Black Lives Matter at School Week
2023 Week of Action for February 6–10.
These events, organized by the CTU’s Human Rights Committee are part of our Black History Month Calendar of Events at ctu.sh/bhm.
What is BLM at School Week?
Black Lives Matter At School is a national coalition organizing for racial justice in education that encourages all educators, students, parents, unions, and community organizations to join our annual week of action during the first week of February each year. This is part of the CTU’s recognition of Black History Month — and our larger goal to lift up Black and Brown educators, who’ve seen their numbers cut in half in the last 20 years, as well as the 90% of Black and Brown students and families we serve in our school communities.
This week of action highlights four basic demands for our schools:
- End “Zero Tolerance” discipline and implement restorative justice.
- Mandate Black History and Ethnic Studies.
- Hire more Black teachers.
- Fund counselors, not cops.
Get Involved
Want to coordinate Black Lives Matter at School events with other educators in the city? Make use of the resources below to organize at your school and citywide:
- Access curriculum on the National BLM at Schools Week Curriculum Guide.
- Access other ideas and national events at the National BLM at Schools Week website.
- Wear BLM at School t-shirts available at the CTU office.
- Email lesson plans and other resources to Quest Center Director of Professional Development Walter Taylor. We will include them in a Google Drive folder that all CTU members can access.
- Email the Communications Department with photos, videos and other artifacts of your school’s BLM at Schools Week participation.
Read more from Black Lives Matter at School national coordinating committee by following the links below.
Join the Black Lives Matter at School national mailing list.
Trailer for the movie The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
Join us for a preview screening of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, a Peacock Original movie. Organized in coordination with the Zinn Education Project, the event will include a reception at 4:45 PM. The movie will begin at 5:15 and a short discussion will follow. This event is part of the CTU’s Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action for 2023.
Let’s get together at the CTU for a phone bank so we can let our sisters know why Brandon is Better for Chicago. Here are some of the issues that will make Brandon a better mayor for Chicago women:
- expanded parental leave for all city workers, including educators
- raising the minimum wage
- expanded affordable housing.
Many CTU members are only now learning that every student involuntarily sent to Chicago by anti-immigrant governors in states like Texas and Florida is eligible to be enrolled as a Student in a Temporary Living Situation (STLS). This is also true for students who have fled the war in Ukraine or who have recently arrived from Latin America.
In addition, we know that CPS’ training on these issues is severely lacking. That makes this a critical time to review the resources that are available both for newly arrived students as well as for the approximately 17,000 houseless students that already attend our school district.
This know-your-rights training will include information about what students are entitled to and what assistance they can receive, including:
- STLS definition
- Migrant students
- McKinney Vento Rights
- Know your rights
- SNAP update
- Unaccompanied youth
- Migrant ID documents needed
- CPS fees and fines
This event is open to all members and should be of particular interest to STLS liasions, STLS advocates, clerks, bilingual educators and counselors.
This meeting is a joint project of the CTU Housing Committee and the CTU Bilingual Education Committee.
This event will be hybrid, so you can attend by Zoom or in person
Register for Zoom
At this event, we will gather students, educators, and other community members to discuss solutions to the trauma that so many individuals and communities are experiencing. This will be an opportunity to hear about people’s experiences and to propose concrete solutions and demands that we can raise collectively in order to address the trauma that so many suffer.
Please scroll down to RSVP!
Show Love
Listen as students, community leaders, and educators share their stories of trauma.
Share your own story of trauma in a community of trust and support. Want to share by video instead of live, in person? The instructions are in the pullout at rightbelow.
Build Power
Strategize to win resources for our schools and communities to cope with trauma.
Get active with our union and community organizations to enact community love in unity.
- Food Provided
- Free Parking
- Download and share the flyer.
The CTU is going to help members use the Special Education state complaint process to advocate for student services. We are also looking for instances where ten-day notices must be issued or where Local School Councils can be engaged about SpEd violations.
If you are willing to be a part of the state complaint process, please join us at a this workshop to start the state complaint process. We encourage you to bring others from your school and to work as a team. This workshop is for both those who attended the January 17 meeting as well as first timers.
Back in April 2020, the Chicago Sun Times profiled Mariah Bingham (above), who is just one of 17,000 houseless CPS students. Stories like these are why the CTU’s Housing Committee exists.
You’re invited to a February 16 meeting and film screening in the North Lawndale / Herzl community to discuss the problem of houselessness among CPS families. The goal of the event is to discuss ways to help our students and their families secure stable housing.
“The Color Tax: Origins of the Modern-Day Racial Wealth Gap” is the third episode of a five-episode documentary series exploring the racial wealth gap in Chicago. This episode looks at how the real-estate industry and the federal government designed housing policies that led to the rapid expansion of the white middle class and the erosion of Black homeownership.
Refreshments will be served. We look forward to seeing you on February 16!
Click here for a PDF of this information that you can print and circulate to others.
In solidarity,
CTU Housing Committee
