Baltimore County Public Schools: BCPS Students To Participate In Third Annual Educators Rising Conference

Press release from Baltimore County Public Schools:

February 23, 2021

TOWSON, MD – Nearly 300 Baltimore County Public Schools students, representing 27 middle and high schools, are registered to participate in the school system’s third annual Educators Rising Conference.
The conference will be held virtually on Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., and will feature Dr. Bettina Love, author of “We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teacher and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom.” Immediately prior to the conference, Love will present a professional development session for more than 400 BCPS teachers.
“We are honored when BCPS students return to the school system as teachers,” said Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams, who will bring greetings to the conference. “Our Educators Rising clubs nurture students’ interest in possible education careers and enrich their preparation for future success.”

Students have been participating in Educators Rising competitions virtually this year. The state has been sponsoring the competitions monthly, and finalists will be recognized at the state conference in March.
Love’s keynote address for the conference is titled “Living A Hip Hop & Abolitionist Life: Resistance, Creativity, Hip Hop Civics Ed, Intersectionality & Black Joy.” According to conference materials, Love will discuss “how Hip-Hop Civics Ed, when linked to the framework of intersectionality and Abolitionist Teaching, creates a space where Black lives matter, and analytic sensibilities are nurtured to engage youth in the work of fighting for visibility, inclusion, and justice. Her talk will end by calling for us all not only to teach students about racial violence, oppression, and how to make sustainable change in their communities through innovative and radical civic curriculum, but also to expose youth to the possibilities that come with envisioning a world built on Black joy, creativity, imagination, boldness, ingenuity, and the rebellious spirit and methods of Abolitionists.”
Following the keynote address, student will participate in two breakout sessions. They can choose from among the following topics:

• The Arts as an Expression of Social Justice
• Be A Student of Your School Community (what teachers can learn from the communities they serve)
• Black Lives Matter at School
• Building Space for Conversations about Race
• Careers in Education
• Education Law
• Engaging Equity in Teaching, Learning, and Community Engagement: Having Difficult Conversations
• The History of Blackface: More than Just an Act
• How to Become a BCPS Teacher
• Inspiring Creativity and Connection
• Neutralizing Implicit Bias
• Planning for Social Justice
• The Power of Affinity: A Space for Psychological Safety
• Songversation: A Conversation of How Societal Issues Transcend through Hip Hop and Education
• Turning the Tables: Remixing Curriculum with HipHop Pedagogy to Amplify Student Voice and Activism
• Why Choose Community College to Begin Your Teaching Degree?
• Why Culturally Responsive Teaching Matters

The breakout sessions will be led by BCPS staff as well as representatives of Altair Education Consulting, Community College of Baltimore County, Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center, Loyola University of Maryland, Notre Dame of MD University, Towson University, and Upward Bound.

Dr. Bettina Love Baltimore County Public Schools many honors

This press release was produced by Baltimore County Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.