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When it comes to the topic of education in Chicago Public Schools, debates rage over everything from standards for testing and funding to representation on the school board and teachers’ contracts.
But once a year Teachers for Social Justice hosts a fair to bring together educators, parents, students and community groups to discuss the newest ways to increase the level of education for all CPS students.
The group will host its 13th annual “teaching for social justice curriculum fair” Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at North Grand High School, 4338 W. Wabansia St.
The event, co-sponsored by Rethinking Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union, will feature keynote speakers Kali Akuno, an organizer for the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and Jackson Potter, staff coordinator for the CTU.
Workshops will be held on such topics as testing practices, understanding a school’s budget and sustaining community schools.
Teachers for Social Justice works inside the classroom to help promote cultural diversity as a means to better education, said Rico Gutstein, coordinating committee member with Teachers for Social Justice.
The goal in the classroom is for students to be more participatory in their education. The social justice curriculum provides teachers with more tools to help engage students who may have language or cultural barriers to overcome, Gutstein said.
The group also advocates outside of the classroom for “neighborhood, public open-enrollment schools,” Gutstein said.
The theme of this year’s fair is “democratize education, democratize Chicago.”
“We really want to encourage people to come and learn,” Gutstein said. “We always say, ‘We make this world together. No one has the blueprint on doing this work, and we have to do a collective knowledge production process between us all.'”
Registration for the event is still open online here.