Equality is not equity, tolerance is not inclusion, and access is not opportunity. Efforts to address inequities within our schools tend to ignore the underlying beliefs that sustain injustices, and focus instead on short-lived policies and practices. This book takes a different approach to eradicating educational disparities. Drawing on more than forty interviews with teachers, principals, and district leaders, Manya C. Whitaker offers educators guidance for leading a school or district grounded in social justice that centers teachers—not just teaching practices—and that focuses on the belief systems that shape decision-making. The chapters walk educational leaders through a strategic approach to long-term change: from school planning for family and community engagement, to hiring and onboarding teachers, to sustaining equity through multifaceted professional development and equitable evaluation. Concrete “how-to”s are provided throughout, along with reflection questions to help readers apply the content to their context. For any school or district leader intent on addressing the many inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, this book is an essential manual.

Equality is not equity, tolerance is not inclusion, and access is not opportunity. Efforts to address inequities within our schools tend to ignore the underlying beliefs that sustain injustices, and focus instead on short-lived policies and practices. This book takes a different approach to eradicating educational disparities. Drawing on more than forty interviews with teachers, principals, and district leaders, Manya C. Whitaker offers educators guidance for leading a school or district grounded in social justice that centers teachers—not just teaching practices—and that focuses on the belief systems that shape decision-making. The chapters walk educational leaders through a strategic approach to long-term change: from school planning for family and community engagement, to hiring and onboarding teachers, to sustaining equity through multifaceted professional development and equitable evaluation. Concrete “how-to”s are provided throughout, along with reflection questions to help readers apply the content to their context. For any school or district leader intent on addressing the many inequities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, this book is an essential manual.

In the pursuit of a first-rate education for all students, America’s public schools have struggled to achieve fuller racial integration and higher academic standards. Yet sharp inequities between prosperous school districts and poorer districts remain, reinforced by traditional ways of funding and administering public education. This book brings together cutting-edge ideas and strategies of prominent advocates of school equity reform. Discussing their first-hand experiences in forming coalitions, framing court cases, and dealing with state politics in New Jersey, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Alabama, Kentucky, and Washington, the contributors consider what succeeded, and what failed, in the search for financial and legal remedies to educational inequity.The varied case studies of this book underscore the importance of a comprehensive approach-combining finance, restructuring, and governance reforms-for the success of a city or state school reform effort. The authors investigate how state constitutions have been used to challenge a state’s financial distribution of school aid, how business and community organizations have engaged in reform efforts, and how others have negotiated legislation to achieve change. This discussion of reform strategies will interest not only those who are concerned with excellence and equity in education but also those who wish to form successful coalitions and challenge existing state policies.

Almost 200 years after public schools moved toward free education for all children, educators are still exploring the best approaches for promoting equitable student growth. In early 2020, Covid-19 operational changes and the challenge to confront America's most profound racial problems exposed many equity issues in schools. As a result, educators were called to reimagine the field of education as the curtain closed on the first quarter of the 21st century. The essays in this book challenge classroom instructors to consider new approaches to education theory, classroom praxis and teaching content. The chapters herein draw on mixed-methods and narrative form essays to provide practical tools and techniques for building equitable schools. Viewing schools as extensions of society-at-large, this book delivers innovative curricular approaches to STEM education, the Humanities and applied theater. The authors offer methods for empowering student voices, managing moments of crisis, increasing representation in computer science and implementing restorative justice disciplinary practices in learning institutions. Essays provide all educators with proven instructional models for curricular equity with the goal of moving America closer to a multicultural democracy.

This edited volume examines the thrust toward equity in education for marginalized and out-of-school youth, as well as youth with disabilities, in countries located in the Global South. Using a critical cross-cultural lens to interrogate the historical, empirical, and theoretical discourses associated with achieving UNESCO’s equity in education agenda, the book showcases the work of scholars from developed and developing nations in examining inclusive education. Drawing attention to the nature, impact, and effects of marginalization, the book ultimately demonstrates the ability of education systems in the Global South to be innovative and agile despite current resource challenges. This text will benefit scholars, academics, and students in the fields of international and comparative education, education policy, and inclusion and special educational needs education more broadly. Those involved with Caribbean and Latin American studies, the sociology of education, and diaspora studies in general will also benefit from this volume.

By reconsidering the nature of professional work, renowned scholar Douglas E. Mitchell argues for reconceptualizing educational practices and institutional structures in ways that facilitate and protect educator professional responsibility. This book explores ways educators and their political supporters can seize the social and political power necessary to accept professional responsibility for the design of their work environment. Chapters explore how unionization, ethics, public values, political power, school reform, and trust play an important role in the essence of professional responsibility in schools, arguing that we must use organization, management, and accountability mechanisms to encourage responsible civic participation and professional action in support of public education. This new text for graduate studies in teacher and leadership training frames a much needed analysis of where and how professional responsibility for public education is best incorporated into the work roles of teachers, administrators, and university scholars.

In this important collection, eminent education scholars and practitioners remind us that our nation’s system of free universal public education is under attack, putting our very democracy in jeopardy. Over and above preparing students for employability, American schools must prepare our youth to be informed citizens and active, constructive participants in the democratic process. These essayists, criticizing as well as lauding our educational system, believe that such a goal is best accomplished through a high-quality, public, free system of schooling designed to serve all our nations’ children without regard to race, religion, gender, LGBTQ+ identity, (dis)ability, social class, citizenship status, or language. In the 100th anniversary year of Horace Mann, these thought leaders in education take stock of enduring principles, current dilemmas, and important forward directions. With privateers growing in numbers and seeking to take advantage of systemic breakdowns, this book will serve as a rousing defense of our public schools for our nation’s educators, parents, school board members, and politicians. Book Features: Reminds all Americans of the essential roles that schools serve in contemporary society, beyond simply learning the prescribed school curriculum. Presents a counterpoint to those who promote private or charter schooling at the expense of genuine public schools. Paints a complex and multi-faceted portrait of our public education system and provides a set of diverse and provocative remedies for many pressing contemporary problems of public schooling. Contributors: Michael W. Apple, William Ayers, David C. Berliner, Martin Brooks, Jacqueline Grennon Brooks, Carol Corbett Burris, Prudence Carter, Edward B. Fiske, Peter Greene, James Harvey, Julian Vazquez Heilig, Jack Jennings, David F. Labaree, Helen F. Ladd, Gloria Ladson-Billings, Carol D. Lee, Martin Lipton, William J. Mathis, Deborah Meier, H. Richard Milner IV, Sonia Nieto, Jeannie Oakes, Jeanne M. Powers, D. C. Phillips, Diane Ravitch, Mike Rose, Peter Smagorinsky, Joshua P. Starr, Mark Weber, Kevin Welner, Ken Zeichner