Reality Check: Pursuing Justice Through Education:

As teachers in the District of Columbia with the Teach for America corps, we are faced with questions of educational inequity every day. It is easy to see the gaps in justice when we greet our students each morning—some did not get a good night’s sleep as they have no pillow, while others did not have an opportunity to complete their homework as they have obligations after school to help their parents pay for groceries, care for siblings, and serve as active contributors to the family. Most did not eat breakfast. While not every student's story is that of overcoming impossible odds, unfortunately many of our students do face considerable adversity. The effects of this inequality are manifested in the excruciatingly real disparity in educational outcomes along socioeconomic lines. In light of these realities, an excellent education can be the great provider of justice and of the opportunity to succeed.

Laurel Horn working with a 10th-grade student, Keith Jenkins, in geometry class. Photo by Steve Horn.

It can be difficult to remember that this struggle to close the achievement gap is not only being fought in local classrooms, schools, and communities, but across the nation and world. As twenty-somethings navigating the post-college terrain, we must choose not only how to respond to injustice locally, but also how our work reflects the importance we place on overarching Jewish values—and what tzedek means to us.

Tzedek, the Jewish value of social justice, is the moral obligation to take action instead of remaining silent in the presence of injustice. Our actions through the power of education can make a difference in combating injustice; demonstrating a palpable commitment to tzedek can cause dramatic shifts in student achievement outcomes. When students are met with unwavering confidence in their abilities, the opportunities awaiting each young mind present themselves. We enable such opportunities: through effectively challenging a student who always seems to know the answer, spending 20 minutes after school helping a ninth-grader learn how to read, or watching a student teach classmates an algebra concept when he began the year struggling with subtraction.

Civil rights advocate Lani Guinier at Scripps College compared the experience of marginalized populations in America to a miner’s canary. “Look for the canaries,” Guinier implored. “Use their silence as a challenge for you to consider how you conduct yourselves.” Teach For America has identified a canary and is taking action to change the conditions of the mine—through the belief that within education lies the ability to foster equality and coexistence, in this country and around the world.

This summer, we will travel to Israel on a new initiative for Jewish members of the Teach for America corps called REALITY Israel, a partnership between the Charles and Lynne Schusterman Family Foundation, the Samburg Family Foundation, the Center for Leadership Initiatives, and Teach For America. The trip will analyze connections between Teach for America’s work and similar efforts to address social justice issues in Israel. By examining different service organizations and encountering those working within their communities and shaping social policy, we will explore how Jewish values align with our work.

Tzedek at the Core

Reflecting on the Teach for America corps values, close ties exist with the essential tenant of tzedek (social justice) within Judaism.

Relentless Pursuit of Results. The Torah portion Shoftim (Judges) instructs, "Tzedek tzedek tirdof," "Justice, justice, you shall pursue" (Deut. 16:20). This powerful statement demands perseverance and constant action in the pursuit of justice.

Sense of Possibility. The concept of tikkun olam teaches to actively pursue the repair of the world through small actions in daily life. Taking steps every day will lead toward achieving access to excellent education for all students.

Disciplined Thought. Within Judaism, time is dedicated during Rosh Hashanah and throughout the year for individual reflection on how one's words and action—–or, perhaps, the lack of either —impacts the lives of others. Each day serves as an opportunity to impact students. However, success is contingent upon constant reflection and improvement on the approach.

Respect and Humility. The Talmud quote, “Make for yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge everyone as having equal merit," indicates the importance of education and the interdependence necessary for growth. Working with veteran teachers, students, parents and families, other corps members, and administrators within Teach for America, respect and humility allow a broadening of one's community and perspective.

Integrity. Within all faiths, individuals are called to lead by example, live what they believe, and practice what they preach. Our work is aligned with personal values and belief in the importance of pursuing tzedek, motivated by the sense of urgency in the immorality of educational inequity.

For more information on the Teach for America Corps' core values, visit: www.teachforamerica.org/about/corevalues.htm