LGBTQ Youth and Education: Policies and Practices The second edition of LGBTQ Youth and Education: Policies and Practices (Teachers College Press) is a powerful tool for educators committed to developing the pedagogy, curriculum, and policies to improve school experiences for LGBTQ students and their allies. Author Cris Mayo, an education professor at the University of […]
Syllabus: May 2022
best practicesEquityLGBTQ
Legal Matters: May 2022
Recent headlines report a renewed interest in the debate about what books students should have access to in school libraries and classrooms. Sometimes the books at issue include discussions about race, sexual orientation, sexual violence, or other “explicit” content. For example, take the recent governor’s race in Virginia partly focused on banning certain books in […]
CensorshipCurriculumPolitics
Advocacy Agenda: April 2022
Advocacy is especially valuable for students to engage in during their academic careers. It teaches them how to turn their convictions into action, how to speak up for their peers and school community, how to keep the institutions and systems of power around them accountable, and how to be successful members of our democracy. Student […]
student advocacystudent councilstudent voice
Legal Matters: April 2022
Whether or not a school board should decide to impose a mask mandate has been one of the most highly divisive issues of the pandemic. But what does the law say about mask mandates in K–12 schools? This article will address the constitutionality of mask mandates and will also briefly discuss other legal challenges, including […]
mask mandatespandemicstudents with disabilities
A Sporting Chance
In many states, decisions around who participates in school-based athletics fall initially to athletic directors and administrators. In some instances, there are governing boards for individual states that create regulations for student athlete participation, including participation based on sex assigned at birth and gender identity. Between 2020 and 2021, a record number of states introduced […]
Leadership NetworksLegislationLGBTQLGBTQ School Leaders Networkunified sports
Advocacy Agenda: March 2022
Now more than ever, the nation’s outlook for the future is tied to the strength of the education profession. Our economic prosperity, the health of our democracy and civic society, and our ability to meet the challenges of climate change and the information age depend on our students having access to well-prepared and supported educators […]
EDUCATORS for America ACTEquityjob satisfaction
Legal Matters: March 2022
Can school officials regulate an educator’s Facebook posts? A school district in California seemed to think so, and a state appellate court agreed. This article examines this court’s decision and offers recommendations about educators’ use of social media. The Facts A high school counselor and other faculty members were placed on paid administrative leave after […]
CPCFirst AmendmentSocial media
Advocacy Agenda: March 2022
The EDUCATORS for America Act Jack Reed, Senior US Senator of Rhode Island • Principal Leadership Article Now more than ever, the nation’s outlook for the future is tied to the strength of the education profession. Our economic prosperity, the health of our democracy and civic society, and our ability to meet the challenges of […]
Syllabus: Resources for Learning Forward
“Teaching Hard History” Podcast Educators looking to strengthen their knowledge and teaching of history in time for Black History Month will appreciate the “Teaching Hard History” podcast (learningforjustice.org/podcasts/teaching-hard-history). This series, developed by Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance), is hosted by Hasan Kwame Jeffries, a historian and associate professor at The Ohio State University. Each […]
bookspedagogypodcasts
Viewpoint: January 2022
As schools move to replace punitive discipline policies with a restorative approach, educators often express concern about what the consequences will be for students who misbehave. They worry that restorative discipline is “soft,” or, worse, that there are no consequences for problematic or harmful behavior. Consequences for behavior are important—they help reinforce a community’s high […]