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the Association of Raza Educators Quarterly Summer 2009 • Volume 1, Number 1

Educación Popular,
Politica y Cultura

Introduction to the first Issue

Statement by the A.R.E. State Concilio
Campaigns and Updates
Open Letter to Teachers, by Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade
Teachers Talk Back
International Report, North-South Struggles
Cultura: Pinturas by Jose Olague

www.razaeducators.org
Regeneración
the Association of Raza Educators Quarterly

!N /PEN ,ETTER 4O 4EACHERS 3EEKING "ALANCE )N MY EXPERIENCE PEOPLE THAT WONDER ON FINDING BALANCE FOR
THEMSELVES AMIDST STRUGGLE ARE PEOPLE THAT SEE THAT STRUGGLE AS A CHOICE
WHILE PEOPLE THAT SEE THEIR WELL BEING AS TIED TO THOSE THAT HAVE THE LEAST
$R *EFF $UNCAN !NDRADE
DO NOT SEE STRUGGLE AS A CHOICE AT ALL !S A CHILD ) ONCE WONDERED ALOUD
3AN &RANCISCO 3TATE 5NIVERSITY
ABOUT MY PARENTS STRUGGLING SO HARD TO SUPPORT THEIR SEVEN CHILDREN -Y
MOTHER RESPONDED hSOMETIMES ) DO WHAT ) WANT 4HE REST OF THE TIME ) DO
7HEN ) TALK WITH EDUCATORS ABOUT THE INTENSE EFFORT THAT WILL BE
WHAT ) HAVE TOv -Y PARENTS KNEW THAT RAISING US WOULD BE A GREAT CHAL
REQUIRED FROM THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN OUR COMMUNITIES IT IS NEARLY ALWAYS
LENGE THAT HAD TO BE MET WITH GREAT EFFORT 4HEY EMBRACED THIS WITH VIGOR
THE CASE THAT SOME OF THEM WILL ASK ME (OW CAN ) DO ALL OF THIS AND STILL HAVE
BECAUSE THATS WHAT THEY SIGNED UP FOR WHEN THEY CHOSE TO HAVE A FAMILY
BALANCE IN MY LIFE #ORNEL 7EST SAYS THIS LINE OF QUESTIONING RESULTS FROM A
4HEY DIDNT RESENT THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD IT WAS PART OF THE DEAL 4HEY
0ETER 0AN MENTALITY AND A $ISNEYLAND SENSIBILITY A QUINTESSENTIALLY h!MERI
DIDNT RESENT THE SACRIFICES THEY SIGNED UP FOR THEM
CANv PERSPECTIVE THAT NEVER WANTS TO GROW UP AND SHARE IN THE SUFFERING OF
)T SEEMS TO ME THAT WE ARENT ALL THAT DIFFERENT FROM MY PARENTS IN
OTHERS JUST HAVE FUN 7E MUST BE WILLING TO STAND BOLDLY IN SOLIDARITY WITH
OUR CHOICE TO BECOME TEACHERS IN THE COMMUNITY )TS WHAT WE SIGNED UP
OUR COMMUNITIES SHARING THE BURDEN OF UNDERSERVED SUFFERING 7E CANNOT
FOR AND JUST AS THERE WERE CERTAINLY TIMES WITH EACH ONE OF THEIR CHILDREN
TREAT OUR STUDENTS AS hOTHER PEOPLES CHILDRENvˆTHEIR PAIN IS OUR PAIN 4HOSE
WHEN MY PARENTS THOUGHT TO THEMSELVES hDAMN THIS IS NOT WHAT ) SIGNED
LOOKING TO AVOID THIS CHALLENGE WILL HAVE US BELIEVE IN INDIVIDUALIZED NOTIONS
UP FOR
v THEY ALSO KNEW THAT THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO LOVE US UNCONDITION
OF SUCCESS AND SUFFERING 7E MUST REJECT THIS FRAMEWORK REPLACING IT WITH
ALLY TO STAY COMMITTED TO THE PROCESS BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY SIGNED UP
COLLECTIVE STRUGGLING ALONGSIDE OF ONE ANOTHER SHARING IN THE VICTORIES AND
FOR 7HEN TEACHING IN THE @HOOD ISNT MEASURING UP TO ROMANTIC h$ANGER
THE PAIN 4HIS SOLIDARITY IS THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT FOR RADICAL HEALING AND
OUS -INDS &REEDOM 7RITERSv VISIONS WE DONT GET TO BAIL OUT OR SAY WE ARE
HEALING IS AN OFTEN OVER LOOKED FACTOR FOR BALANCE IN OUR LIVES AND FOR IMPROV
GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE LESS OF OURSELVES BECAUSE WE hNEED SOME BALANCEv
ING ACHIEVEMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS
4HIS IS MY HARDEST LINE WITH MYSELF AND WITH TEACHERS THAT WORK IN OUR
COMMUNITIES )TS ALSO THE EXPECTATION ) HAVE OF THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
'REAT #HALLENGES 2EQUIRE 'REAT %FFORT
IN THE COMMUNITY "UT WE CANNOT ASK OUR COMMUNITY TO DO ANYTHING THAT
WE WONT DO OURSELVES
)S IT UNFAIR TO ASK TEACHERS TO MAKE SUCH INTENSE PERSONAL AND EMO
4HERE IS A SOFTER SIDE TO MY PERSPECTIVE ON THIS QUESTION ) RECOG
TIONAL INVESTMENTS IN THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT THEY TEACH !N EDUCATORS
NIZE THAT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN ) NEED TO GRAB A MOMENT TO MYSELF TO SORT
ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW THEY SEE THEIR PURPOSE AS A
SOME THINGS OUT JUST AS THERE WERE TIMES WHEN MY MOTHER OR FATHER WOULD
TEACHER )F TEACHER IS YOUR hJ O Bv THEN IT MAKES SENSE THAT YOU WOULD SEE
HAVE TO SAY h)M SICK AND ) NEED TO LAY DOWNv )N THOSE INSTANCES THE
SUCH AN EXPECTATION AS UNFAIR OR PERHAPS AS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD ONLY HAVE
CHILDREN IN OUR HOUSE HAD TO STEP UP 4HOSE MOMENTS WERE RARE AND )
TO DO SOME OF THE TIME (OWEVER IF TEACHING IS YOUR LIFES PURPOSE SUCH THAT IT
KNOW THEY CRUSHED MY PARENTS BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE LETTING US
IS AN EXTENSION OF YOUR FAMILY NOT A BURDEN UPON IT THEN WORDS LIKE hBAL
DOWN "UT THATS PRECISELY WHY WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH /UR COMMUNITIES
ANCEv AND hFAIRv TAKE ON DIFFERENT MEANINGS 7HAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK
COULD DO WITH A LOT MORE OF THAT KIND OF hOVERv COMMITMENT THE KIND OF
BALANCE IN A TIME WHEN YOUR FAMILY IS SUFFERING 7HAT IS A hFAIRv WORKLOAD
COMMITMENT THAT STEMS FROM LOVING SO MUCH THAT WE DONT WORRY ABOUT
UNDER THESE CONDITIONS
WHETHER WELL BE LOVED BACK 7HEN WE FORM THOSE TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS

Educación Popular •Politica • Cultura Page 8

Regeneración
the Association of Raza Educators Quarterly
!N /PEN ,ETTER TO 4EACHERS CONTINUED THE DARKNESSv 7E CAN DEBATE WHETHER IT IS FAIR TO ASK PEOPLE TO DO THIS OR
WE CAN JUST GET TO DOING IT BECAUSE ITS RIGHT AND MORAL AND JUST
THE COMMUNITY LOVES AS MUCH AS WE HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THEM PARTICULARLY 4HE 53 MYTH OF MERITOCRACY WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT THE
WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST  )N MY MIND THAT IS BALANCE "ALANCE IS NOT CHANGE WE HOPE TO SEE IN OUR COMMUNITIES WILL NOT COST US ANYTHING 4HIS
SOMETHING WE CAN GRANT TO OURSELVES RATHER IT IS A GIFT BESTOWED UPON US BY KIND OF FALSE HOPE IS MENDACIOUS IT NEVER ACKNOWLEDGES PAIN 7HAT WE
THOSE THAT WE SPEND OUR LIVES LOVING NEED IS THE KIND OF CRITICAL HOPE THAT STARES DOWN THE PAINFUL PATH AND
DESPITE THE OVERWHELMING ODDS AGAINST US MAKING IT DOWN THAT PATH TO
!N )NCONVENIENT 4RUTH 4EACHING !INT &OR %VERYONE CHANGE WE MAKE THE JOURNEY AGAIN AND AGAIN 4HERE IS NO OTHER CHOICE
!CCEPTANCE OF THIS FACT ALLOWS US TO FIND THE COURAGE AND THE COMMITMENT
,ET ME BE CLEAR ) DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE WORK OF BEING A TEACHER IN TO CAJOLE OUR STUDENTS TO JOIN US ON THAT JOURNEY 4HIS MAKES US BETTER
COMMUNITIES THAT SUFFER UNDER THE WEIGHT OF A LITANY OF OPPRESSIVE FORCES PEOPLE AS IT MAKES US BETTER TEACHERS AND IT MODELS FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT
RACISM POVERTY XENOPHOBIA ETC IS FOR THE PAINFUL PATH IS THE HOPEFUL PATH
EVERYONE ) DO NOT SAY THIS BECAUSE ) THINK h7E ACT AS THOUGH THE
SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE GENETICALLY PREDIS LEGACY OF  YEARS OF 2)&D 4EACHER 2EFLECTS ON %DUCATION AS A 6OCATION
POSED TO DO IT 2ATHER ) DONT THINK EVERY SLAVERY COLONIALISM
ONE IS WILLING TO ACCEPT THE COST OF MEET #AROLINA 6ALDEZ 4EACHER
VIOLENT CONQUEST AND
ING THE GREAT CHALLENGE OF BEING AN #O #HAIR !2% ,OS !NGELES #HAPTER
EFFECTIVE TEACHER 7E KNOW WHAT IT TAKES INSTITUTIONAL NEGLECT
WE SIMPLY LACK THE COLLECTIVE COURAGE TO WILL BE RESOLVED WITH ) AM A 2)&D REDUCTION IN FORCE TEACHER IN ,!53$ -Y STORY IS A BIT
MEET THE CHALLENGE BECAUSE ITS TERRIBLY MEDIOCRE OR EVEN CLICHψ ) KNEW ) WANTED TO TEACH SINCE ) WAS  YEARS OLD -Y MOTHER WAS
INCONVENIENT AND SO WE ACT AS THOUGH WE GOOD EFFORTv A TEACHER AND ) FREQUENTLY VISITED HER CLASSROOM TO SET UP RUN SMALL
DONT KNOW HOW OR AS IF WE ARE STILL LOOK GROUPS OR GRADE PAPERS ) ALSO ATTENDED EVENING LITERACY CLASSES SHE
ING FOR MORE EFFICIENT WAYS READ SHORTCUTS  7E ACT AS THOUGH THE LEGACY OF ORGANIZED FOR PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY -OREOVER ) WITNESSED HER
 YEARS OF SLAVERY COLONIALISM VIOLENT CONQUEST AND INSTITUTIONAL NEGLECT RELOCATION TO A NEW SITE EACH YEAR AFTER SHE ORGANIZED PARENTS AROUND
WILL BE RESOLVED WITH MEDIOCRE OR EVEN GOOD EFFORT )T WONT )T TOOK GREAT LANGUAGE WAIVERS AFTER PROPOSITION  PASSED ) WITNESSED ALL THE EXTRA
EFFORT FROM THIS NATION TO DESTROY OUR COMMUNITIES 4HE hINCONVENIENTv TIME A TEACHER PUTS IN AND THE BUREAUCRACY OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS BUT ) ALSO
TRUTH OF THIS HISTORICAL FACT IS THAT A SIMILARLY GREAT COMMITMENT OF TIME AND SAW THE REWARDS IN THE STUDENTS EYES ) STILL WANTED TO TEACH
EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO HEAL OUR COMMUNITIES ) RECEIVED MY "ACHELORS IN #HILD $EVELOPMENT MY -ASTERS IN
)N  THERE WAS AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF *AMAICAN 5RBAN %DUCATION AND ) AM CURRENTLY WORKING ON MY 'IFTED #ERTIFICATION
ARTIST "OB -ARLEY BEFORE HE WAS TO PERFORM AT A UNITY CONCERT IN HIS HOME ) SHOCKED PEOPLE WHEN ) TOLD THEM ) WANTED TO TEACH IN ,!53$
,OS
COUNTRY $ESPITE HAVING BEEN SHOT TWICE -ARLEY STILL PERFORMED AT THE !NGELES IS WHERE ) WAS NEEDED MOST !ND NOW HERE ) AM BEING TOLD THAT
CONCERT TWO DAYS LATER 7HEN ASKED WHY HE WENT AHEAD WITH THE SHOW IT ) WILL NOT HAVE A POSITION COME *ULY )TS FRUSTRATING WHEN ) SPEAK TO
HAS BEEN SAID THAT -ARLEY RESPONDED BY SAYING hTHE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TEACHERS THAT VIEW WHAT THEY DO AS A JOBˆTHAT THEY hFELLv INTO TEACHING
TO MAKE THIS WORLD WORSE ARE NOT TAKING ANY DAYS OFF SO HOW CAN ) ,IGHT UP YEARS AGO WHEN THE DISTRICT WAS hHIRING ANYONE WITH A PULSEv 4HOSE

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