http://www.teachingforchange.org
The Washington, DC-based Teaching for Change provides teachers and parents with the tools to transform schools into socially equitable centers of learning where students become architects of a better future. Their online catalogue is an excellent source for books, videos, and posters for the classroom, and the website includes an extensive resource directory of organizations and curriculum materials tied to civil rights education. Aiming to go beyond the “heroes approach” to the Civil Rights Movement, Teaching for Change, along with the Poverty and Race Research Action Council, has just published a book called Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching. The book includes interactive and interdisciplinary lessons, readings, writings, photographs, graphics, and interviews, with sections on education, labor, citizenship, culture, and reflections on teaching about civil rights.
http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/
The Civil Rights Project aims to help renew the civil rights movement by bridging the worlds of ideas and action. Focusing initially on education reform, it has convened dozens of national conferences and roundtables; commissioned over 90 new research and policy studies; produced major reports on desegregation, student diversity, school discipline, special education, and dropouts; and published a number of books. In any given month, CRP work is quoted in such national media as The Village Voice, The New York Times, Time Magazine and The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/
Since its founding in 1986, Rethinking Schools has grown into a nationally prominent publisher of educational materials, with subscribers in all 50 states and many other countries. While the scope and influence of Rethinking Schools has changed, its basic orientation has not. Most importantly, it remains firmly committed to equity and to the vision that public education is central to the creation of a humane, caring, multiracial democracy. While writing for a broad audience, Rethinking Schools emphasizes problems facing urban schools, particularly issues of race.
Civilrights.org is a collaboration of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund. Its mission: to serve as the site of record for relevant and up-to-the minute civil rights news and information. Home to socially-concerned, issue-oriented original audio, video, and written programming, civilrights.org serves as an online nerve center not only for fighting discrimination in all its forms, but also for building the public understanding essential to our nation’s journey toward social and economic justice.
Founded in 1991 by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Tolerance.org supports the efforts of K-12 teachers and other educators to promote respect for differences and appreciation of diversity—believing that tolerance education is the responsibility of every teacher. It serves as a clearinghouse of information about anti-bias programs and activities in schools across the country. In addition to the ideas presented on its web site, Tolerance.org produces a semiannual magazine, Teaching Tolerance, along with free, high-quality anti-bias curricula that speak to various academic subject areas and grade levels.
The National Association of Multicultural Education is an active, growing organization, with members from throughout the United States and several other countries. Educators from preschool through higher education and representatives from business and communities comprise NAME's membership. Members in 22 states have formed NAME chapters and more chapters are currently being organized. Its website includes a multicultural resource center for teachers that includes lesson plans; definitions and models of multicultural education; poetry, stories, and quotes; surveys and questionnaires.
Facing History and Ourselves is based on the belief that education in a democracy must be what Alexis de Tocqueville called "an apprenticeship in liberty." This 27-year old program helps students find meaning in the past and recognize the need for participation and responsible decision making in the present. Believing that students must be trusted to examine history in all of its complexities—including its legacies of prejudice and discrimination, resilience and courage—the curricula developed by Facing History stresses the triumphs of history, but also the failures, the tragedies and the humiliations.
Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR) helps educators create safe, caring, respectful, and productive learning environments. It also helps educators work with young people to develop the social skills, emotional competencies, and qualities of character they need to succeed in school and become contributing members of their communities.
The American Civil Liberties website has resources to help students learn about the American tradition of civil liberties. It also includes information on rights that impact the school community, such as students' rights and freedom of expression, and how recent affirmative action lawsuits and proposed legislations such as the new Patriot Act affect society and the individual. A “Freedom Quiz” gauges our understanding of freedom
At this award-winning site, students can explore the history of racial injustice and resistance. Teachers can contribute to a bank of lesson plans. Simulation exercises teach students about historical contexts and help them rethink momentous personal and political decisions. An image gallery presents the human faces of segregation.
SEE ALSO:
A special five-part series by Education Week, Brown at 50: The Promise Unfulfilled takes stock of the role of race in education, looking at key issues, developments, and localities. The series runs from January through May 2004.
A special issue of U.S. News & World Report looks at the history of Brown, why schools still don't work for so many children—and why there's hope.
In a special expanded issue Rethinking Schools celebrates those who risked their lives to end the scourge of segregation and examines where we still need to go to eliminate racial inequities in our schools and our society. Activists and scholars provide unique perspectives on the Brown decision; classroom teachers offer teaching ideas, readings, and lessons on segregation and desegregation and the Civil Rights Movement.
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund has developed a web site devoted to the Brown case; it includes a "Brown Chronology" and further resources.
The Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights has published "Rights at Risk: Civil Rights in an Age of Terrorism," which provides an analysis of civil rights policy, including a section on diversity in education.
The text of the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka can be found at Findlaw.
Selected classroom resources on Brown are available at Landmarkcases.org.
The Minority Student Achievement Network has produced a statement on the relationship between race and school achievement.
In "Parsing the Achievement Gap: Baselines for Tracking Progress," the Educational Testing Service describes 14 factors linked to student achievement.
In "Time To Move On: African-American and White Parents Set an Agenda for Public Schools," Public Agenda offers a plan of action for bringing equity to public schools.
