We are not critical race theorists. We are public school teachers. The push to “ban critical race theory” intends to stop us from teaching our students the truth about U.S. history in a classroom that welcomes all of who they are.
Tag: Back of the Yards

Chicago Unheard Contributor Ashley McCall Wins a Golden Apple Award
Congratulations to Chicago Unheard contributor Ashley McCall!

Grateful for These Pandemic “I Am” Poems
Third-graders from Chavez Elementary tell us about themselves and how they’re doing in the midst of the pandemic.

Madres de Chicago Hablan en Serio acerca de Aprendizaje Remoto
Ayer, dos madres de las Empacadoras hablaron a la Junta de Educación acerca de las realidades de aprendizaje remoto para muchos estudiantes. Puede escuchar toda la reunion aquí, pero es mucho tiempo. Los testimonios de las madres están abajo. De Consuelo Martinez, madre de una estudiante de Back of the Yards College Prep: Mi nombre es Consuelo Martinez. Soy madre…

Back of the Yards Youth Say “Black Lives Matter”
As the next generation of adults, we know that change starts with us.

Teacher Appreciation, Chicago Style!
This week, my colleague Tanesha Peeples and I want to take a moment to shout-out a handful of the many Chicago teachers we know who are working their hearts out for students every day. Take Jessica Fong, preK teacher at Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center. When schools closed due to COVID-19, half of her preK students and families began taking…

Hundreds of CPS Families Told Kids First Chicago What They Really Need
While many Chicago families struggle to meet basic needs like food and diapers, they also need help with tech access and guidance to support their children’s learning.

Tales from the Front Lines of Teaching Remotely: Lara Elementary
Editor’s note: Chicago Unheard is inviting teachers and parents to share their stories of learning while coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Patricia Hernández teaches English Language Arts at Lara Academy in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood. Lara is a high-achieving neighborhood school serving a predominantly low-income, Latinx population. More than half of the students are still learning English and 16 percent…