Sixty years after the Little Rock Nine faced mobs of racially charged hatred and became cornerstones of the Civil Rights movement, TEACH US ALL examines how the present day United States education system fails to live up to that promise of desegregation as it slides back into a re-segregation of its modern schools.
Due to storied histories of discriminatory housing practices which enforced segregation, case studies of the public schools in Little Rock, New York City, and Los Angeles present microcosms of the inequities and challenges manifesting in classrooms across America. Educator turnover rates become such that some schools just have to depend on warm bodies. Applying to a high school in a better neighborhood becomes more competitive than applying for an Ivy League university. The labyrinthine admissions process leaves working-class and minority parents out in the cold, and students believe their high schools are just pipelines into the prison system.
The Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library & Fitchburg State University Dean's in presents the Dean’s Anti-Racism Film Selection Event:
* Please note that Livestream viewers will not be able to participate in the Q&A session at the end of the presentation
Sixty years after the Little Rock Nine faced mobs of racially charged hatred and became cornerstones of the Civil Rights movement, Teach Us All examines how the present day United States education system fails to live up to that promise of desegregation as it slides back into a re-segregation of its modern schools.
The film is organized in three collaborative themes: the teacher’s role in influencing young people’s lives, the need for community engagement for school success, and the power of the students who will be charged with the fight for their right to education equity.
Join the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library and the Fitchburg State University Deans in a conversation about the present day state of public education here in Massachusetts, the ongoing work at Fitchburg State University in preparing the next generation of teachers for the Commonwealth, and how the film’s themes intersect with our campus commitment to inclusive excellence, community engagement, and education justice.
Jeremy Roche
Jeremy Roche has been the Principal at Fitchburg High School since 2011. He is a proud graduate of the Fitchburg State University Secondary Education/English program and has served in numerous teaching and administrative roles in his career. He is also the proud 2014 recipient of the Fitchburg State University Distinguished Alumni Award.
Dr. Lynn D’Agostino
Lynn D’Agostino is currently teaching in the Education Department at Fitchburg State University. She has been teaching courses and leading professional development around cultural competency and working with English learners for the past 8 years. Lynn has a wealth of experience around licensure programs, PK-12 community partnerships, and SEI through her roles as the field placement coordinator and as the director for the federal grant Transforming Education and Schools for English Learners. She also has a strong background in ESL from her experience teaching in Kosovo and in Fitchburg Public schools.
Dr. Katharine Covino
Katharine Covino, Assistant Professor of English Studies, teaches writing, literature, and teacher-preparation classes at Fitchburg State University. Her research interests include critical pedagogy, gender, and identity. Three areas of current scholarship focus on a) critical pedagogy in literacy-learning classrooms, b) applying indigenous lenses to examine cultural myths, and c) collaborating with English teachers on issues related to literacy praxis. Prior to teaching at the university level, she taught middle school and high school in Austin, Texas. She is also a children’s book author with multiple upcoming projects in the works. Her latest book, The Insanely Awesome POST Pandemic Playbook: A Humorous Mental Health Guide For Kids, seeks to support children (and their families) in understanding, processing, and addressing the challenges of life returning ‘back to normal’ in a funny, accessible, kid-friendly way.
Dana Meyer 
Dana Meyer has worked with students in grades K-6 across the Bedford, Billerica, Fitchburg, Harvard, and Concord school districts, and currently works as a 4th grade teacher in Belmont while completing her M.Ed. at Fitchburg State. She is passionate about integrating SEL and cultural responsiveness into her pedagogy, through the celebration of diversity and championing of anti-racist practices, in order to foster a safe space where all children can thrive.