Sustainable Community Schools is the path to safe, equitable school reopening
Westmont – Today, thousands of parents, students, and teachers’ unions across the nation will organize to demand the safe reopening of our nation’s schools. Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement in support of the National Day of Resistance.
“The last ten months have exposed and exacerbated racial inequities that we failed to adequately address pre-COVID. Returning to a ‘normal’ that did not work for the majority of Black and Brown children and communities is unacceptable. We must take bold action to rebuild our school communities so that they are stronger and more equitable than they were before. “Sustainable Community Schools, rooted in community decision-making, wraparound supports, and culturally sustaining curricula is the humanizing, antiracist model of education that we need to achieve true equity. “The IFT is committed to working across Illinois to transform our education system into one that centers and prioritizes Black and Brown children, families, and communities.”
Day of Action events will take place in Chicago and other cities across the U.S. For more information please visit www.demandsafeschools.org.
# # #
The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) represents 103,000 teachers and paraprofessionals in PreK-12 school districts throughout Illinois, faculty and staff at Illinois’ community colleges and universities, public employees under every statewide elected constitutional officer, and retirees.