August 2014 Potluck Notes
MAAEA August Potluck Meeting
Jobs With Justice
3353 Washington St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
August 22, 2014
1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Google Group: maaea@googlegroups.com
People in Attendance: Go Sasaki, Pamela Chu, Katie Li, Jessica Tang, Sue Hua, Daniel Nguyen
Agenda:
-Check-Ins
-Why did you become an educator? What issues do you face as an APA involved in education?
-MAAEA History
-MAAEA Priorities
-Leadership Structures
MAAEA History:
1980’s – MAAEA
founded, with approximately 40 members. Did a variety of events
including intergenerational discussion – high school students on a panel
discussing issues they face to elementary student parents., scholarship
fund for APA educators, advocating for APA teachers in various
districts.
2004 MAAEA
revival: Chris Tang and Sophia Kim, Raymond. Organized a couple of
summits, had a meeting, presentation, panel discussionwith Dr. Carol
Johnson to raise awareness of APA issues. Then MAAEA burnt out. Since then MAAEA has had one event a year. E.g. lunar new year social, curriculum packet for BPS History, NY conference – API Try.
What has kept you involved?/What do you feel passionate about?
MAAEA is the only Asian American organization with educators in Massachusetts
If MAAEA doesn’t raise awareness of these issues, no one will.
Way to contribute to community.
Way to vent/bond with other educators that face similar issues.
This group has worked on concrete thing in the past.
Being able to organize around issues – e.g. Thoroughly Modern Millie
Discussions with parents at our May event showed that parents’ needs are not being met.
Support network for APA educators – regular troubleshooting/venting dinners?
Maybe contact Mark Warren at UMass re URBAN and creating useful community surveys?
Priorities for 2014-2015 school year:
- Network and build alliances with other progressive educators of color.
- Hold/lead workshops (BEAM, TAG BESJ Conference, BASIC, FMFP, AARW, ALANA
- Cosponsor events
- Hold events for poc teachers to share experiences w/each other for support
- For all teachers allying with other orgs: BEAM, TAG, LEAN
- Support/networking for Asian American educators.
- -Informal check-ins at each meeting
- -Tabling at BPS New Teacher Thing, Cambridge?
- -Formalized events (social dinners?)
- -New Teacher Dinners/planning sessions
- -Reach out to other unions
- -Mentoring
3. Promote anti-racist, progressive, social justice equitable practices in education (curriculum, hiring, etc.).
- -Revise old MAAEA curriculum, add to BPS History Wiki
- -Find anti-Asian bullying curriculum
- -Put this stuff on our website
- -Hiring/Recruitment (BPS Letter of Intent)
- -Workshops about culturally/linguistically responsive teaching
Next Meeting Date:
Location – Qunicy Upper?
September 8 – 5:30-7:30
1st Monday of every month (unless it’s a holiday)
Agenda – Prioritize, put into calendar, process what’s happened this past week, leadership structure
Recruitment:
Jessica - Annie Lei
Pam – Sarah Chang, Vanessa
Katie
– Jessica Tom, Tienyan Chang, Marie Zhang, Jennifer Doo, Chris Day,
Chikae, Sunny, Sandy and Nathan, Tom Chen, Rosanne Tung, Suzanne, Kim at
CPA, Carolyn Chu, Newton Teachers, APIP
Daniel – Other Mather teachers
Comments