Social Reform

In a polarizing and racially divided America, what do children of color learn about themselves before they even go to school? How do they see themselves and is that image only exacerbated by spending twelve years in a public education system that perpetuates negative stereotypes? Brian Rashad Fuller personally knows that the impact of low expectations can be devastating. He aims to make a difference in this humanizing and very personal portrayal of what it means to be Black in America's schools.

Anyone who has ever crammed for a test, capitulated to a grade-grubbing student, or fretted over a child's report card knows that the way we assess student learning in American schools is freighted with unintended consequences. As experts agree, our primary assessment technologies—grading, rating, and ranking—don't actually provide an accurate picture of how students are doing in school. In Off the Mark, Jack Schneider and Ethan Hutt explain how we got into this predicament, why we remain beholden to outmoded forms of assessment, and what we can do to change course.

Author Frank "Bud" O'Lery presents a compelling exploration of the challenges facing humanity in the modern era. Drawing parallels to the metaphorical "Four Horsemen of Apocalypse," O'Lery delves into the pressing issues of overcrowding, authoritarianism, greed, and environmental crises. Urging immediate action, he proposes the establishment of Educational Oases as safe havens for humanity, fostering critical thinking, knowledge, and interpersonal skills. The book envisions these Oases as fortresses of enlightenment, safeguarding arts, knowledge, and the best of human values.

Do you know what goes on in a typical classroom? Do you feel an irrational fear of authority and confidence in yourself? This book reveals the dark agenda of the modern schooling system and its toxic effects on both pupils and teachers alike.

En Enseñar a transgredir, bell hooks, escritora, maestra e intelectual insurgente, escribe sobre un nuevo tipo de educación, la educación como práctica de la libertad. Enseñar a los estudiantes a "transgredir" los límites raciales, sexuales y de clase para lograr el regalo de la libertad es, para hooks, el objetivo más importante del maestro.

The K-12 education sector is isolated from the wider economy, causing teachers and school administrators to feel stuck in jobs they no longer want and without clear pathways to pivot to new careers. By examining the career journeys of 20 former educators, we learn the reasons so many educators are seeking to leave the profession, from the constant crises to factors causing burnout and work-life imbalance, illustrating how schools and districts are failing to monitor and improve their employee experience and wellbeing.

In 1954, the Supreme Court's Brown decision ended segregated schooling in the United States, but regrettably, as documented in congressional testimony and transcripts, it also ended the careers of a generation of highly qualified and credentialed Black teachers and principals. In the Deep South and northern border states over the decades following Brown, Black schools were illegally closed and Black educators were displaced en masse. By engaging with the complicated legacy of the Brown decision, Leslie T. Fenwick illuminates a crucial chapter in education history.

The Smartest Kids Know Their Options: School Alternatives for Success in the Real World empowers parents, educators, and policymakers to make informed decisions about the education of children. It offers valuable insights into the flaws of the current system and presents a wide range of alternatives that prioritize individualized learning, holistic development, and parental involvement.

Reform or Revolution, also titled Social Reform or Revolution?, is an 1899 pamphlet by Polish-German Marxist theorist Rosa Luxemburg, in which she argues that trade unions, reformist political parties, and the expansion of social democracy could not create a socialist society as Eduard Bernstein, among others, argued. She contends from a historical materialist perspective that capitalism is economically unsustainable and will eventually collapse and that a revolution is necessary to transform capitalism into socialism.

Witnessing Whiteness offers a comprehensive and empathetic exploration of what white people experience when learning about race, why it is so confusing, how whiteness works in their lives, and how to act against racism. The author combines authentic storytelling, nuanced analysis, and compelling voices from a collection of cross-race guides to lead listeners through a self-reflective process that creates clarity about today’s challenging and often contradicting messages about how to be antiracist.

Meaningful school reform starts with your most powerful partner—your students! When you take time to listen, you’ll find that students’ aspirations can drive your school toward exciting new goals—and when students know they’re being heard, they engage meaningfully in their own academic success. Using examples drawn from student surveys, focus groups, observations, and interviews, this groundbreaking book presents a blueprint for a successful partnership between educators and students.

In From Reopen to Reinvent, distinguished education strategist Michael B. Horn delivers a provocative and eye-opening call to action for the overthrow of an education system that is not working well for any of its students. Grounded in what educators should build in its place to address the challenges that stem from widespread unmet learning needs, the book walks listeners through the design of a better path forward. It offers a prescriptive and holistic approach to the purpose of schooling, the importance of focusing on mastery for each student, and the ideal use of technology.

Reform or Revolution, also titled Social Reform or Revolution? is an 1899 pamphlet by Polish-German Marxist theorist Rosa Luxemburg, in which she argues that trade unions, reformist political parties, and the expansion of social democracy would not create a socialist society as Eduard Bernstein, among others, argued. She contends from a historical materialist perspective that capitalism, being economically unsustainable, would eventually collapse.

Chezare A. Warren chronicles the transition of a cohort of young Black males from Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men to their early experiences in higher education. A rich and closely observed account of a mission-driven school and its students, Urban Preparation makes a significant contribution to our understanding of how young males of color can best be served in schools throughout the United States today.

Students of all backgrounds reach their full potential when they feel a sense of belonging and inclusion. When their social identities are valued as assets rather than barriers to learning, they flourish. This guide provides evidence-based strategies that support you as a leader in creating an environment that promotes identity-safe students, who experience a challenging curriculum that respects their diverse social identities.

Blended learning has the power to reinvent education, but the transition requires a new approach to learning and a new skillset for educators. Loaded with research and examples, Blended Learning in Action demonstrates the advantages a blended model has over traditional instruction when technology is used to engage students both inside the classroom and online.

In June 1985, a young Black man named Darryl Hunt was falsely convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a white copyeditor at the local paper. Many in the community believed him innocent and crusaded for his release even as subsequent trials and appeals reinforced his sentence. Finally, in 2003, the tireless efforts of his attorney combined with an award-winning series of articles by Phoebe Zerwick in the Winston-Salem Journal led to the DNA evidence that exonerated Hunt.

When we see a student using a hammer on a screw, our first assumption probably isn’t that they hate screwdrivers. We’d probably think they don’t have one. Because we understand our students will use whatever tools they have available to meet their needs, we would instinctively ask the obvious question: do you need a screwdriver? Yet often when our students use whatever behavioral tools they have at their disposal in the classroom, if the resulting behavior is as inappropriate as using a hammer on a screw, the default response from schools is based in criminal justice not curiosity.

If you really want to know what is happening in America’s schools, do not ask the teachers. Do not ask the principals. And do not ask the bureaucrats in the Education Office. Ask the substitutes. They are where the ‘rubber meets the road.’ 2:45 FEVER is an in-the-weeds, nuts-and-bolts look at America’s schools from the point of view of the substitutes. Listen to the book and learn how bad our schools are – and how to fix them.

For education leaders who believe that all students deserve the premium education that only some currently experience, Shattering Inequities: Real-World Wisdom for School and District Leaders shows how your leadership can provide equitable outcomes for our most vulnerable students. Chapters include examples of actual equity leaders and leadership lessons as easily retrievable equity hooks—memory cues of complete, complex, and nuanced leadership takeaways.