Freedom Writers Foundation - Newsletter
August, 2013
Students Need a Second Chance; they Need Positive Adult Role Models; they Need Educators who Care
Help us get students what they need.
Donate today.
Derrick Barrow on Being a Freedom Writer Teacher in Lousiana
On Monday August 12, Freedom Writer Teacher Derrick Barrow was interviewed by his local news station. The news crew showed up to Derrick's Belaire High School classroom and discussed returning for another school year as an English teacher and the head of the English department. Watch Derrick talk to channel 9 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana about being a Freedom Writer Teacher and the impact it has had on his students.
The Following is an Excerpt from Teaching Hope, by Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writer Teachers
Teaching Hope
Diary #7
"Finding Your Calling"
Not everyone stays. Even fewer return. First lady Michelle Obama did. And so did I. I grew up in the shadow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, and I studied in the same high school as the Nobel laureate and civil rights martyr. When I realized my calling to become a teacher, I knew that I would return. This profession is a privilege-to usher the next generation of leaders to realize their potential; to serve the Atlanta neighborhood that gave, and continues to give me so much; to bind myself to the legacy of service Dr. King challenged us all to live. Every day I ask myself, “How can I fulfill my own dreams and those of my students?”
Marian Wright Edelman reminds me that “it is the responsibility of every adult…to make sure that children hear what we have learned from the lessons of life and to hear over and over again that we love them and that they are not alone.”
Teaching is an art that must take place both in and outside of our schools in order that our students may see the connection between learning and serving.
My relationship with my students is a special one. Because I walked the same halls and sat in the same classrooms when I was a student, they relate to me in a way few other educators are fortunate enough to experience. And even though many of my students are high achievers and scholarship earners, there is often darkness behind the light.
Skill is often not enough. One of my students is a great debater and was given the opportunity to compete in a national tournament held in Washington, D.C. Sadly, he could not attend because the registration required that he have health insurance—insurance he no longer had because both of his parents lost their jobs at GM and Ford plants. I realized that even those students who delve deep into their studies face barriers.
Another student maintains a 94 grade-point average, a winning attitude, and a thirst for putting pen to paper. But, caught up in her academic success, she was dehydrated. Drained, every day she fought the fear of no longer having her two HIV-positive parents in her life.
I keep seeing this child in my mind’s eye. I see her in class working away as if no care in the world presses upon her. I see her writing away to earn A’s across her report cards. How do I separate my role as teacher from that of social worker? When she tells me that she needs “just a couple more days” to gather the money for a trip, because the money she had set aside had to be used to buy her parents’ medicine, how can I remain fair to the other students? Do I give her more time? Do I pay for her trip myself?
Another one of my students admits that he wants to murder his father, because his father refuses to pay child support. He still bears the scars of being forced to watch his mother being dragged across floors only to see the man who abused her abandon his family and forget who and what he left behind.
When the students have done all that they can, where do we and the education system meet them? It is heartbreaking to teach students who have talent but no stage on which to perform because of where the live; who have artistic ability but no canvas on which to express themselves because the school district keeps cutting back. It is heartbreaking to teach students who come from torn homes that have fostered broken definitions of what romantic love really is and should be, and students who are so young but already convinced that they’ll never be able to live debt-free because half of their family’s bills are in their names.
For many of my students, I am all that they have. And I am giving all that I am to move them beyond their present circumstances. Teaching is my life. Helping my students become their best selves gives my life purpose, meaning, and hope. Today is a better day. I am what my students need. I am a teacher.
Freedom Writers Institutes, 2013
Breaking New Ground
As we welcome our students back to school this year, we cannot forget the courageous educators who show unrelenting commitment to all students every day. Among the most difficult jobs in our society, teaching is also among the most honorable.
It’s only because of you--our friends and supporters--that we can give teachers the support they need to help at-risk youth succeed.
The beginning of the '13/'14 school year marks an exciting turning point for the Freedom Writers Foundation.
The Foundation is breaking new ground through an unprecedented partnership with Springfield, Massachussetts.
Additionally, we have expanded to embrace our second international Freedom Writers Institute and welcome more couragious educators from around the world into our network.
Below you will find stories about this summer's institutes, the courageous new Freedom Writer Teachers, and current educators using Freedom Writer methods in the field.
We are proud that you, our loyal constituents, are joining us on our march toward meaningful and successful education for all students.
Springfield Public Schools Establishes Offical Partnership with the Freedom Writers Foundation
The Freedom Writers Foundation is officially partnering with Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, MA.
The Mayor of Springfield, Domenic J. Sarno, and the Superintendent of Schools, Dan Warwick, have both endorsed an offical partnership with the Freedom Writers Foundation. Following their endorsement, many charitable and generous foundations, corporations, colleges, universities, and individuals have donated to make the partnership a reality. The entire community is behind the partnership and because of the amazing support, the Freedom Writers Foundation and Springfield Public Schools will be working hand in hand to help youth succeed.
The community of Springfield and the Freedom Writers Foundation are confident that this partnership will result in academic improvement district wide.
To evaluate the program, we have partnered with New York University's Metrocenter for Urban Education led by Dr. Pedro Noguera. Noguera's team will follow the progress of the program and evaluate how it impacts the youth of Springfield.
We are honored that Springfield Public Schools, the Community of Springfield, and NYU's Metrocenter are all teaming up to help more at-risk students succeed and get a second chance at a fulfilling life.
We'd like to officially thank the following organizations for their generous support of the program:
The Freedom Writers Teachers Institutes
This summer the Freedom Writers Foundation hosted two Teacher Training Institutes in our home town, Long Beach, California. The Institutes are five-day training programs for educators, professionals who work with adolescents, and professionals in leadership roles.
At the Institute, Gruwell and the Freedom Writers lead a full-immersion training of the Freedom Writer Methodology and accompanying curricula. During the five-day institute, participants learn the components of transformative education through hands-on learning activities and real-life experience.
For our June Institute, we were grateful to have educators and professionals from all over the world. The participants arrived from various countries including the United States, Rwanda, Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Our July Institute consisted of twenty-five teachers, administrators, and program staff from a single district, Springfield Public Schools from Springfield, Massachusetts. Over the next two years, the Freedom Writers Foundation, Springfield Public Schools, and New York University will be observing the progress made by students in the Springfield district.
Below are a few profiles of the amazing educators who joined us this summer.
Jan Erik Dubbelman (pictured above) is the first Freedom Writer Teacher from the Netherlands. As the International Director for the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, Jan Erik welcomed the Freedom Writers Foundation to his place of work in November of 2012 and began a lifelong paternship between the two organizations. We are so excited to officially welcome Jan Erik to the Freedom Writers Family.
Bryan Duarte (pictured above with Freedom Writer Shanate Jones) is a first generation college graduate. His mother moved from Portugal to Springfield, Massachusetts and raised her four children alone after her husband passed away. Bryan now teaches eighth grade English in the same city he grew up in and wants to be part of the Freedom Writers movement to give back to the town that was so generous to his mother.
Latoya Bosworth (pictured above with Freedom Writer Dustin Infante) is an English teacher at Springfield Public Day High School. When Latoya was 13 her grandmother whom she was very close with passed away and left her a diary. Ever since, Latoya has used writing as a tool to cope with her emotions. Her passion for wirting has been turned into four books and helped her reach countless teens during her 16 years working with at-risk youth. We are very proud to have Latoya included in our 350 Freedom Writer Teachers.
Thank you to all of our generous sponsors!
Please visit our website at www.freedomwritersfoundation.org.
Donate to our cause at www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/donate.
Remove my name from all future email correspondence
Address postal inquiries to:
Freedom Writers Foundation
PO Box 41505
Long Beach, CA 90853-1505
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August, 2013
Students Need a Second Chance; they Need Positive Adult Role Models; they Need Educators who Care
Help us get students what they need.
Donate today.
Derrick Barrow on Being a Freedom Writer Teacher in Lousiana
On Monday August 12, Freedom Writer Teacher Derrick Barrow was interviewed by his local news station. The news crew showed up to Derrick's Belaire High School classroom and discussed returning for another school year as an English teacher and the head of the English department. Watch Derrick talk to channel 9 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana about being a Freedom Writer Teacher and the impact it has had on his students.
The Following is an Excerpt from Teaching Hope, by Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writer Teachers
Teaching Hope
Diary #7
"Finding Your Calling"
Not everyone stays. Even fewer return. First lady Michelle Obama did. And so did I. I grew up in the shadow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, and I studied in the same high school as the Nobel laureate and civil rights martyr. When I realized my calling to become a teacher, I knew that I would return. This profession is a privilege-to usher the next generation of leaders to realize their potential; to serve the Atlanta neighborhood that gave, and continues to give me so much; to bind myself to the legacy of service Dr. King challenged us all to live. Every day I ask myself, “How can I fulfill my own dreams and those of my students?”
Marian Wright Edelman reminds me that “it is the responsibility of every adult…to make sure that children hear what we have learned from the lessons of life and to hear over and over again that we love them and that they are not alone.”
Teaching is an art that must take place both in and outside of our schools in order that our students may see the connection between learning and serving.
My relationship with my students is a special one. Because I walked the same halls and sat in the same classrooms when I was a student, they relate to me in a way few other educators are fortunate enough to experience. And even though many of my students are high achievers and scholarship earners, there is often darkness behind the light.
Skill is often not enough. One of my students is a great debater and was given the opportunity to compete in a national tournament held in Washington, D.C. Sadly, he could not attend because the registration required that he have health insurance—insurance he no longer had because both of his parents lost their jobs at GM and Ford plants. I realized that even those students who delve deep into their studies face barriers.
Another student maintains a 94 grade-point average, a winning attitude, and a thirst for putting pen to paper. But, caught up in her academic success, she was dehydrated. Drained, every day she fought the fear of no longer having her two HIV-positive parents in her life.
I keep seeing this child in my mind’s eye. I see her in class working away as if no care in the world presses upon her. I see her writing away to earn A’s across her report cards. How do I separate my role as teacher from that of social worker? When she tells me that she needs “just a couple more days” to gather the money for a trip, because the money she had set aside had to be used to buy her parents’ medicine, how can I remain fair to the other students? Do I give her more time? Do I pay for her trip myself?
Another one of my students admits that he wants to murder his father, because his father refuses to pay child support. He still bears the scars of being forced to watch his mother being dragged across floors only to see the man who abused her abandon his family and forget who and what he left behind.
When the students have done all that they can, where do we and the education system meet them? It is heartbreaking to teach students who have talent but no stage on which to perform because of where the live; who have artistic ability but no canvas on which to express themselves because the school district keeps cutting back. It is heartbreaking to teach students who come from torn homes that have fostered broken definitions of what romantic love really is and should be, and students who are so young but already convinced that they’ll never be able to live debt-free because half of their family’s bills are in their names.
For many of my students, I am all that they have. And I am giving all that I am to move them beyond their present circumstances. Teaching is my life. Helping my students become their best selves gives my life purpose, meaning, and hope. Today is a better day. I am what my students need. I am a teacher.
Freedom Writers Institutes, 2013
Breaking New Ground
As we welcome our students back to school this year, we cannot forget the courageous educators who show unrelenting commitment to all students every day. Among the most difficult jobs in our society, teaching is also among the most honorable.
It’s only because of you--our friends and supporters--that we can give teachers the support they need to help at-risk youth succeed.
The beginning of the '13/'14 school year marks an exciting turning point for the Freedom Writers Foundation.
The Foundation is breaking new ground through an unprecedented partnership with Springfield, Massachussetts.
Additionally, we have expanded to embrace our second international Freedom Writers Institute and welcome more couragious educators from around the world into our network.
Below you will find stories about this summer's institutes, the courageous new Freedom Writer Teachers, and current educators using Freedom Writer methods in the field.
We are proud that you, our loyal constituents, are joining us on our march toward meaningful and successful education for all students.
Springfield Public Schools Establishes Offical Partnership with the Freedom Writers Foundation
The Freedom Writers Foundation is officially partnering with Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, MA.
The Mayor of Springfield, Domenic J. Sarno, and the Superintendent of Schools, Dan Warwick, have both endorsed an offical partnership with the Freedom Writers Foundation. Following their endorsement, many charitable and generous foundations, corporations, colleges, universities, and individuals have donated to make the partnership a reality. The entire community is behind the partnership and because of the amazing support, the Freedom Writers Foundation and Springfield Public Schools will be working hand in hand to help youth succeed.
The community of Springfield and the Freedom Writers Foundation are confident that this partnership will result in academic improvement district wide.
To evaluate the program, we have partnered with New York University's Metrocenter for Urban Education led by Dr. Pedro Noguera. Noguera's team will follow the progress of the program and evaluate how it impacts the youth of Springfield.
We are honored that Springfield Public Schools, the Community of Springfield, and NYU's Metrocenter are all teaming up to help more at-risk students succeed and get a second chance at a fulfilling life.
We'd like to officially thank the following organizations for their generous support of the program:
The Freedom Writers Teachers Institutes
This summer the Freedom Writers Foundation hosted two Teacher Training Institutes in our home town, Long Beach, California. The Institutes are five-day training programs for educators, professionals who work with adolescents, and professionals in leadership roles.
At the Institute, Gruwell and the Freedom Writers lead a full-immersion training of the Freedom Writer Methodology and accompanying curricula. During the five-day institute, participants learn the components of transformative education through hands-on learning activities and real-life experience.
For our June Institute, we were grateful to have educators and professionals from all over the world. The participants arrived from various countries including the United States, Rwanda, Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Our July Institute consisted of twenty-five teachers, administrators, and program staff from a single district, Springfield Public Schools from Springfield, Massachusetts. Over the next two years, the Freedom Writers Foundation, Springfield Public Schools, and New York University will be observing the progress made by students in the Springfield district.
Below are a few profiles of the amazing educators who joined us this summer.
Jan Erik Dubbelman (pictured above) is the first Freedom Writer Teacher from the Netherlands. As the International Director for the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, Jan Erik welcomed the Freedom Writers Foundation to his place of work in November of 2012 and began a lifelong paternship between the two organizations. We are so excited to officially welcome Jan Erik to the Freedom Writers Family.
Bryan Duarte (pictured above with Freedom Writer Shanate Jones) is a first generation college graduate. His mother moved from Portugal to Springfield, Massachusetts and raised her four children alone after her husband passed away. Bryan now teaches eighth grade English in the same city he grew up in and wants to be part of the Freedom Writers movement to give back to the town that was so generous to his mother.
Latoya Bosworth (pictured above with Freedom Writer Dustin Infante) is an English teacher at Springfield Public Day High School. When Latoya was 13 her grandmother whom she was very close with passed away and left her a diary. Ever since, Latoya has used writing as a tool to cope with her emotions. Her passion for wirting has been turned into four books and helped her reach countless teens during her 16 years working with at-risk youth. We are very proud to have Latoya included in our 350 Freedom Writer Teachers.
Thank you to all of our generous sponsors!
Please visit our website at www.freedomwritersfoundation.org.
Donate to our cause at www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/donate.
Remove my name from all future email correspondence
Address postal inquiries to:
Freedom Writers Foundation
PO Box 41505
Long Beach, CA 90853-1505
Powered By