Dear TCSS members:
As part of our pledge to offer increased opportunities for our members to learn more about equity issues in our classrooms and in our society, we are kicking off the first of four book studies over the course of the next year. Our first book study will be over The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein. We selected this book because an understanding of the purposeful segregation of our society can not only help us explain the elements of segregation in our classrooms, but also understand why our schools and communities persist in being so segregated even in 2020. Black and Hispanic students are still far more likely to attend high-poverty schools than white or Asian students: in 2017, 77% of black children attended a school designated high or mid-high poverty. The patterns of segregation are still evident in most American towns.
The book study will be facilitated by Meghan Dougherty, a middle/high school social studies instructional coach in Round Rock ISD, and John Fernandez, Core Curriculum and Innovation Coordinator - Social Studies Elementary/Middle School at Fort Worth ISD.
The first 30 TCSS members to sign up to participate in this study will receive free copies of the book. Please fill out the form by July 1 to be eligible to receive a copy of the book. This book study is open to non-TCSS members as well, but TCSS will not provide books to non-members (renew your membership).
The book study will include three Zoom conversations and two Twitter chats. The schedule will be as follows:
- Zoom meeting - week of July 13
- Twitter Chat - week of July 20
- Zoom meeting - week of July 27
- Twitter Chat - week of August 3
- Zoom meeting - week of August 10
(The specific dates will be chosen based on preferences expressed in the Google sign up form.)
Upon completion of the book study, TCSS will issue certificates to participants for up to 6 hours of PD credit.
