teachers (education) Form an advisory board (advocacy) Hold a scorecard rally (direct action)

14 Putting it all together – escalating tactics Branches interested in strengthening & diversifying the teacher pipeline could: Distribute information about TEACH grants ( low, education) Appeal to the school board for incentives (med, advocacy) Raise funds & challenge board to supplement TEACH grants (high, direct action)

15 Strategy Chart

16 Wrap-up Group debrief Q & A Evaluation

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