Every student in Washington deserves a safe and welcoming environment in order to learn. Many educators have reported a recent uptick in hate speech or even violence at school or in their communities.
Now more than ever, educators need strategies and tools to counter these harmful attacks and to ensure that every student feels safe at school.
The resources below are meant to provide educators with information on how to teach about the differences we face in our classrooms and buildings every day. Whether about race, religion, language, immigration status, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, class, or disability, or a combination of these, we know that our students deserve to be honored and respected for who they are.
In compiling this information, we don't claim to have identified every resource out there, but to provide a starting point for educators who are looking for help to better understand and teach about our world. We can't post everything, but if you have used a great resource in your classroom that you’d like to share, contact us at wea@washingtonea.org.
WEA offers a variety of trainings to close the achievement and opportunity gap. They vary by time of year, but include sessions on ELL, ethnicity and culture, and tribal sovereignty and culturally responsive strategies for engaging students from diverse backgrounds. You can visit the PD Network for listings of current trainings.
The Special Education Support Center provides info for educators, families, and students.
BiasBender is a compelling, accessible and fun weekly podcast appropriate for students in high school, middle school, and college. Twenty-three-year-old host Kayla Stokes explores the lives and stories of Black women she wishes she was able to study growing up in school and wants to know more about. Podcast subjects include the stories of Negro League professional baseball pitcher Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, scientist Alice Ball, cartoonist Jackie Ormes, educator Septima Clark, and more. Stokes chats with women, like actress Chanté Adams, who followed the path of those before them. What's unique about this podcast is the host is not afraid to model ways to engage in activism.
A website by and for teachers, with information about restorative justice, social-emotional learning and special education.
“One Out of Five” was designed by the Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds in partnership with local educators as a guide for schools to address Disability History Month in October. Disability History and Pride resources.
Deaf Awarness Month helps increase awareness about issues people and culture of the deaf community.
A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance provides a variety of resources for addressing diversity. In addition to the links below, they have a lot of great information – feel free to explore their website.
The ADL promotes diversity and respect in schools by providing programs and resources to help students, teachers, and administrators create positive learning environments where all students feel valued and appreciated. The No Place for Hate campaign specifically provides resources for combating bias, bullying and hatred, leading to long-term solutions to create and maintain a positive school culture. ADL also has a Black Lives Matter lesson plan for high schoolers.
Welcoming Schools is an organization initiated by parents who want to improve the environment in schools for LGBT students or students from LGBT families. They provide free lesson plans, videos and information sheets.
Welcoming Schools has an office in Portland and its staff supports educators in Washington state. Welcoming Schools is a program of the Human Rights Campaign, which features resources such as "Supporting and Caring for Latino LGBT Youth" report.
CAIR is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. CAIR is America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, with regional offices nationwide. “Demographers say that Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States and around the world. American Muslims are found in all sectors of society. This presence is perhaps most evident in the public school system, where Muslim students of various racial and ethnic backgrounds make up an increasing percentage of the school population. Recent studies show that most Muslim children are enrolled in public schools. This growing demographic segment adds a new dimension to be considered as educators work with issues of diversity."
CAIR of Washington has provided this Educator Guide to teaching about Islam.
Create or log-in to your existing account at www.mynea360.org then search for Washington Education of Colors Network and ask to join the group.