As progressive educators who oppose racism and settler colonialism in all its forms, we write to express our unequivocal support for Palestinians as they struggle to overcome military occupation, displacement and apartheid. In just 21 days, Israeli airstrikes murdered 75 children, damaged 50 schools across the besieged Gaza Strip, injuring 550 children and leaving 41,897 young Gazans without an education. If, as Paulo Freire writes, "education is the practice of freedom," then there is no doubt that Palestinian freedom is under attack. As US-based teachers, we have a responsibility to oppose the $3.8 billion in military aid that Israel receives from our government, largely used to ethnically cleanse and colonize Palestinians and their children.

 

While the mainstream media continues to present the loss of Palestinian life, land, and infrastructure suffered over the last week as a conflict between two sides—we maintain that this is not a "conflict." There is no symmetry of power or military. This is apartheid and persecution. The recent reports by Human Rights Watch and the largest Israeli human rights organization B'tselem are only the latest to document this truth. As bell hooks reminds us, "teaching to transgress" forms of oppression means to be living examples of our commitment to resisting politics of domination, racism, sexism, and classism–all of which are practiced against Palestinians under Zionism

 

Our concern also extends to the suppression of support for Palestinian liberation in the US academy and K-12 schools, where scholarly criticism of Israeli human rights violations or calls to support Palestinians are increasingly equated with antisemitism and even forbidden by law. As critical and engaged pedagogues, we reject the toxic binary discourse that frames Jewish safety and Palestinian freedom as opposing causes. Jewish activists have long stood hand in hand with Palestinians and their allies in opposing Zionism and calling for an end to Israel's atrocities. Activists from numerous and intersecting communities, including Edward Said, Angela Davis, Sylvia Marcos, Noam Chomsky, Desmond Tutu, Amy Goodman, Cornel West, Judith Butler, bell hooks, Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, and Huey P. Newton, have denounced the brutal Israeli occupation and called for Palestinian liberation. 

 

We believe that teachers can play a significant role in the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Palestinian people. We must keep pushing past the limits of progressive pedagogies and help our students develop imaginations that can envision an end to the occupation and a future in which Palestinians, and all those in Palestine, live and thrive in freedom and dignity. 

 

As a first step, we commit to enacting the following in our classrooms and on our campus: 

 

  • Highlighting Palestinian scholarship on Palestine in syllabi, course work, and in our scholarly and community collaborations. 
  • Consulting with Palestinian scholars and community members when designing and implementing project-based learning for our students on questions of social justice, and particularly on the Palestinian struggle for liberation.  
  • Restoring the history of Palestine in the California Ethnic Studies Curriculum as originally intended by the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Advisory Committee
  • Centering Indigenous/Palestinian epistemologies in teaching and drawing links to intersectional oppression and transnational liberation movements.

 

 

The opinions expressed here are those of the signers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of their organizations.

Signatories

Name & Title School
Mark Kabban Co-Director, EdL HTH Graduate School of Education
Katie Weisberg Co-Director, EdL HTH Graduate School of Education
Kaleb Rashad Creative Director Center for Love & Justice HTH Graduate School of Education
Sarah Fine Director, SDTR HTH Graduate School of Education
Lisa Griffin, Humanities Teacher & GSE Instructor High Tech High
Ana Chiles, Teacher High Tech Middle Mesa
Mackenzie King, Teacher High Tech High Chula Vista
Lucera Leon-Gallegos, Teacher High Tech High
Maria Teresa Ceseña Bontempo, Teacher High Tech High Chula Vista
Brian Delgado, Teacher High Tech High
Dylan Jacobs, Masters Student HTH Graduate School of Education
Chelsea Smith, Arts Teacher High Tech High Chula Vista
Jean Catubay, Humanities Teacher High Tech High Chula Vista
Rachel Angeles, Teacher High Tech High Media Arts
Stacey Lopaz Director, New School Fellowship HTH Graduate School of Education
Vie Acosta, Humanities Teacher High Tech Middle
Alejandra Lozano, ELL Coordinator High Tech Middle
Ryan Luz, Humanities Teacher High Tech Middle
Tony Simmons, Director of National Faculty and Strategic Partnerships HTH Graduate School of Education
Rebecca Snowden, SDTR Student Teacher High Tech Elementary North County
Alec Patton Editor-in-Chief, High Tech High Unboxed HTH Graduate School of Education
Erica Geary, Data Scientist HTH Graduate School of Education
Brittney Quinones, Recruitment & Outreach Manager HTH Graduate School of Education
Kristin Komatsubara, Course Instructor HTH Graduate School of Education
Nuvia Ruland, Professional Learning Coordinator HTH Graduate School of Education
Tina Schuster, Director of Pedagogy and innovation HTH Graduate School of Education
Sofia Tannenhaus, Improvement Coach, CARPE College Access Network HTH Graduate School of Education
Asal Meyer, 12th Grade English Teacher High Tech High North County
Rodrigo Arancibia, Co-Director, CARPE College Access Network HTH Graduate School of Education
Wayne Ross, Teacher High Tech High
Curtis A Taylor, Ed.D Improvement Coach and SDTR Course Instructor HTH Graduate School of Education
Julie Ruble, Humanities Teacher High Tech Middle Media Arts
Monique Sias, Humanities Teacher High Tech Middle Media Arts
Amanda Mitchell, Ed. Specialist High Tech Middle
Paola Capó-García, Teacher High Tech High Media Arts
Carolene Joy Cabrera King, Teacher High Tech High North County
Matt Haupert, Humanities Teacher High Tech High North County
Christopher Millow, Teacher High Tech High Media Arts
Oscar Carrion, Teacher High Tech High Mesa
Riley Meehan, Science & Engineering Teacher High Tech Elementary
Julie Schneider, Teacher High Tech Elementary
Jocelyn Flores, Family & Community Engagement Coordinator High Tech High North County
Dalton Hudson, Teacher High Tech Elementary Chula Vista
Alexis McGhee, 2nd Grade Teacher High Tech Elementary North County
Rosemarie Biocarles-Rydeen Kindergarten Teacher, Course Instructor High Tech Chula Vista Elementary
Rebecca Maldonado, Elementary Science Teacher High Tech Elementary Explorer
Shar Garcia, STEAM Teacher High Tech Elementary Chula Vista
Alexandria Osei-Amoako, Instructional Coach High Tech Elementary Mesa
Brad Waugh, M.Ed. leadership resident at HTHI HTH Graduate School of Education
Renée Comesotti, MEd. Leadership Resident, HTHMA HTH Graduate School of Education
Will Earley, Teacher High Tech High Mesa
Matt Sheelen, Teacher High Tech Elementary Chula Vista
Gina Wickstead, Teacher High Tech Middle Media Arts
Stacey Caillier, Director, Center for Research on Equity & Innovation HTH Graduate School of Education
Amber George, Visual Arts Teacher High Tech Elementary Chula Vista
Shane Duenow, Teacher High Tech Middle Media Arts
Jen Rivera, 5th Grade Teacher High Tech Elementary
Ruth Smith,GSE CARE Improvement Coach & K-12 Mesa ELL Coordinator High Tech High
Marco Aquinde, 8th Grade Math/ Science Teacher High Tech Middle Chula Vista
Michelle Alcoba, Lead Academic Coach High Tech Elementary Chula Vista
Daisy Sharrock, Director, CARE Network HTH Graduate School of Education
Anthony Rayos, Logistics Manager HTH Graduate School of Education
Mohd Abeid, Academic Coach High Tech High International
Nicole Guerrero, Academic Coach High Tech Middle Mesa
Carol Battle, SDTR Multiple Subjects Program Manager HTH Graduate School of Education
Enrique Lugo, Dean of Culture High Tech High International
Charity De La Rosa, Credential Analyst HTH Charter Management Organization
Michelina Miedema, Kindergarten Teacher High Tech Elementary Mesa
Mari Jones, Director Deeper Learning Hub HTH Graduate School of Education
Cate Challen, Improvement Coach HTH Graduate School of Education
Samantha Lee, Teacher High Tech Elementary Chula Vista
Jeanine Blum, Teacher High Tech Elementary Chula Vista
Sara Kennedy, EL Coordinator High Tech High International
Elena Jurado Apalategui, Government Teacher High Tech High International
David Roney, HTH 11th Grade Humanities Teacher High Tech High Mesa
Brittany Perro, 8th Grade Humanities Teacher High Tech Middle North County
Matthew Chapman, Science/Math Educator High Tech Middle North County
Jemille Vialet, Substitute Teacher High Tech High School
Janice Swaisgood, Teacher High Tech Elementary
Tasia Paulson, Visual Arts Teacher High Tech Elementary Explorer
Diana Cornejo-Sanchez, Director HTH Graduate School of Education
Christopher John Kramer, Teacher High Tech High Mesa
Alexandra Adams, Teacher High Tech Elementary
Lauren Nico, Education Specialist High Tech Middle North County
Madison Murillo, Student Teacher High Tech Elementary Explorer
Chris Olivas, Teacher High Tech Middle North County
Javier Durazo, Academic Coach High Tech Middle North County
Juan Luis Castellanos, Aftercare Program Coordinator High Tech Elementary North County
Nikki Hinostro, Director, School Redesign @ Center for Love & Justice HTH Graduate School of Education
Jessica Macias, Humanities Teacher High Tech Middle North County
Emily Kyle, Teacher High Tech Middle North County
Roya Eskandar , Academic Aid High Tech Middle North County
Kalif Price, Teacher High Tech Elementary
Bob Goodman, Faculty, Harvard Graduate School of Ed. Harvard Graduate School of Education
Siriana Abboud, Founder of Allusio Academy, Early Educator Columbia University, Teachers College
Andrea Corbo, ESL Teacher Passaic high school
Omkulthoom Qassem , Project Teacher and Advisor ACE Leadership High School
Kristen lavolpa, Educator Self
Sienna Burkett, Project Teacher ACE Leadership High School
Samreen Hoda, Special education teacher NYC department of education
Thuraya Zeidan, Teacher Montclair State
Nora Charidah, English Teacher Achievement First
Samia Ayyash, Instructional Coach Teach For America/San Antonio Independent School District
Maryam Mohammad, Substitute teacher Canadian New Brunswick School System
Amal Ali, Single subject teacher Alvord Unified School District
Michael Peña, Teacher Mariner High School
Martina Santucci, Expert in social and cultural education Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna
Sobia Sheikh, Educator Mariner High School
Samantha Carrick, Teacher High Tech High International
Johana Cabeza, ECE Program Coach Child 360
Natalie Edirmanasinghe, Assistant Professor in School Counseling Old Dominion University
Nichole Hartrick, Band and Orchestra Director Dearborn Public Schools
Andrew Wurtz, Teacher Dearborn Adult Education
Minji Kim, Elementary School Teacher RISD
Khadija Matthews-Sussman, School Counselor NYCDOE
Sophia Flores, Teacher High Tech High
Alessandra de la Vega, Teacher Westside Middle School Academy
Sereen Elvin Hanhan, Teacher Central School District
Sienna Burkett, Project Teacher ACE Leadership High School
Mazen Youssef, Teacher Detroit Achievement Academy
Kristen lavolpa, Educator Independent
Eris Ann B. Gallego, Educator Olive st. Elementary
Brooke Diatta, Teacher of English WTSCHOOLS
Martin Reyes, Teacher LAUSD
Sundjata, Teacher Mount Vernon
Javier Davila, Student Equity Program Advisor Toronto District School Board
Serena Malatombee, Elementary Teacher Toronto District School Board
Katherine M. Hanna, Educator Cambridge Public Schools
Kelly Flores, Teacher Librarian Gompers MS/UMED HS -- LAUSD
Kimberly Tsai Cawkwell, Lead Designer of Pedagogy and Innovation High Tech High Graduate School of Education Center for Love & Justice