El Movimiento Presents:
Fight the Power! Youth Fight Back Conference
FREE / OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
December 1st 2012
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Larsen Hall
14 Appian Way
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contact: Sackona Fitts
857.498.2544
movimiento.el@gmail.com
Dec. 1 2012 – Fight the Power! Youth Fight Back Conference
Regional Ethnic Studies gathering in SF October 7
THIS IS WHAT WE NEED IN BOSTON!
Teaching Toward Justice: A Weekend of Building Solidarity and Strengthening a Movement
Events surrounding the Teaching for Social Justice annual educator’s conference on Oct 6 in San Francisco, CA
FRIDAY
Tough Times, Resistance and Real Talk: Into the Political Economy of Race, Place & School with David Stovall
Friday Oct 5, 7:30pm at I-SEEED (Institute for Sustainable Economic, Educational and Environmental Design), 1625 Clay St, Oakland, CA 94612
David Stovall, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Educational Policy Studies and African-American Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). His scholarship investigates four areas 1) Critical Race Theory, 2) concepts of social justice in education, 3) the relationship between housing and education, and 4) the relationship between schools and community stakeholders. In the attempt to bring theory to action, he has spent the last ten years working with community organizations and schools to develop curriculum that address issues of social justice.
Sponsors: Urban Education & Social Justice (UESJ) & the International and Multicultural Education (IME) Department at the University of San Francisco, California NAME, Center for Urban Schools and Partnerships (CUSP), Teachers 4 Social Justice & the People’s Education Movement
This event is free and open to the public, donations will be accepted for the Raza Defense Fund
SATURDAY
Teaching for Social Justice: Acts of Courage and Resistance
Saturday, October 6th, 2012 at Mission High School, 9am-5pm, 3750 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
Register at: http://www.t4sj.org
Each year hundreds of educators both locally and nationally gather to network, explore empowering learning environments and develop a professional learning community. We are excited to celebrate 12 years of building grassroots, peer-led professional development opportunities!
Join us for… WORKSHOPS, RESOURCE FAIR, SPEAKERS, CHILDCARE & COMMUNITY BUILDING
Keynote Speaker: Sean Arce, former director of Tuscon Unified’s Mexican-American Studies Program and Dr. Sonia Nieto, author of The Light In Their Eyes, Creating Multicultural Learning Communities.
SATURDAY EVENING
Precious Knowledge: film on the struggle for Ethnic Studies in Arizona, with Sean Arce and Curtis Acosta as special guests
Saturday, October 6th, 2012 7pm-9pm
Presentation Theater, Education Building, University of San Francisco
2350 Turk Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118
Sponsored by the Urban Ed and Social Justice Cohort at University of San Francisco
Arizona lawmakers believe Tucson High School teachers are teaching victimization, racism, and revolution in their Ethnic Studies classes. Meanwhile Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American Studies Department have data showing that almost 93% of their students, on average, graduate from high school and 82% attend college.
PRECIOUS KNOWLEDGE, the movie, illustrates an epic civil rights battle as brave students and teachers battle with lawmakers and public opinion in an effort to keep their classes alive.
SUNDAY
Ethnic Studies People’s Movement Assembly
Sunday, October 7th, 2012 9:30am-12:30pm
SF Community School – 125 Excelsior Street, San Francisco, CA 94112
It is time for action! As recent events in Tucson have proven, the struggle for Ethnic Studies is alive throughout the nation. This assembly will be a collaborative and democratic process that will be used to create a plan of action, culminating in a national assembly at Free Minds, Free People 2013. It is time to develop a regional and national strategy for K-12 Ethnic Studies nationwide together. All levels of experience and expertise are welcome!
Assembly Co-sponsors
Association of Raza Educators
Association of Mexican American Educators
Napa Valley Ethnic Studies Advocates
Pico Youth and Family Center
Raza Studies Now
Rethinking Schools
Save Ethnic Studies
Teachers 4 Social Justice
Tucson Freedom National Network
El Movimiento Anniversary, Friday, 5/4 6-9pm
El Movimiento is celebrating it’s 2nd-year anniversary next Friday, May 4th from 6-9pm RSVP via Facebook.
Date: Friday, May 4th, 6-9pm
Location: Eceuntro 5, 33 Harrison Ave, Boston Chinatown
Cost: Bring a dish or $5-10 suggested donation
There will be an open mic for everyone and featuring some youth performers. Come celebrate with us!
M. L. KING, JR. WEEKEND: Precious Knowledge
Precious Knowledge
Sunday, January 15, 2012
at Renaissance Church, 77 Reservoir Ave,Providence, RI 02860 $10 suggested donation
First screening:3:00 PM
Q and A with Mr. Acosta:4:30 PM
Second screening:5:30 PM
Award-Winning Documentary about Tucson’s Mexican American Studies ProgramDisenfranchised high school seniors become academic warriors and community leaders in Tucson’s embattled Ethnic Studies classes while state lawmakers attempt to eliminate the program — an award winning documentary about Tucson’s Mexican American Studies Program featuring teacher Curtis Acosta who will be present to discuss the film and the lawsuit to save Ethnic Studies in Arizona.
WORKSHOP:Cuban revolution right or wrong?
DESCRIPTION:
learn about the history of the Cuban revolution and make the decision whether it was right or wrong.
http://saveethnicstudies.org/
TIME AND DATE:
530pm:Dinner
6pm-8pm:worksop
When: October, 28, 2011
Location:
Encuentro 5 33 Harrison Ave Fl.5 Boston, MA 02111
Contact:
Fernando Rodriguez
(857) 222-9203
fjrodriguez787@gmail.com
www.ethnicstudiesnow.org
Film Screening: Precious Knowledge
ON THE MOVE: El MOVIMIENTO/The Movement:
Fundraiser to support AZ Save Ethnic Studies
http://saveethnicstudies.org/
$5
530pm:Dinner
6pm-9pm:Film & Open Mic
When: October, 7, 2011
Film Screening: Precious Knowledge: Arizona’s Battle over Ethnic Studies
Location:
Encuentro 5
33 Harrison Ave Fl.5
Boston, MA 02111
Contact:
Pedro Montañez
(857)350-5801
konaf2@gmail.com
website: www.ethnicstudiesnow.org
FB:El Movimiento-The Movement for Ethnic Studies in BPS
Night of Resistance – May 6
El Movimiento / The Movement Presents:
Friday May 6th
1:00 PM
33 Harrison St.
Boston MA
$3 at the Door – Food Included
Contact: Sasha
For Immediate Release: Mexican American Studies stats show program works
For immediate release: March 16, 2011
Mexican American Studies stats show program works
Even without apples-to-apples comparison, TUSD analysis shows that the Mexican American Studies (MAS) program produces results, negating Arizona Daily Star report.
A Tucson Unified School District report issued March 11, 2011 concludes that TUSD’s Mexican American Studies program give students a measurable advantage over non-MAS students in passing standardized AIMS reading and writing tests, and that MAS students graduate at higher levels than their non MAS counterparts.
The analysis was conducted by David Scott, Tucson Unified School District Director of Accountability and Research, reporting to TUSD superintendent Dr. John Pedicone. Scott writes:
• “I find that there are positive measurable differences between MAS students and the corresponding comparative group of students.”
• “Juniors taking a MAS course are more likely than their peers to pass the reading and writing AIMS subject test if they had previously failed those tests in their sophomore year.”
• “Seniors taking a MAS course are more likely to persist to graduation that their peers.”
Scott’s analysis examined performance by MAS students against scores from the entire TUSD district rather than just the schools where MAS programs are offered (Cholla High Magnet School, Pueblo Magnet High School, Rincon High School and Tucson High Magnet School) which are primarily lower socio economic student populations relative to the entire district. Moreover, the primarily Latino MAS students were compared in Scott’s analysis with students from all ethnic backgrounds. And still the data shows that MAS students showed a distinct advantage over non-MAS students in high schools throughout the district.
“The district has no other program that creates the success for students, particularly Latino students like we have in this program,” says TUSD Director of Mexican American Studies Sean Arce. “And yet we are under fire.”
Scott’s data shows clear trends. “I find that over the last six years, students who complete a Mexican American Studies class during their senior year are more likely to graduate than comparison group seniors,” Scott writes. “The difference in completion rates ranges from 5-11 percent higher.”
An Arizona Daily Star news story by Alexis Huicochea from March 13, 2011 (“Ethnic studies claim in question”) states, “The district’s graduation rate of nearly 83 percent holds true for students who took a Mexican American Studies course and for those who did not, Scott found.”
Figures from Scott’s analysis support the advantage of MAS students over non-MAS students in AIMS reading and writing courses. On the AIMS reading course, the data shows that MAS students passed anywhere from 5-16 percent more than non MAS students over the six year period, and that in all but 1 year, the results were above 10 percent greater passing rates. On AIMS writing texts, the scores show passing rates anywhere from 5-16 percent higher for MAS students, with only one year below 10 percent higher.
For further information contact Deyanira Nevarez at 520-975-1485 (email info@saveethnicstudies.org) or go to saveethnicstudies.org
Ethnic Studies Classes Illegal in Arizona as of Jan. 1
The bill HB 2281 bans schools (in AZ) from teaching ethnic studies because it supposedly promotes the overthrow of the U.S. government. Also outlawed are courses designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group and those that advocate ethnic solidarity..
Tom Horne (state Superintendent of schools and the force behind the Arizona law SB 1070) claims that ethnic studies “serve to divide rather unite”. He says; “Fundamentally, I think it’s wrong to divide students by their race … the program teaches ‘one-sided’ propaganda and is inconsistent with American values.”
Now all of the sudden it is wrong to divide individuals, in this case students, by race or ethnicity. Is it because, according to the government, this class or this ‘division’ would be a threat to the government? How is it that when they divided the students, the community, the COUNTRY by the color if their skin – it was not considered to be wrong? In that case the United States has been incoherent when it comes the “American” values, the “United States”values, the “White man” values. Since dividing people by their race is not wrong, then why did the U.S go through slavery, segregation and is currently going through institutionalized racism?
Ethnic solidarity is when a particular group of people who share a common ethnicity or culture bond together to achieve a common goal. Ethnic studies will enable students to recognize the resemblance between their own culture and the culture of those who surround them; the beauty of ethnic studies is that it will give birth to ethnic solidarity between different ethnicities.
To read the bill click on this link: HB 2281
http://www.truth-out.org/ethnic-studies-classes-illegal-arizona-jan-166457
Fundraiser to support Ethnic Studies Campaign
Fundraiser to support Ethnic Studies Campaign
$5 – Dinner & Film & Open Mic
Film:
WalkOut!
When:
February 11, 2011
5pm-8pm
Location:
Encuentro 5
33 Harrison Ave Fl.5
Boston, MA 02111
Contact:
Sasha De la Cruz
857-417-1744
delacruz.sasha@gmail.com
www.ethnicstudiesnow.org