Videos
Charters: The Illusion of Change
This video helps explain what is typically different about charter schools and traditional schools both on a national level and to some extent locally. It explores issues of school autonomy, community control, accountability, choice, funding formulas, and equity issues. The goal of the film is to help teachers, communities and education advocates understand the issues at stake as we face new legislation in Maryland–legislation that could change the landscape for charter schools and create a favorable environment for corporate charter chains to come to our state. The video is not intended as a critique of small, mom and pop charters in Baltimore—many of which were started by teachers and local education activists. Rather it makes the case that we should be protecting teachers’ union rights, making sure that all schools have equitable funding, and working for curricular autonomy for all schools.
THE FUTURE OF CHARTERS IN marYLAND
This forum on charter schools took place on October 15, 2015. After two brief presentations that provided background information on the history, structure and finances involved in charters in Maryland, an audience of charter advocates and those questioning the equity of charters had a chance to have a dialogue. The discussion was moderated by Baltimore Sun Reporter Erica Green.
POST IT PROJECT
This video was created by Kristina Berdan of Youth Dreamers. It is about how to engage young people in collecting real world data and having a voice in issues that impact their lives.
CREATING A DIVERSE CLASSROOM LIBRARY
This video was created by Kindergarten teacher Kathleen Sayers about how and why to create a diverse classroom library.
MEDITATION IN THE CLASSROOM
This video about meditation as a classroom tool was created by Meg Viar. She is an Elementary School Teacher at John Eager Howard School.
ZENTANGLE
This video created by permaculture designer Ulysses Archie and is about an art form called Zentangle. It is about creating patterns and visual repetition.
USING PRIMARY SOURCES TO CHALLENGE THE DOMINANT NARRATIVE
This video was created by Mike Pesa who is a history teacher at Patterson High School. He explores why it is useful to use primary sources in the classroom and offers specific examples of where teachers can find primary sources as well as ideas for how to have students work with them.
RULES?
This video was created by Nicole Talley. She explores what the purpose of rules are and shares how mich time children are bound by them in schools.
Langston Hughes Story
The video is about the fight to keep Langston Hughes Elementary School in Baltimore open. The video was filmed and produced as a collaborative effort between teachers and staff in the Teachers’ Democracy Project and folks at New Lens. There are also blogs and other media pieces related to the fight on our website under “Media” and “Blogs”.
The Value of a Teacher
This video is a teachers’ perspective on a component of the teacher evaluation system in Baltimore City. SLO’s or Student Leaning Objectives are potentially a good measure of teacher success but there are some issues in the implementation. This video is the first part in a series about the teacher evaluation system.
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Using Data to Promote Agency
This video was created by Math teacher Amber Qureshi who uses real world data to make learning math engaging.
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Socratic Dialogues
This video was created by teacher, Valencia Clay, who documented a fellow teacher and his students talking about the utility of Socratic Seminars.
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The Truth About Education
ACCESS TO WATER
SCHOOL STORY BY MARK CARTER
Mark Carter is the Program Director at Elev8 Baltimore. Elev8 operates level one health clinics out of several east Baltimore Public Schools. He and his colleagues have found a disturbing connection between the lack of water in schools and health outcomes.
TEACHERS' DEMOCRACY PROJECT 
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