January 21, 2020

Does Your School Register Students to Vote?

Teaching Tolerance is proud to announce our Future Voters Project! Our goal is to ensure all eligible students have the opportunity to register to vote before they graduate from high school. We hope you’ll check out our recommendations for leading inclusive, effective school-based voter registration drives. And if you sign up to join us, we’ll keep you posted as we continue to add new resources and recommendations for ensuring all students have a chance to participate in our diverse democracy.

Black Educators, Black Students, Stonewall Jackson School // Dr. Gregg Suzanne Ferguson 

Authors of Their Own Stories // Jey Ehrenhalt

Teaching Hard History From the Beginning // Julia Delacroix
Get a Free Copy of Our Selma Film Kit for Your Classroom
Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot tells the story of a courageous group of students and teachers who, along with other activists, fought a nonviolent battle to win voting rights for African Americans in the South. Sign up to join our new Future Voters Project, and we’ll send you a free copy of the film kit, which includes the documentary, a viewer’s guide and other resources. 

Black Minds Matter

The suicide rate for black children between the ages of 5 and 12 is about twice as high as that of their white peers. As politicians and policymakers place long-overdue focus on the mental health of black children, educators and school leaders must ask themselves how they’re supporting the children in their care. Read more about interrupting school practices that disregard the mental health of black youth.

Introducing Future Voters Grants for Educators

Through our Future Voters project, TT is funding non-partisan voter registration initiatives in areas of the U.S. with long histories of voter suppression. Educators in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi can now apply for $500-$2,000 grants to support school community members and students in hosting voter registration drives. Apply now!

Educators With Guns Don’t Make Schools Safer

Despite opposition from educators, lawmakers continue to insist that arming teachers is an effective way to prevent gun violence at school. Several studies show most educators don’t want firearms at school. Students and families are anxious, too, and teacher organizations foresee that going this route would cause more harm. Read more about why arming educators is a bad idea.

Check Out What We’re Reading

“There is this knowledge that we keep in a box about sexuality, waiting until kids are ‘old enough.’ My job is to change that.” — The Atlantic

“Teachers often put themselves on the back burner. But part of being a good educator is taking care of ourselves. Kids need to witness that, too, and have a whole, healthier teacher.” — Education Week

“20 years from now, I’d hope society has progressed even further. Past the gun violence, and climate destruction, and homophobia, and police brutality, and veiled bigotry. I hope that 20 years from now, my kids or their friends don’t feel like they have to aspire towards the past.” — The New York Times
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