Education in the News: What’s Happening in Classrooms Today?

The debate over what happens in the classroom continues to escalate as politics creep into curriculum. What can be taught, what can be said, and what pronouns teachers can use are all in question. What are the new bills and school policies being introduced in Arizona? How is legislation in other states influencing the national conversation about education? How does the regulation of books, curriculum and speech in the classroom affect students and teachers? What we teach our children now will have lasting ramifications, so what effect will this have on our society long-term? Join us for a discussion about the current Arizona education legislation and school policies shaping our future.

This event is cohosted by Pima County Public Library- Dusenberry-River Branch. This is an in-person event.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Derek spent the first decade of his professional career as an educator weaving diversity and social justice education into his curriculum and everyday life. He started his career as an English Teacher and Activities Director in Southern California. It was here he was introduced to the California Conference for Equity and Justice and he found a passion for Social Justice education. He went on to develop a Social Justice literature course for a high school in the San Francisco area. In this position he worked with high school seniors to develop the ability to be critical thinkers who can make change. Currently, he works at ASU’s Learning Enterprise as a Senior Project Manager. During his time at ASU, he started internal DEI committees, led trainings for professional and student staff on DEI initiatives and practices, worked on equitable hiring practices, and presented at ASU’s Diversity and Inclusion 2021 conference. His current role focuses on improving higher education onramps for underserved communities inside and outside of Arizona.