EoCRG Summer Update
Check in
How are you doing? Is your family staying healthy? How are you coping with COVID-19? We wanted to check-in with everyone and let you know we are thinking of you! If there is anything we can do as an EoCRG to support you, please contact Will or Natalia (information at the bottom).
School Board Updates
Stay up to date about what is going on with our district. You can find information about the school board here: https://www.rochesterschools.org/about-us/school-board
You can view the school board meetings on the YouTube channel. They are broadcasted live and saved for you to view later: https://www.youtube.com/user/ISD535
All of the documents can be found in the board docs: https://www.boarddocs.com/mn/rps535/Board.nsf/Public
Next Meeting
We will have a whole group meeting on Friday, July 24th at 4pm. We will take some time to check-in, and then we will have a training from Education Minnesota regarding Educations Policies and how we can help make change in the upcoming election. You will need to use your isd535 account to join.
Use this Google Meet:
To join the video meeting, click this link: https://meet.google.com/dsw-iosq-gsy
Otherwise, to join by phone, dial +1 507-412-5645 and enter this PIN: 153 085 325#
OR enter code: EoCRGMembershipMeeting
Summer Work Updates
We have been busy this summer! Here is what we have been working on:
- Organizing meetings for our general membership
- Meeting with district leadership and school board members to advocate for the needs of employees of color in Rochester Public Schools
- Implementing mentorship for new teachers of color in our district
- Implementing collaboration program for teachers of color in our district
- Attending state (Education Minnesota) meetings and events to bring back to our district: Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee (EMAC) meetings, Student-Centered Learning for Equity series from Bush Foundation, League of Latinx Educators board meetings and general membership meetings,
- Attending national (National Education Association) meetings and events to bring back to our district: Summer Justice Series, Leaders of Color Pathways Pilot Program, Abolitionist Teaching Network, Ethnic Studies Webinar Series
- Working on Website for Employees of Color Resource Group (EoCRG) in the RPS site. This will have general information for the public and it will also have a private section only for members of the EoCRG.
- Working on being visible on RPS site: introduction video for the beginning of the school year in the fall, developing a logo for EoCRG, and building a consolidated distribution list through the district.
- Developing a mission statement to guide future work and communicate our purpose with the general public
Join Educators of Color Forums from Education Minnesota
Educators of Color forums are affinity spaces where educators can find a supportive community in education. Education Minnesota has general information on these forums.
- African American Educators Forums: aaedforum@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/aaef.mn
- American Indian Education Professionals: tucker.quetone@gmail.com
- League of Latinx Educators: https://sites.google.com/view/leagueoflatinxeducators/home
- Pan Asian Educators Forum: lindsay@nea-apic.com
Education Minnesota Virtual Training
You can now access Education Minnesota's Cultural Competency trainings online. To find out more about it, see Denise Specht's message. All dues-paying members can receive the training at no cost. You can sign up here: http://educationminnesota.learnupon.com/
The Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers in Minnesota
For the start of the Legislature's Special Session #2, House Democrats reintroduced an education equity bill and the Increase Teachers of Color Act.
Urgent Call to Action: What Can You Do Now?
- Take 5 minutes or less to leave a voicemail or send a brief email contacting House Speaker Hortman to bring these bills to a floor vote in the House and take an important stand for education equity and increasing teachers of color during these historic times. Ask at least 5 other people you know to do the same.
Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman 651-296-4280 rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn - If the House passes these pieces of legislation, then they and we can put pressure on the Senate to pass them, too, before the Special Session concludes. Seventy percent (70%) of our Senate bill authors (SF4166 & SF4041) were Republicans during the regular session.
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/tocaimn And to receive their emails and updates, sign up at https://www.tocaimn.com/members-join-now
Contact us
If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, Please Contact Will Ruffin II (wiruffin@rochester.k12.mn.us) or Natalia Benjamin (nabenjamin@rochester.k12.mn.us)