Educator Accomplices, as part of the ScholarshipsA-Z Educators Committee, Commit to the Following Set of Principles:

• I commit to providing a safe space where all students and families, regardless of immigration status, feel comfortable connecting with me and asking for resources. This means:

• Using intentional and inclusive language in my written materials, emails, and presentations

• Being sensitive to the multitude of situations an immigrant family may ask for my support

• Being mindful of my reactions when a student shares their status with me

• Keeping confidentiality and receiving a students’ informed consent before sharing their status with any community groups, colleagues, or other students

• Reaching out to colleagues and community groups to best support the students and families I am working with

• I commit to providing inclusive and useful resources for immigrant families

• I commit to using my privileged position as an educator to advocate for others

• By working to uplift and empower student voices

• I will not tell stories that are not my own without informed consent

• I commit to providing families and students with Tucson Community Rapid Response cards, when possible

• I commit to being aware of the impact that inviting law enforcement onto campus may have on students and their families

• I will not invite Border Patrol or ICE on campus for career fairs or any other event

• I will advocate for my school excluding Border Patrol and ICE from all campus events and I will educate my colleagues on the safety concerns this poses for our undocumented community

• If I am knowledgeable about a students’ undocumented status, I will do my best to advocate for alternative discipline procedures within my school that do not include contacting law enforcement

• I commit to educating myself and my colleagues on challenges related to the undocumented student experience

• I commit to sharing with my students information about their rights, and informing them that School Resource officers cannot ask about their immigration status in Pima County public schools. I will share with my colleagues that “immigration status” is protected under FERPA.

• I commit to advocating for the inclusion of undocumented students in school-related activities that exclude them and creating alternative options. This includes:

• Providing alternatives during FAFSA workshops

• Being mindful of field trips and sport events that may include driving through a Border Patrol Checkpoint

• Being mindful of the scholarships I am sharing with students

• I commit to listening to, learning from, supporting, and working with undocumented youth and their families

• I commit to asking “what resources are available for undocumented families?” when at college presentations, community workshops, Professional Development trainings, and the like

• I commit to educating colleagues who may be naïve about this work and addressing prejudices that I believe my colleagues may have

• I commit to learning more about the intersectional identities present within the undocumented community. This includes, but is not limited to, folx who identify as UndocuQueer, UndocuBlack, and UndocuAsian

• I commit to supporting other educators doing this work

• If I believe that a committee member is breaking any of these commitments, I will notify ScholarshipsA-Z Educators Committee leadership

By signing this document, I am committing to upholding these values outlined by the ScholarshipsA-Z Educators Committee. I understand that my participation in this work will strengthen my relationships with undocumented students and will better serve this community of students on my school campus. I agree to being an active participant in the Educators Committee Listserv where I will receive monthly invitations to meetings and updates regarding immigration, education and social justice. Failure to follow the aforementioned commitments could result in me being asked to formally leave the SA-Z Educators Committee. 

If I am unable to confidently sign this document today, I will continue on my own journey to fight for education equity and may, at a later time, sign and commit to these principles. Meanwhile, I understand that I am still invited to the ScholarshipsA-Z Educator Workshops and can continue to use their resources and information to best support my students. I will continue to strive for access to higher education in my own capacity, outside of this group.