Teaching for Educational Equity

Case Studies for Professional Development and Principal Preparation

By (author) Jane A. Beese, Jennifer L. Martin

Publication date:

31 July 2017

Length of book:

186 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781475821901

Teachers and school leaders are confronted by various issues pertaining to social justice every day. This volume will help school leaders to handle these issues ethically, and is intended to be used by administrators for the professional development of teachers, teacher leaders, and aspiring principals. This volume can be also be used in the higher education classroom in order to prepare current and aspiring administrators to lead for social justice. This volume utilizes the case study approach, which has been found to “sharpen problem-solving skills and to improve the ability to think and reason rigorously” (Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2013). This volume includes cases pertaining to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, discrimination and harassment, culturally responsive pedagogy, et cetera. Each case requires the reader to look beyond the facts, by providing guidance on current research and policy guidelines. Each case provides the reader with additional information that will assist them in making informed decisions. Additionally, each case provides facilitators with guiding questions to assist them in their pedagogy and for subsequent class discussion.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter I: “What Are We Going to Do about the Bathrooms?” Transgender Students: Civil Rights or Local Control?
Chapter II: The Social Justice English Teacher
Chapter III: Bus 57: LGBTQ+ Hate Crime, or an Ill Fated Prank?
Chapter IV: Building Relationships to Address Chronic Absenteeism: An Urban Principal takes a Risk
Chapter V: The Turnaround Leader: Complex Solutions for Urban School20
Chapter VI: “But I Don’t See Color!” Colorblindness and Implicit Bias in a Predominantly White Institution
Chapter VII: A Racist Display in the University Library: Action, Reaction, or Inaction?
Chapter VIII: “He Looks like a Terrorist!” Special Education and Stereotype Threat
Chapter IX: Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment and a BB gun
Chapter X: Violence Erupts at South High School
Chapter XI: Social Justice Guidance and Resources for Teachers and Administrators
Chapter XII: Multicultural Resources for Teachers and Administrators

Martin and Beese have written a very much needed volume to help school leaders develop critical thinking skills in grappling with seemingly intractable social and educational problems. Calls for social justice abound because many critics over the years have highlighted significant social, political, economic, and educational inequities in schools. Martin and Beese fully understand that educational exclusionary attitudes and practices have significant pedagogical, curricular, leadership and moral implications for the work of progressive and idealistic educators as well as concerned community members. Their use of case studies to sharpen school leaders’ skills in problem solving is both novel and effective. Highly recommended.