Change starts by investing in the next generation of teachers and leaders

A Message from the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation President:

At the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation, we have the privilege of working with extraordinary Texas educators and telling their stories which celebrate their work and contributions to the 5.5 million school children across this state. And, as part of Raise Your Hand’s ongoing commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are working to deepen our learning and to bring a concerted equity focus to our work, including our storytelling as well as our programmatic work in creating a more diverse teacher workforce in Texas. 

As part of our storytelling, we have been working on a story of two Asian American women — one a Charles Butt Scholar who is an aspiring teacher, and the other is a principal who is mentoring this Scholar. This story, “Developing the Next Generation of Teachers and Leaders” was filmed over the last months before the most recent rise in violence committed against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. As we finished work on the video and article we paused to reflect upon how to best bring forward the story in the most respectful and empowering ways that we could, demonstrating our staunch support for the AAPI community and shining a light on the diversity and strength within our educational community. 

Educational leaders, like Dr. Ting-Ling Sha and Ms. Baohan Phi in this story, represent the strength of the AAPI community, as well as their importance to, and positive impact on, the current and future success of Texas. So many of our stories, and the students, teachers, school leaders, and communities featured in them, stand as testaments to the critical role public education plays in disrupting systemic racism and ensuring a more just and equitable future for all of Texas’ students and families. In recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we hope you will take some time to honor their stories, honor their journeys, and honor their lives. At Raise Your Hand Texas, we stand with the AAPI community.

Resources for Educators:

• We are not a stereotype: Breaking Down Asian Pacific American Bias:
  https://smithsonianapa.org/learn/not-a-stereotype/
• Lesson of the Day: A Rise in Attacks on Asian Americans:
  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/learning/lesson-of-the-day-a-rise-in-attacks-on-asian-americans.html
• Let’s Talk! Supporting Asian and Asian American Students Through COVID-19: https://www.mghihp.edu/Asian-American-Webinar-Series
• PBS Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month collection of stories and classroom resources:
  https://www.pbs.org/specials/asian-pacific-american-heritage-month/
• Responding to COVID Bullying, Bias, and Violence Against Asian Americans:
  https://www.colorincolorado.org/responding-covid-bullying-and-bias-against-asian-americans