The Transformative Education Network launches the TEN Honors Award

The Transformative Education Network (TEN) has announced the recipient of the inaugural year of the TEN Honors award. The TEN Honors initiative was created in order to recognize TEN alumni and partner district teachers who are advancing racial and social justice within their classrooms. This year’s honoree is Peter De La Cruz. An alumnus of the Newark Teacher Project, Peter now teaches Social Studies at University High School in Newark.

As evidence of his commitment to social justice education, Peter submitted student presentations from a unit he created called “The Ableism Project.”  In this unit, Peter engaged 10th-grade students in understanding the history and impact of ableism in society and schools, taking an intersectional approach to uncover the ways in which society has been structured to oppress people with disabilities.  As one student wrote, “Ableism, like racism and sexism, labels entire groups of people as ‘less than’.” Peter also had his students learn about important social justice activists who had disabilities, such as Fannie Lou Hamer and Harriet Tubman.

As the recipient of the TEN Honors award, Peter will receive a Newark small-business gift card, as well as a plaque recognizing his achievement. Congratulations Peter!