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For The

NATIONAL DAYS OF TEACHING TRUTH

MAY 1-31

SPEAK OUT, FIGHT BACK, ACT UP

This is your guide to becoming part of the movement to teach truth.

 

TEACH TRUTH LIVE JUSTICE

 

Find us at: unitingtosaveourschools.org Facebook

#USOSTeachTruth

 

This is your guide to becoming part of the movement to teach truth.

 NDTT Toolkit

“A society that prohibits the capacity to speak in truth extinguishes the capacity to live in justice.” –Chris Hedges, April 1, 2022

 

You’ve come to this toolkit because you believe in the need for collective resistance to:

  • Censoring and banning of books that reflect diverse perspectives of life in the US

  • Banning the truth about US history including racism, sexism, economic oppression

  • Silencing of teachers’ and students’ voices, identities and lived experiences

  • Encouraging educators and students to betray educators who dare to teach truth

  • Tiplines for parents and community members to report educators that teach truth

  • Instituting legislation and policies that mandate what can and cannot be taught in classrooms

  • ‘Don’t say gay’ legislation and other educational gag orders that silence LGBTQI+ students and educators

  • And the many other attacks on public education in a democratic society

 

The National Days of Teaching Truth are a collection of actions and activities that will be taken around the country from May 1-31, 2022. These are actions and activities that individuals and groups determine to undertake and with consideration of the safety and comfort of all those involved. It is up to you and your group to make the decisions necessary for successful and impactful work. Please consider sharing your work with others at the NDTT Archive [currently under construction, please watch this site for more information] or at https://www.facebook.com/UnitingtoSaveOurSchools.

 

The following pages are divided into two broad categories: ideas for actions and resources.

Ideas for actions are suggestions that you are encouraged to use, cultivate, change, and enact based on your local needs and interests.

Resources are places where you can go to find information, support, and ideas for even more actions. We encourage you to peruse both as they will aid in your planning and enacting of ideas.

 

You are encouraged to use the LINK TO NDTT introductory movie at events that you or your group develop

{Coming soon}

 

You and the groups with which you work are encouraged to sign the statement of Support the National Days of Teaching Truth. This document will be used to demonstrate to the US President, US Secretary of Education, and others that there is broad national support for teaching truth.

 

 

TEACH TRUTH LIVE JUSTICE

USOS NDTT Logo.jpg

​SUGGESTED ACTIONS for National Days of Teaching Truth

Here is a list of suggestions for actions. Feel free to adapt any of these for your local work.. Understand your rights to engage in any actions you choose and have fully considered possible responses. Consider personal safety for any actions you undertake. If you engage in civil disobedience, you risk arrest or termination of employment, so consult with your local ACLU, union or other local legal agencies about any restrictions or laws that pertain to your action and determine their willingness to defend you.

 

Please share your actions with us at: unitingtosaveourschools@gmail.com or through our website at https://www.unitingtosaveourschools.org/copy-of-contact.

 

You can see actions others have taken at: our archive (under construction).

 

  • Host an event/action in the community (libraries, community centers etc)

  • Celebration(s) of BIPOC radical educators

  • Organize a “banned book” club or discussion group for students and/or community members

  • Invite banned book authors to read their books in person or on-line and/or lead a discussion

  • Teachers read banned books in the classroom as a form of resistance and civil disobedience (make sure you know your rights and have support, such as union assistance on this)

  • Sell or give away tee shirts: organize a youth design for the shirt with relevance to local action(s)

  • Organize zoom-in or in-person presence at board meetings to discuss the need to teach truth

  • Amplify what you do by posting on relevant Facebook sites and other social media (example: https://www.facebook.com/USOS-Activist-School-Board-Member-Caucus)

  • Invite high school and college students to read texts and post short clips on TikTok or other media

  • Invite those doing blogs to host others as guest posters (for example, see Paul Thomas

  • Hold youth performances (poetry, dramatic readings, spoken word, street theater) on teaching truth

  • Work with local, state, and national unions to pass resolutions supporting teaching truth (see https://www.nea.org/your-rights-workplace)

  • Youth Make videos about what we teach and why and post on social media

  • Engage in direct actions of protest and resistance (ie: walk outs, demonstrations, marches, carrying a banned book, wearing mouth coverings, T shirts, armbands, etc).

  • Issue press releases or hold press conferences about the importance of teaching truth

  • Organize a banned book day when folks carry banned books (in schools or the community etc.)

  • Compose and post truth related art (music, poetry, paintings, graffiti, etc.) on twitter, instagram, or other social media

  • Work with local musicians to host musical events in which teaching truth is a central theme

  • Collect and post recollections of teachers that taught truth, gathering of those stories

  • Use the power of art and local artists to host artistic exhibits on the importance of teaching truth

  • Organize a local ‘know your rights’ for educators and students by relying on local legal agencies willing to commit to help

  • Develop lesson plans for your classroom and share them on Paul Thomas’ blog

       at: https://radicalscholarship.com/2022/02/20/national-days-of-teaching-truth-to-power/

  • Reach out to banned authors, see the list below under ‘Resources.’ Be aware that authors may request fees for their participation

  • Consider initiating litigation against policies and laws that restrict the teaching of truth and banned books

  • Run for school board or support school board candidates who have been vetted for their positions on teaching of truth. Try to change the composition of oppositional school boards.

  • Pledge to teach the truth: https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/pledge-to-teach-truth

  • Contact the African American Policy Forum through their website truthbetold@aapf.org and ask to be added to the Education working group listserv.

  • Learn about the positions of your professional organizations regarding teaching truth and book banning and voice your individual and/or collective support or opposition.

  • Consider out-of-school teaching venues where educators can “safely” teach and students can “safely” learn about antiracism and the truth about our society. See examples such as Saturday Schools or the Bedford Coalition to Save Our Schools, https://naacpnewbedford.org/2020/11/nbcsos-forum/ or on F/B: https://www.facebook.com/nbcsos/

  • Join and communicate through the USOS FaceBook page for activist school board members. https://www.facebook.com/USOS-Activist-School-Board-Member-Caucus-856545821164567

 

Please share your actions with us at: unitingtosaveourschools@gmail.com or through our website at https://www.unitingtosaveourschools.org/copy-of-contact.

Resources for National Days of Teaching Truth

 

This list of resources has been collated from various sources. You and the groups with which you work should vet them for usefulness to your particular needs. This is just the beginning of our resources list. This is just the beginning of our resources list. Please share your actions with us at: unitingtosaveourschools@gmail.com or through our website at https://www.unitingtosaveourschools.org/copy-of-contact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Missouri Jobs with Justice: https://www.mojwj.org/ From their website: “work to build power at our workplaces, in our places of worship, on our campuses through action and strong relationships that are rooted in justice, equity, and solidarity.”

 

 

 

       ?usp=sharing/ 

 

 

 

       An inquiry-based content framework for excellence in history and civics for all learners (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12).”

 

 

 

 

  • PEN America Foundation at https://pen.org/. Stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. ”

 

  • #FReadom Fighters: Actions for highlighting the positive work of librarians, and provide resources for librarians, teachers or authors facing book challenges. https://www.freadom.us/home

 

 

 

 

 

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