Education and Action on Teaching the Truth
School of Education holds four days of events on campus
Nazareth students responded quickly to an invitation to take a stand in favor of teaching the truth, at a time when laws across the country are restricting what teachers can teach in K-12 schools.
A banner in Nazareth's School of Education proclaimed, "We, the undersigned, refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history and current events." Teach the Truth events promoted dialogue and action.
"It's always encouraging to see young people who want to participate in standing up for what is right, and actively engage in working to change things for the better," said Kai Strange, director of Nazareth's Urban Teacher Opportunity Partnerships Program.
Kai Strange, in purple, gathers with faculty, staff, and students at a Teach the Truth event.
Her office joined Nazareth's Frontier Center for Urban Education and the student Education Club to organize four days of Teach the Truth events on campus during spring 2022 for students, faculty, and staff, promoting conversation, information, and action.
"Each week, we hear of new incidents of books being banned from schools and teachers being reported for teaching lessons on racial issues in U.S. history," said Laura C.S. Jones, education professor and director of Nazareth's Frontier Center for Urban Education. "Our offices have a history of hosting events designed to engage our community in thoughtful conversations about teaching and learning, and to challenge participants to then move to action. We often ask: "What are you going to do differently tomorrow as a result of our time together?' "
Among the events:
Public pledges to teach the truth. In a School of Education hallway, students, faculty, and staff from across the College signed pledges to teach the truth.
"In the words of James Baldwin, nothing can be changed until it is faced. We need to understand our history with racism before we can change it effectively." — one participant's personal message on a pledge
"There are teachers across the country being punished for doing their jobs," said Jones. "We wanted our faculty and teacher candidates to learn more about these current events. Also, we wanted to shake up the School of Education hallway and create a space that causes people — from across the college — to stop and think about what it means to teach the truth."
The pledges built on work by the Zinn Education Project, a resource for teachers and teacher educators since 2008. The Zinn project offers free, downloadable lessons that emphasize the role of working people, women, people of color, and organized social movements in shaping history — often missing from traditional textbooks and curricula.
One participant wrote: "It is important that we as well as our students understand what truth is and how we can find and identify truth."
Scavenger hunt. Participants were encouraged to find and identify posted photos and descriptions of Rochester-area changemakers — including activists such as Shawn Dunwoody (artist and educator), Dr. Alice Young (Rochester's first Black principal), and Dr. Walter Cooper (scientist, nonprofit executive) and Helen Cooper (scientist).
Naz acapella group Fermata Thin Air performed songs related to social justice issues, including "Rise Up" by Andra Day and "Glory" — written by John Legend and Common for the film Selma.
One of the group's co-music directors said the five songs they performed represent what they stand for and were chosen to lift up voices for justice. Ignorance "holds us back from progress; however by opening up these difficult discussions, actively listening to the issues being brought forth, and opening ourselves up to differing ideas, we can move forward for true justice," said Anthony Wynings '24 (music education, focus in voice).
Fermata Thin Air performed social justice songs at a Teach the Truth event.
The newly formed student Education Club hosted a lunchtime "What We Need to Read with our Students" session to share books, articles, and other resources (preK-college level) that align with anti-bias goals.
"Our goal was for those interested in education to bring some sort of text — presumably, something that they feel is lacking, censored, and/or absent in curriculum — that should be used and taught in our schools," explained club President Emma Baldwin '23 (English, history, and inclusive adolescence education major). They welcomed faculty and staff as well as students because anti-bias efforts shouldn't be limited to those going into K-12 education, she added.
Students and faculty discussed books to read with K-12 students in a session hosted by the student Education Club.
A session on cultivating partnerships between administrators, parents, caregivers, and teachers featured Liz Kleinrock, an educator based in Washington, D.C., who wrote Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to AntiBias and AntiRacist Work in Your School Community.
"Liz Kleinrock's event was like an anniversary and a homecoming because she had served as a keynote for our February United Nations Day of Social Justice event – which took place two weeks before the world shut down due to COVID-19," says Jones. "In her opening remarks, she also noted how much has changed and how COVID also influenced the ways we are now more aware in education about the importance of this anti-bias anti-racist work."
The Nazareth Teach the Truth events sprung from Jones' participation in Nazareth's Teaching for Black Lives study group for undergrad and grad students, alumni, and faculty and staff from the School of Education and Nazareth's Partners for Learning program.
Each study group participant committed to reading and coming together to discuss aspects of what it means to teach for Black lives. They also committed to taking action to share what they've learned with a broader audience. Jones said the events are part of her work to answer questions such as: How can I create opportunities that not only educate and promote promising practices in anti-bias and anti-racist teaching, but also encourage people to take action? And allow people to learn more about what they missed out on in their own education? What kinds of events would allow for standing in solidarity with other teachers across the country in refusing to be silenced?
"These questions matter to me because I believe I have a role to play in creating opportunities for change – not just as an academic, but as an activist," said Jones. "Working in community with others to create anti-bias and anti-racist spaces for teaching and learning is a priority for both Kai and I and the work we do in partnership together."
Laura C.S. Jones, education professor and director of Nazareth's Frontier Center for Urban Education; junior Emma Baldwin, president of the student Education Club; and Kai Strange, director of Nazareth's Urban Teacher Opportunity Partnerships Program Office