A place for educators to find thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools
Music Of The Civil Rights Movement
Teachers searching for new ways to observe Black History Month now have a great resource with "In Performance at the White House: Songs of the Civil Rights Movement.” The concert, which was held last week, can be heard on National Public Radio. You can also check out President Barack Obama’s introductory remarks.
Giving Darwin His Due
A few years ago, I wrote a classroom resource about ecology for elementary and middle school kids. It covered all the territory you’d expect—biomes, habitats, food chains, etc.
But the publisher insisted on a conspicuous omission. No mention could be made of one of the major biologists who pioneered ecology.
That biologist was Charles Darwin.
The Savage Side of Schoolmates
Most of us have a story about being bullied back in school. Thankfully, most of us did not go through the childhood that William Rivers Pitt endured. This bestselling author faced years of torment by classmates. Switching schools only made things worse. Teachers and administrators either looked the other way or took ineffectual action.
Getting Past ‘Retarded’
Medical and social service groups have generally retired the phrase mental retardation. Today, they use terms like mental disability, cognitive disability or developmental delay. But retarded still has life in the English language as an insult. And therein hangs a tale.
Charter Schools: Resegregating America?
Are charter schools helping to resegregate public schools? A just-released study states flatly that they are.
The School of Hard Knocks
Poverty is corrosive to school kids. Many of them suffer in silence while their families either spiral into homelessness or frantically struggle to maintain the façade that all is well.
‘LGBT Content. Access Denied’
A couple of years ago, an acquaintance who worked at the local college where I was teaching had trouble sending and receiving emails. She couldn’t, for the life of her, figure out why. Then an IT administrator clued her in: Her first name—Gay—triggered the school’s Internet filters. They were set to block any references to homosexuality, gender identity, etc.
The Spirit of Greensboro
Black History Month gets underway this year by honoring a memorable milestone. Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins.
