The Origins of the Racial Justice Organizing Committee operating in the School District of Philadelphia: its ties to Tides Foundation and more

The RJOC is an offshoot of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.

The Racial Justice Organizing Committee (RJOC) is an organization based in Philadelphia. Its core members include School District of Philadelphia teachers Keziah Ridgeway, Norman Shaw Macqueen and Hannah Gann as well as School District of Philadelphia Director of Social Studies Curriculum Ismael Jimenez.

So what does the RJOC do? And where did it come from? Read on.

The RJOC began as a committee of the Caucus of Working Educators within the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.

Like the Educators for a Democratic Union with the Massachusetts Teachers Association (EDU members have consistently been voted president and vice president of MTA since its inception), CORE within the Chicago Teachers Union (CORE members now lead the CTU), or the MORE Caucus within the United Federation of Teachers, the Caucus of Working Educators (CWE) was formed to influence a more progressive agenda within the PFT and perhaps even take leadership of the PFT as happened in Massachusetts and Chicago.

The Caucus of Working Educators was formed in 2014.

(If the name Nick Palazzolo is familiar to you, it is because he co-wrote a “lesson” for Rethinking School’s “Teaching Palestine” along with Hannah Gann and Keziah Ridgeway.)

Below is a ballot for the executive board of the PFT - as you can see, the Caucus of Working Educators put up a slate of candidates, including Ismael Jimenez.

“Ismael’s teaching and activism are rooted in the theoretical framework developed by Paulo Freire, which emphasizes the role that education plays in the transformation of the world.”

The CWE was concerned with offering professional development to Philly teachers: including “Reclaiming Our Future: The Black Radical Tradition in Our Time”, “United Opt Out Conference: Transcending Resistance, Igniting Revolution”, “The White Privilege Conference: Understanding, Respecting and Connecting” and the “Education for Liberation Conference.”

The CWE believes that Teach for America upholds white supremacy. As it says in a letter to Deray Mckesson, who is on the board of Teach for America, it sees TFA as “part of a larger neoliberal effort to privatize education and replace unionized teachers (many of whom are teachers of color) with young, inexperienced teachers(most of whom are white…).”

Here Ismael Jimenez explains the work of the CWE:

In 2017, CWE received funding from Bread and Roses Community Fund - a grant of $10,000.

The Bread and Roses Community fund, itself, receives money from groups that fund far-left organizations. Bread and Roses gets money from the Tides Foundation which claims it “funds social justice.” Tides also funds CodePink, National Lawyers Guild, and Jewish Voice for Peace.

In 2020, after an Inquiry to action group (ITAG) meeting, RJOC announced it was separating from the CWE to become its own entity (perhaps they thought they could have more leeway in their work, perhaps they thought they could raise more funds as an independent organization?) .

In 2021, it registered for 501c(3) status and solicited donations and applied for grants.

RJOC received a $10,000 grant from Bread and Roses, the same organization that had funded its previous iteration, with the same amount, as part of the CWE.

In 2024, RJOC dissolved its 501 c(3) status to return to its “grassroots” origins. That’s the only explanation given.

However - the donation page is still up on its website and the links to donate through Cashapp, Paypal and venmo all still work. So where is that money going?

So what does RJOC do, untethered from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers?

Below are the RJOC’s demands for “Radical Education”

10 Demands For Radical Education Transformation Explained

1. We demand school-based Bias and Racial Equity Boards, with a process for protecting students and staff who report racism and discrimination.

   1. Establish Bias and Racial Equity Boards at every school that exist outside of administrative control.

   2. Develop a reporting process for students and staff who have experienced racism, bias, or discrimination (which includes but is not limited to Islamophobia, transphobia, homophobia, misogyny) in school.

   3. Create clear policies that protect students and staff for reporting violations including updated language in Policy 248 that clearly states consequences for staff that do not report such incidents.

2. We demand implementation and funding of Restorative Justice and Trauma Responsive practices in schools, which includes increased funding for school counselors, social workers, and mental health counselors, and abolishing school police officers.

   1. Implement more trauma-focused school initiatives with fidelity.

   2. Utilize funding for cops to hire more counselors, social workers, and mental health professionals. The goal should be a counselor per every 250 children.

   3. Have trauma and crisis response teams clearly defined and identified in every school that are properly trained in protective restraint measures and can de-escalate school conflicts.

   4. Dissolve the implementation of uniform policies which strips students of their cultural identity and is not equally enforced throughout the city of Philadelphia.

3. We demand that Special Education programs include whole child approaches to inclusion, testing, and identification so that students with exceptionalities receive a fair and equitable education. This should include robust SPED training and supports for all school staff.

   1. Schools should be monitored for disproportionality in special education diagnosis and program placement.

   2. Schools need to be staffed in such a way that students are able to be present in their federally mandated least restrictive environments.

   3. Hiring of more Black and Educators of Color in Special Education.

   4. Schools should implement or reinforce “gifted programs” in every public school.

   5. Students in special education classes should be placed in settings that have proper equipment, appropriate safety measures, and cleanliness.

4. We demand that trans, queer, and gender non-conforming students and staff be affirmed in their expression and protected from discrimination. The full implementation of policy #252 must be enforced at every level, including ongoing, regular training for all school leaders and staff members.

   1. As stated in Policy 252, students should be addressed by the name and pronouns that correspond to their gender identity in all interactions between them and school staff.

   2. Students and staff should have access to restrooms that correspond to their gender identity.

   3. The board should create and monitor a reporting system made constantly available and publicized to students. Students should have the choice to remain anonymous and there should be text-based options.

   4. All school leaders and staff members should receive regular ongoing training in the best ways to implement these policies and support members of the LGBTQ+ community.

5. We demand equitable hiring practices, including the recruitment and retention of Black Educators and Educators of Color. Increase the pay of Paraprofessionals and develop fully-funded pathways for them to become teachers.

   1. Implement programs with fidelity that will increase the number of Black Educators and Educators of Color including ESOL in schools.

   2. Cultivate more programs that begin recruitment of Black Educators and Educators of Color in High School.

   3. Increase the pay of Paraprofessionals, so they can make a living wage.

   4. Cultivate more programs that help Paraprofessionals become certified teachers.

   5. Reinstitute a tracking and quota-based system that ensures administration is making concerted efforts to increase the diversity of its school staff.

6. We demand Culturally Responsive Curriculum for every subject. This includes Ethnic, Indigenous, and Black studies courses at every level with commitment and intentionality.

   1. Implement a required Indigenous Studies Course for all students in K-12.

   2. Implement an elective Ethnic Studies Course K-12.

   3. Follow Through with an African American History Course K-12.

   4. Implement Culturally Responsive Curricula for every subject and grade level, including intentional pedagogy to support multilingual learners, many of whom are BIPOC.

   5. As stated in School District of Philadelphia Policy Section 102, Multiracial-Multicultural-Gender Education (August 2004), the policy of the School District is to foster knowledge about and respect for those of all races, ethnic groups, social classes, genders, religions, disabilities, sexual orientations (perceived or known) and gender identities (perceived or known). We demand this be enforced.

7. We demand mandatory antiracist training for all educators and that school leaders have standardized measurable plans and goals for cultural competencies of staff, integrating racial literacy into mandated teacher planning expectations, and at the individual school level looking at trends related to school discipline, staff demographics, and academic access.

   1. Require ongoing, annual antiracist training for all District and Charter staff (including classroom teachers, classroom assistants, principals, and all climate staff, school police, recruiters, etc.) that encourages them to reflect on their own racial identities, recognize implicit bias, and challenge systemic inequality in order to better serve students in Philadelphia.

   2. Quarterly reporting on the district’s equity initiative.

   3. Parent, Student and Teacher survey provided by the district regarding each school's equity progress?

8. We demand non-toxic schools that are clean, free of pests, lead, asbestos, and safe for students.

   1. No child should be in a building where there are asbestos, lead, COVID-19, and mold risks.

   2. Ensure that building engineers are adequately equipped to deal with rodents and outsource in order to ensure a pest-free school.

   3. Regular reporting from an outside agency about the safety of school buildings as pertaining to COVID-19, lead, asbestos, and mold.

   4. The school district should take measurable steps to make all schools environmentally friendly.

9. We demand equitable access to all learning institutions and tracks (Magnet schools, AP/IB, and honors courses) for students and opportunities for Black Educators & Educators of Color to teach those classes.

   1. Due to Black students being underrepresented in Philadelphia’s magnet schools, at least 30 to 35% of the seats should be reserved for Black students within the neighborhood.

   2. Magnet schools & Magnet/IB programs should start buddy programs with local neighborhood Middle Schools to promote preparation for matriculation at the school.

   3. Magnet schools & Magnet/IB programs should be forced to track race data for applicants to ensure they reach a threshold of at least 35% for Black students.

   4. Any schools that deny Black, Indigenous or Latino students from AP, IB, or Magnet programs within schools based on personal preference should be appropriately disciplined.

   5. All students should have the opportunity to apply for IB/AP/Magnet courses after being explained the rigors of the course.

   6. No student should be prevented from testing in AP or IB courses because of fees.

10. We demand that the School Board endorse the Black Lives Matter Week of Action at Schools and remove any members who have a history of public racism and bias.

    1. As a show of good faith, the school board should endorse and publicize Black Lives Matter Week of Action at Schools as a week that uplifts the voices of Black students and educators.

    2. The school board and the Mayor’s office need a clear publicized system to remove members who have a history of public racism and bias.

Possible Updates:

• Demand 1 We discussed the question from APPS regarding administrative power in Racial Bias boards, however we feel the bullets following the main demand address the concern

• Demand 2 has questions about the implications of police free schools. We tend to do a good job of addressing harm and violence and the ways it can play out in schools and the need for funding,more people etc.

• Update demand around magnet schools admissions etc Should we consider adding info about Dual enrollment to demand no 9

• Language

  • Here’s what I came up with (but asking people who know shit to help me make sure the wording makes sense): The climate crisis has deeply unequal impacts, both globally in marginalized populations and the way it affects Philadelphians' health and well-being. We demand upgrades and retrofits to our schools' infrastructure that address local toxic conditions while reducing energy use and making schools more climate friendly.

The RJOC seems to mostly be focused on activism/agitation at SDP Board meetings:

The RJOC also holds teacher training/professional development:

In this “Teach-In for Palestine” for K-12 teachers, RJOC teaches that presenting “both sides” in the classroom is wrong. Being “unbiased” is a tactic of white supremacy.

In the same “Teach-In”, they decline to blame Hamas for human rights abuses in Gaza, instead, in a shocking turn of events, blaming Israel:

This is unsurprising given who the core members of RJOC are.

Ismael Jimenez and Keziah Ridgeway have been covered quite a bit in this Substack:

For a glimpse into what is discussed at RJOC meetings, see here.

So, the CWE was formed in 2014. The Racial Justice Organizing Committee, with most of its founding members, decided in 2020 to become an independent organization - with a list of demands for Philly schools. In 2022, Ismael Jimenez, a founding member of CWE and the RJOC becomes the Director of Social Studies Curriculum for the entire district. An interesting hiring decision indeed.