Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education (Equity and Social Justice in Education Series) [3 ed.] 1032504218, 9781032504216

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Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education ofers pre- and in-service educators the opportunity to analyze and refect upon a variety of real-life scenarios related to educational equity and social justice. Te accessibly written cases allow educators to practice considering a range of contextual factors, check their own biases, and make immediate and longer-term decisions about how to create and sustain equitable learning environments for all students. Unique to this case study collection is a section of expert insights related to each case and a seven-point process for examining case studies. Tis framework guides readers through the process of identifying, examining, refecting on, and taking concrete steps to resolve inequities and injustice in schools. Features of the third edition include: ♦ ♦ ♦

Ten new case studies and updates to existing cases that refect societal contexts; A series of questions to guide discussions for each case; and A section of facilitator notes called “Points for Consideration” that provide valuable insight for understanding how inequity is operating in each case.

Te cases themselves present everyday examples of the ways in which racism, sexism, cisgenderism, homophobia and heterosexism, class inequities, language bias, religious-based oppression, and other equity and diversity concerns afect students, teachers, families, and other members of our school communities. Tey involve classroom, school, and district issues that are relevant to all grade levels and content areas, allowing signifcant fexibility in how and with whom they are used. Paul C. Gorski is a long-time educator, busy author, and the founder and lead equity specialist of the Equity Literacy Institute, USA. Seema G. Pothini is an educator, community organizer, and advisor on equity and diversity, as well as the founder of Equity Elephant Consulting, USA.

Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education Tird Edition

Paul C. Gorski and Seema G. Pothini

Designed cover image: iStock Tird edition published 2024 by Routledge 605 Tird Avenue, New York, NY 10158 and by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2024 Paul C. Gorski and Seema G. Pothini Te right of Paul C. Gorski and Seema G. Pothini to be identifed as authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are used only for identifcation and explanation without intent to infringe. 2nd edition published by Routledge 2018 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Gorski, Paul, author. | Pothini, Seema G., author. Title: Case studies on diversity and social justice education / Paul C. Gorski and Seema G. Pothini. Description: Tird edition. | New York, NY : Routledge, 2024. | Includes bibliographical references. Identifers: LCCN 2023027167 | ISBN 9781032504216 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032504209 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003398394 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Multicultural education—Case studies. | Social justice—Study and teaching. Classifcation: LCC LC1099 .G67 2024 | DDC 370.117—dc23/ eng/20230621 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023027167 ISBN: 978-1-032-50421-6 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-50420-9 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-39839-4 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394 Typeset in A Caslon Pro by Apex CoVantage, LLC

Paul: For all of the educators and students who are pushing back against the equity and justice pushback. Seema: For all the students, including my own, who have shared their stories with me. Your experiences and hopes allow me to lead with a clear purpose and a ferce passion to dismantle barriers. For all who are speaking up when they witness or experience injustice and inspire others to take action. And for you, the reader. Please don’t ever underestimate your ability to impact systemic change. Your words and actions are powerful, and your advocacy is needed. We got this!

Contents Directory of Cases by Topic � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � x 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Te Case Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Te Rest of Tis Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2 Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Equity Literacy Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Case Analysis: An Equity Literacy Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 A Few Final Toughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 3 Cases on Poverty and Socioeconomic Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Case 3.1: Learning for Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Case 3.2: Not So Fair Book Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Case 3.3: Chocolate Bar Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Case 3.4: Te Trouble with Grit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Case 3.5: Student Protest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 4 Cases on Religion and Faith Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Case 4.1: Te Winter Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Case 4.2: Religious Accommodations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Case 4.3: A Diference in Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Case 4.4: Islamophobic Read-Aloud. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 5 Cases on Ethnicity and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Case 5.1: Misinterpreting Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Case 5.2: Not Time for Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Case 5.3: Teaching Tanksgiving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Case 5.4: A Place to Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

viii ◆ Contents

6 Cases on Race. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Case 6.1: Kindness Pledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Case 6.2: Organized Resistance to Equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Case 6.3: Teaching Race with Huckleberry Finn . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Case 6.4: Black Lives Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Case 6.5: Terms of Endearment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 7 Cases on Sex, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Case 7.1: Pronouns and Deadnames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Case 7.2: Online Objectifcation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Case 7.3: Timmy’s Gender Nonconformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Case 7.4: Dress Code Distress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Case 7.5: Gendered Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 8 Cases on Disability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Case 8.1: A “Surprise” Fire Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Case 8.2: Insufcient Accommodations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Case 8.3: Nut Allergy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Case 8.4: Behavior “Management” Missing the Mark . . . . . . . . 80 9 Cases on Sexual Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Case 9.1: Heterosexism in the Hallway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Case 9.2: Spirit Week or Stress Week? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Case 9.3: A New Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Case 9.4: Two Moms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Case 9.5: Outed at School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 10 Cases on Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Case 10.1: Student Interpreter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Case 10.2: English-Only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Case 10.3: Family Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Case 10.4: A New Task Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 11 Cases on Immigrant Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Case 11.1: An Assigned Nickname. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Case 11.2: I’m Not Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Contents ◆ ix

Case 11.3: Collective Action on the Basketball Court . . . . . . . 105 Case 11.4: Family Involvement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Case 11.5: My Uncle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Appendix A: Te Equity Literacy Case Analysis Worksheet � � � � � � � � 112 Appendix B: Points for Consideration � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 113 References � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 149

Directory of Cases by Topic Activism Case 3.5 Student Protest Case 6.4 Black Lives Matter Case 11.3 Collective Action on the Basketball Court

Classroom Policies and Practices Case 5.4 A Place to Study Case 6.1 Kindness Pledge Case 6.5 Terms of Endearment Case 8.1 A “Surprise” Fire Drill Case 9.1 Heterosexism in the Hallway Case 10.2 English-Only Case 11.1 An Assigned Nickname Case 11.2 I’m Not Black Case 11.4 Family Involvement

Critical Pedagogy Case 3.5 Student Protest Case 9.4 Two Moms

Curriculum Case 5.2 Not Time for Stories Case 5.3 Teaching Tanksgiving

Directory of Cases by Topic ◆ xi

Case 6.3 Teaching Race with Huckleberry Finn Case 9.4 Two Moms

Defcit Ideology Case 3.4 Te Trouble with Grit Case 5.1 Misinterpreting Data Case 8.4 Behavior “Management” Missing the Mark Case 9.1 Heterosexism in the Hallway Case 10.2 English-Only Case 10.3 Family Night

Discipline and Behavior Case 4.2 Religious Accommodations Case 7.2 Online Objectifcation Case 7.4 Dress Code Distress Case 8.4 Behavior “Management” Missing the Mark Case 10.1 Student Interpreter Case 11.5 My Uncle

Dress Code Case 4.3 A Diference in Perspectives Case 7.4 Dress Code Distress

Equality to Equity Case 3.4 Te Trouble with Grit Case 4.2 Religious Accommodations Case 7.4 Dress Code Distress Case 8.1 A “Surprise” Fire Drill

xii ◆ Directory of Cases by Topic

Case 8.2 Insufcient Accommodations Case 8.3 Nut Allergy Case 9.1 Heterosexism in the Hallway

Family Engagement Case 4.1 Te Winter Party Case 5.4 A Place to Study Case 8.3 Nut Allergy Case 10.1 Student Interpreter Case 10.3 Family Night Case 10.4 A New Task Force Case 11.1 An Assigned Nickname Case 11.4 Family Involvement Case 11.5 My Uncle

Fundraising 3.2 Not So Fair Book Fair 3.3 Chocolate Bar Fundraiser

Grit/Resilience 3.4 Te Trouble with Grit

Harassment and Bullying Case 7.2 Online Objectifcation Case 7.3 Timmy’s Gender Nonconformity Case 8.4 Behavior “Management” Missing the Mark Case 9.1 Heterosexism in the Hallway Case 9.4 Two Moms Case 11.3 Collective Action on the Basketball Court

Directory of Cases by Topic ◆ xiii

Holidays Case 4.1 Te Winter Party Case 5.3 Teaching Tanksgiving

Homework Policies Case 3.4 Te Trouble with Grit Case 5.4 A Place to Study

Leadership Case 4.2 Religious Accommodations Case 5.1 Misinterpreting Data Case 5.3 Teaching Tanksgiving Case 6.2 Organized Resistance to Equity Case 7.1 Pronouns and Deadnames Case 7.5 Gendered Bathrooms Case 9.3 A New Club Case 9.5 Outed at School Case 10.2 English-Only

Oppressive Language Case 5.1 Misinterpreting Data Case 6.3 Teaching Race with Huckleberry Finn Case 6.5 Terms of Endearment

Pedagogy Case 4.4 Islamophobic Read-Aloud Case 5.2 Not Time for Stories Case 5.3 Teaching Tanksgiving

xiv ◆ Directory of Cases by Topic

Case 6.3 Teaching Race with Huckleberry Finn Case 10.2 English-Only

PTA and Other Parent Groups Case 3.2 Not So Fair Book Fair Case 3.3 Chocolate Bar Fundraiser

Resistance and Blowback Case 6.2 Organized Resistance to Equity Case 7.1 Pronouns and Deadnames Case 9.2 Spirit Week or Stress Week? Case 9.3 A New Club Case 9.5 Outed at School

School and District Policies Case 7.5 Gendered Bathrooms Case 9.1 Heterosexism in the Hallway Case 10.2 English-Only Case 11.5 My Uncle

School Board and Central Ofce Case 6.2 Organized Resistance to Equity Case 7.5 Gendered Bathrooms

The Softening of Equity and Justice Case 6.1 Kindness Pledge Case 9.3 A New Club

Directory of Cases by Topic ◆ xv

Student Voice Case 3.1 Learning for Sale Case 3.5 Student Protest Case 9.2 Spirit Week or Stress Week? Case 11.2 I’m Not Black Case 11.3 Collective Action on the Basketball Court

Teachable Moments Case 4.3 A Diference in Perspectives Case 4.4 Islamophobic Read-Aloud Case 6.1 Kindness Pledge Case 6.4 Black Lives Matter Case 6.5 Terms of Endearment Case 7.3 Timmy’s Gender Nonconformity Case 8.2 Insufcient Accommodations Case 9.4 Two Moms

1 Introduction “I have a story I want to tell you,” Simone whispered as she pulled Ms. Dotson aside. Ms. Dotson, who had been hired by Simone’s school to help leadership organize an equity audit, was on her way out of the building. “I’m a Black woman—transgender,” Simone shared. As far as she knew, she was the only openly transgender student attending her school. She explained to Ms. Dotson how, a couple months earlier, Mr. Johns, her counselor, had summoned her to his ofce. “Why did he do that?” Ms. Dotson asked. Simone explained that, when she arrived at Mr. Johns’s ofce, he started asking her questions that he seemed to be reading from his computer. “He asked a lot of personal questions about my life, what I’ve experienced at home,” she told Ms. Dotson. “It was intrusive.” “Tat sounds rough,” Ms. Dotson replied. “Did you ask him why he was asking those questions?” She had asked, she told Ms. Dotson. Mr. Johns responded that he was concerned Simone was exhibiting signs of trauma. Her grades were slipping. And some of her teachers worried that she might be withdrawing socially. “He told me the questionnaire would help him learn more about the challenges I face so that he and my teachers can support me more efectively,” she explained. “He called it ACEs for ‘adverse childhood experiences.’” Simone grew emotional describing how awkward and ofput she felt. She explained to Ms. Dotson that she had no reason to trust Mr. Johns enough to answer such personal questions. DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-1

2 ◆ Introduction

Ms. Dotson was familiar with the ACEs instrument and how popular its various versions had become. Schools used it to help identify students who might need additional supports. She also was familiar with some of the concerns people were raising about the instrument and its limitations. “Here’s what I want you to know,” Simone continued. “Te most adverse experiences in my life have happened here, at this school. My biggest source of trauma is the racism and transphobia I experience at this school. Tat’s what I told Mr. Johns.” “How did he respond?” Ms. Dotson asked. “He said there was nothing on the ACEs questionnaire about that.” Simone looked around worried somebody might overhear her. Ten she described to Ms. Dotson unrelenting transphobic, cisgenderist, and racist bullying and discrimination she faced at school. She struggled to convince teachers to use her correct name and pronouns. She felt humiliated by her absolute invisibility in health and other curricula. She felt traumatized by all sorts of conditions that made school the bane of her wellbeing. “Nobody has asked me about any of this,” she said. “Not my counselor or anybody else. And when I mention it to them, they act like there’s nothing they can do.” “I’m sorry that’s happening to you,” Ms. Dotson replied. “Shall we explore what options we have to do something about this?” Nothing is simple when it comes to equity, diversity, and social justice. Perhaps we all can agree that each student ought to have access to equitable educational opportunity—that students’ (or, for that matter, teachers’ or administrators’) racial identities, socioeconomic statuses, religious or spiritual identities, sexual orientations, gender identities, home languages, or other conditions or identifers should not determine their levels of access to educational or vocational opportunity. We should not be able to predict students’ grades, their likelihoods of being suspended or expelled, or the extent to which they experience schools as equitable places based on these or other identities. But in many, and perhaps even most cases, we can predict these things because these patterns show up in almost every school or district with which we have worked (Gorski & Swalwell, 2023). Despite this predictability, there seems to

Introduction ◆ 3

be little agreement on how to build a just educational system or even an equitable classroom. One struggle that impedes the quest to create more just schools is a habit, far too common in educational institutions, of trying to solve complex problems or address layered conditions with simple, immediate, plug-and-play solutions. Consider, for example, the time and resources schools across the U.S. once invested, and in some cases continue to invest, in attempting to narrow educational outcome disparities by training teachers on culture- or identity-specifc “learning styles”; on simplistic notions of “grit”; on all sorts of shiny new things that can’t possibly narrow disparities because they don’t address the root causes of disparities: bias and inequity. We understand the allure of these approaches, as dangerous as they are. We share the sense of urgency that accompanies rooms full of students who cannot wait, and should not have to wait, for the educational revolution to come along before their learning and other needs are addressed more efectively. However, although the shiny new things might be convenient, although they might appear efcient, they also can do pretty serious damage. Too often they shift the equity responsibility onto students, focusing on adjusting something about their mindsets, attitudes, behaviors, or grittiness instead of addressing the conditions that require some students to be more resilient than others. Tey are simple and straightforward and, unfortunately, often more a refection of inequity than a solution for inequity. For example, researchers have shown that the primary cause of racial discipline disparities, and particularly of disparities in rates of suspension or expulsion, in essence comes down to racial bias in how educators interpret and respond to student behaviors. In other words, when it comes to subjective behaviors that need to be interpreted—the student behaved in an aggressive manner or the student is disrespectful— teachers are more likely to interpret the behaviors of, for example, Black students negatively and worthy of ofce referral than they are the same behaviors committed by white students. Tat’s not because we’re all evil racists (although certainly explicit racists do exist in education). It’s because many of us have been socialized to interpret these behaviors diferently. We might not even realize we’re doing it. So Black students are more likely to be referred for subjective behaviors and more likely to be assigned the harshest punishments, like

4 ◆ Introduction

suspension or expulsion. But there is no evidence that Black students are more likely to misbehave than white students or more likely to exhibit the most dangerous, suspension- or expulsion-justifying behaviors. So, the problem we need to solve if we want to eliminate this discipline disparity is racism. Simone wasn’t at risk of being suspended or expelled. She wasn’t being disciplined per se. But she was experiencing the undercurrent of the same sets of conditions, the same ideological blockages, that create discipline disparities. And just as importantly, she was subject to a lot of misinterpretation. Tat misinterpretation was leading adults in her school to try to solve a problem that didn’t exist while ignoring a problem that did exist. Tat problem was racism. And cisgenderism. Tis, in our experience, is another one of the biggest barriers to constructing and sustaining equitable and just classrooms and schools: the tendency to mischaracterize why inequities and disparities exist. If we mischaracterize that why we have no chance of creating the what and the how to eliminate inequities and disparities. In the case of schools with racial discipline disparities, perhaps they invest in positive behavior initiatives so that students better understand behavior expectations. Maybe they ofer students emotion regulation strategies or mindfulness. In fact, in our experience, this is what most schools are doing to solve racial discipline disparities. Te trouble is, none of this can solve racial discipline disparities because none of it addresses the racial inequity that causes racial discipline disparities. It’s all focused on fxing the wrong thing. Similarly, in Simone’s case, the problem was the racism and cisgenderism she experienced at school. But the people she ought to be able to trust were mischaracterizing the problem, assuming there must be something happening at home, some sort of trauma in her predominately Black neighborhood or in her household that was causing her to withdraw. It turns out she was extremely well supported at home and in her community. But in place of eliminating the actual causes of her withdrawing—the racism and cisgenderism they’re allowing to operate in their school—teachers and counselors presumed she needed supports to help her overcome the trauma she was carrying into school. Tey were trying to solve racism and cisgenderism with racism and cisgenderism. If you were one of Simone’s teachers or her counselor, would it occur to you that the problem could be how she’s treated at school?

Introduction ◆ 5

Would your impulse be to think something needs to be adjusted about Simone? Do you have the equity insight and humility to consider that, despite all your good intentions, you could be part of the reason she was withdrawing? Ms. Dotson asked Simone whether she had shared her experience with anyone else at her school. Simone indicated she hadn’t, but clarifed that she knew “a couple of teachers” in the school she trusted enough to tell. She was hesitant to trust anyone else. “I have a meeting tomorrow with the principal. It will be just me and Ms. Blake. Do you mind if I share this with her?” Ms. Dotson asked. Simone answered, “As long as it’s just the two of you.” When Ms. Dotson shared Simone’s story with her, Ms. Blake seemed concerned, but also a little defensive. “Tat’s awful,” she said, “but we can only use the tools and knowledge we have. I had no idea Simone was experiencing those problems here. As far as I know she hasn’t reported anything specifc.” Ms. Dotson informed Ms. Blake that Simone had reported her experiences to at least a couple of her teachers. “She said they sort of blew her of, told her they couldn’t really do anything,” Ms. Dotson explained. Ms. Blake replied, “Te adults in this school care deeply about the students and their wellbeing. Certainly we’re not perfect, but our intentions are unquestionable. I’m sorry, but I seriously doubt anybody blew Simone of.” “Let me come at this a slightly diferent way,” Ms. Dotson said. “How do you make sense of the fact that Simone approached me, somebody who isn’t an employee of this school, to share her concerns? How might you read that as data about where you have opportunities to strengthen your equity eforts?” “Look,”Ms. Blake answered,“we have embraced and institutionalized an entire framework for trauma-informed practices, which includes administering the ACEs instrument in select cases. Simone clearly needs some support, so Mr. Johns was trying to ofer it the best way he knew how. I do see that maybe we missed the boat on this one to some extent. But instead of obsessing over that, it would be helpful to know what to do, how to rectify the situation and move forward.”

6 ◆ Introduction

“We’re getting there, I promise,” Ms. Dotson said. “But if you want to move forward from here we have to work on understanding how we got here. Tat way we don’t return here.” “I hear you. I’m in,” Ms. Blake replied. Tere are no perfect answers or solutions when it comes to the complexities of equity, diversity, and social justice. Nobody has found a magic formula for solving the issues swirling around Simone’s school. Te scarcity of easy answers underlines why we must develop and hone the knowledge and skills that help us to make sense of real-life messiness. Otherwise we risk allowing ourselves to be swayed by popular mythology and how we’ve been socialized to buy into that mythology when we respond to bias and inequity. We risk responding without an intricate understanding for why certain conditions exist in our classrooms and schools. So, what would you do if you were in that meeting with Ms. Dotson and Ms. Blake? What would you do if you were one of those couple of teachers in whom Simone said she could confde? How would you respond if she had decided to confde in you? What would you do in the immediate term? Would you challenge Principal Blake or Mr. Johns to see things diferently? Would you question how the school was using the ACEs instrument and what its use might unintentionally obscure? Would you attempt to invite colleagues into a conversation about how they might be interpreting Simone’s apparent withdrawing? Would you look for other ways to support Simone? Just as importantly, how would you respond in the longer term, knowing that some of your colleagues might be resting on the laurels of their good intentions or might be hesitant to acknowledge that Simone and other students could be contending with racism, cisgenderism, and other forms of oppression at school? How might you seek and share deeper insights about the presumptions that Mr. Johns was making about the sources of Simone’s trauma? How would you use what you learn to become a more equitable educator, not just for Simone and other current students, but for future students? For those of us who are individual classroom teachers or counselors, if our sphere of infuence is a single classroom or ofce, perhaps we don’t feel that we have the power to transform the bigger sets of conditions

Introduction ◆ 7

bearing down on Simone. Perhaps we’re not in a position to transform Ms. Blake’s ideology or challenge the good intentions trope that so often limits serious equity efforts in schools. We do, however, have the power to strengthen our abilities to create equitable learning environments for all students. We do this in part by considering all of the contextual factors, even if they’re not totally in our control, in addition to our everyday professional practice. We have the power to strengthen our abilities to create equitable spaces within our spheres of influence, in part by being responsive to the ways people are being harmed outside our spheres of influence. And as we master those abilities, we have the power to expand our spheres of influence. The core purpose of this book is to use the case study method to help us strengthen those abilities.

The Case Method One tool—in our experience, a particularly effective one—for strengthening these abilities is commonly called the “case method.” The premise of the case method is that, by analyzing real-life scenarios based on actual events, such as the situation in Simone’s school, we can practice applying theoretical ideas (like educational equity) to on-the-ground professional practice (Darling-Hammond, 2006). The case method enables us to practice stepping through a process of considering a range of perspectives and angles, to practice seeing the full complexity of school and classroom situations, and, as a result, to consider in a more focused manner how we might respond. In this sense, in the words of Naumes, W., and Naumes, M. (1999), the case method is an “active pedagogical practice” (p. 11), an applicative process designed to improve our capacities for evaluating and implementing mindful responses to complex, and often inequitable, school and classroom conditions (Leonard & Cook, 2010). In fact, studies have demonstrated the case method’s effectiveness in deepening critical thinking abilities, problemsolving skills, and other competencies in professionals from a variety of fields, including neuroscience (Rosenbaum, Gilboa, & Moscovitch, 2014), nursing (Mills et al., 2014), food studies (Gallego et al., 2013), and of course education (Bonney, 2015; Brown & Kraehe, 2010; Martin & Beese, 2020).

8 ◆ Introduction

Richard Foster and his colleagues (2010, p. 523) explain, in this spirit, the nature of a case method “case”: Te teaching case is a story, a narrative if you will, usually based on actual events and told with a defnite teaching purpose. It does not have a correct answer or obvious solution, relying instead on the nature of the real world where answers are difcult to come by and solutions are always contested. [We] are introduced to the need to think carefully, to listen to the points made by others and to evaluate those arguments, to review alternative courses of action and their efcacy, and to interpret real-world experience. Tis, we think, is among the most formidable challenges the case method poses to current and future educators. When many of us feel increasingly desperate for practical solutions to complex problems, the idea that there usually isn’t a practical solution or “right answer” can be daunting. Te point of examining cases like the ones in this book is not to be constrained by boxes—this is correct, so this must be incorrect—but rather to muddle through the gray areas by considering all that makes them gray (Meluch & Gettings, 2019). Te case method allows us to do this in a way that few other pedagogical methods allow. Tis is how it helps us grow our equity literacy, as we will discuss in Chapter 2. Te muddling is especially important when it comes to matters of equity, diversity, and social justice. After all, none of us wants to contribute to racial, socioeconomic, gender-related, or other injustices in our classrooms. We want all the students at Simone’s school to succeed, to be protected from racism, cisgenderism, ableism, heterosexism, xenophobia, and other forms of oppression. Te trouble is, we might not always understand how we help to create some of the barriers to their learning, how we perpetuate inequity, despite our philosophical commitments to equity and justice. Te other important equity and social justice beneft of the case method is that it challenges us to question our own mental models by examining classroom situations through a variety of lenses (Gallucci, 2006). It challenges us to practice asking the questions we might never have thought to ask. It challenges us to examine our positionalities and

Introduction ◆ 9

our access to power and privilege, and how they shape our interpretations and analyses of all that is happening around us (Dover et al., 2018). How do we understand the exchange between Simone and Mr. Johns diferently when we let go of old notions about what is broken and what needs to be fxed? How might we think diferently about ourselves as equitable educators when we learn better how to see past our presumptions and consider a broader picture? Tese are the sorts of questions that cannot be answered by theory alone or by memorizing “fve practical strategies for teaching all transgender students.” Tey require deeper, more critical, refection: the kind encouraged by the case method. Te case method requires us, the readers, to become critically-thinking knowledge producers, capable of deeper levels of equity literacy (Martin & Beese, 2020). With this in mind, we chose to write Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education for several reasons. First, the case method has strengthened our eforts to prepare educators, including us, to think, teach, lead, and advocate more equitably and justly. As educators we have experienced situations similar to those described in our cases but have found too few opportunities to process what has happened as mindfully as possible. Tese cases provide an opportunity to practice doing just that. Additionally, as we mentioned earlier, when we haven’t practiced, it can be particularly challenging for us to recognize what is happening in our classrooms and schools unconstrained by our existing biases and ideologies or by our current pedagogical values (Risner & Schupp, 2020). Te case method provides opportunities to bolster these abilities by practicing thoughtful analysis and problem-solving skills. We have constructed the cases purposefully to challenge ourselves and our readers to consider our teaching in light of what Nieto and Bode (2011) call the sociopolitical context of schooling. Taking account of this sociopolitical context requires us to recognize the relationship between the inequities plaguing our schools and larger societal inequities, even when we don’t see those larger conditions as within our sphere of infuence. It is our hope this book will create this kind of deeper refection about equity, diversity, and social justice concerns in schools and, by doing so, encourage readers to consider how they might ensure all students have the opportunity to excel free of inequity.

10 ◆ Introduction

The Rest of This Book Without question, the essence of this book is in the cases themselves: 41 scenarios approximating actual school and classroom events we have witnessed ourselves or heard about from colleagues. Each case, written in a narrative style, presents a complex yet fairly common school or classroom scenario in which one or more injustices—some implicit, some explicit—might be in play. It is up to you, the reader, to weigh the situation and decide how to respond. Issues include racism and white privilege; sexism, cisgenderism, and male- and cis-privilege; heterosexism and heteronormativity; poverty and economic injustice; language bias and linguicism; religious-based oppression; and various intersections of these and other conditions. In our efort to encourage the complex analysis we believe best prepares us to understand and respond to inequitable classroom and school conditions, we follow this Introduction, in Chapter 2, by outlining two frameworks readers can adapt for examining the cases. Te frst is a case analysis process constructed and honed through our combined decades’ worth of teaching and teacher professional development experience. Te second uses the fve abilities of equity literacy as an approach for strengthening specifc equity skills through case method pedagogy. We also step back through the case incorporated into this Introduction to demonstrate how to apply the case analysis process. Chapters 3 through 11 contain cases specifc to particular identities and oppressions. Each case includes a section of facilitator notes—we call them “Points for Consideration”—comprised of recommendations for issues and concepts that can be highlighted and explored. Tese can be found in Appendix B. Tis unique feature provides valuable insights for understanding the cases’ nuances and for applying important concepts to the analysis process. Each case also includes a series of questions intended to encourage deep, informed refection. We should mention that the division of the cases into identity-based chapters is imprecise. Most cases address multiple identities and oppressions. Finally, although we specify in some cases whether they occurred in an elementary, middle, or high school, most of the cases are written to be applicable across age groups.

2 Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework Tere are numerous approaches for analyzing case scenarios like the ones in this book. Believe us, we know. We examined dozens of them as we prepared to write the frst edition of this book. Many were discipline-specifc. Tey focused, for example, on corporate law cases, or electrical engineering challenges, or disability rights in the workplace. None felt quite right for a book of cases designed to help educators strengthen their understandings of the ways bias and inequity operate in classrooms and schools and practice responding to that bias and inequity in meaningful, transformative ways. So we turned to a framework that is designed for just that purpose.

Equity Literacy Framework Our goal, in the end, was to write cases and pose questions that would boost in teachers, counselors, teacher aides, administrators, and other educators what we call equity literacy (Gorski & Swalwell, 2015, 2023). Part of what sets equity literacy apart from cultural competence, intercultural relations, and many of the other popular frameworks for thinking about equity and justice in school is that it encourages us to understand dynamics related to, say, race or gender identity, not just

DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-2

12 ◆ Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework

in terms of interpersonal or cultural confict, but also as part of bigger, broader institutional and even societal conditions. Tinking back to Simone, cultural competence asks us to consider how we might understand her culture better so that we can communicate with her more efectively. Obviously, this is an important endeavor, so long as we realize that culture is an individual attribute and not a whole set of values and dispositions that we can attribute freely to any person due to their Blackness or transgender identity or any other aspect of their identity. Te problem, though, is that if we constrain our understandings of Simone to culture, we miss all of the other important dynamics that are less about her culture than about the inequities and indignities she faces in a school where she is routinely marginalized and where she routinely demands justice. If we fail to see that bigger picture, we limit the likelihood that we will craft strategies for eliminating these inequities and indignities that are holistic, just, and efective. Tis is why we decided to create new processes, based on the principles of equity literacy, for examining equity-related education cases and crafting responses to the problems they pose. Te equity literacy framework forces us to simultaneously consider conditions as micro-level as our individual biases and as macro-level as societal inequities. It challenges us to refect upon how our instructional decisions afect students and ways their life experiences outside the classroom inform their lives in school. As a result, it better positions us to respond to classroom and school challenges involving the complexities of equity, diversity, and social justice in suitably transformative and equitable ways. Te equity literacy framework is built upon skills and abilities that enable us to recognize, respond to, and redress conditions that deny some students access to the educational opportunities enjoyed by their peers as well as the skills and abilities that help us create and sustain equitable learning environments for all families and students (Gorski, 2017). Te fve foundational skills of equity literacy are summarized in Table 2.1. Tese, we realized, were the very abilities we hoped our cases would foster in educators.

Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework ◆ 13 TABLE 2.1 The fve abilities of equity literacy

Equity literacy abilities

Examples of associated skills and dispositions

Ability to recognize even the subtlest biases and inequities

Equity literate educators: •   notice even subtle bias and inequity  in classroom materials, classroom interactions, and school policies; and •   reject deficit views that locate the  sources of outcome disparities (such as test score or graduate rate disparities) as existing within students’ “mindsets” or “cultures” rather than as resulting from disparate levels of access to resources and experiences in and out of school.

Ability to respond to biases and inequities in the immediate term

Ability to redress biases and inequities in the long term

Ability to actively cultivate equity

Equity literate educators: •   have the facilitation skills and content  knowledge needed to intervene efectively when biases or inequities, such as gender bias or sexism, arise in classrooms, faculty meetings, or other contexts; and •   foster conversations with colleagues  about bias and inequity concerns at their schools. Equity literate educators: •   understand that true transformation only  happens when we eliminate the root causes of inequity rather than responding only to inequity’s symptoms; and •   advocate for and practice deep  equity change that prioritizes the needs, demands, and joys of the most marginalized members of the school or classroom community. Equity literate educators: •   continuously examine policies,  practices, and institutional culture for ways they could be doing harm without being prompted to do so and without waiting for somebody to point out that they are experiencing harm; and •   instinctively apply an equity lens in the  development of new policies, practices, and procedures to ensure from the beginning they do not do harm. (Continued)

14 ◆ Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework TABLE 2.1 (Continued)

Equity literacy abilities

Examples of associated skills and dispositions

Ability to sustain equity and justice

Equity literate educators: •   move equity efforts at the pace of the  people most desperate for, and most strongly demanding, equity progress, rather than the pace of the people most resistant to equity; and •   demonstrate a willingness to withstand  complaints about equity eforts, to sustain progress despite blowback.

Adapted from Paul Gorski and Katy Swalwell’s (2023) Fix Injustice, Not Kids: And Other Principles for Transformative Equity Leadership. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

When we use case studies in our teaching and facilitating, we often use these fve abilities as a loose framework. Te idea is to help people practice the abilities by examining the cases. First, they practice recognizing even the subtlest biases and inequities operating in a scenario. Ten they consider how they would respond in the immediate term. Ten, building toward a more transformative conversation, they explore the root causes of the biases and inequities in the case and what they would need to do to address those root causes. Te next step would be to develop a plan to actively cultivate equity so that, in the future, they wouldn’t have to respond to and redress the conditions operating in the scenario. Finally, they might discuss how to move forward even if they experienced blowback or resistance for doing so.

Case Analysis: An Equity Literacy Process In a way, our more ofcial case analysis process draws on these abilities, but breaks them into a couple additional action-oriented steps. Te steps are accumulative, building steadily and holistically toward informed, mindful, transformative responses to often complex classroom and school inequities. Tey ask us to peel away layers of the proverbial onion, never settling for quick, simple responses that rely too heavily on our predispositions.

Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework ◆ 15

FIGURE 2.1 Seven steps in the equity literacy case analysis approach

In what follows we describe each of the seven steps of the equity literacy process for analyzing educational cases. In order to demonstrate the process in action, we also apply the steps to the scenario involving Simone, Ms. Dotson, and Mr. Johns. (An abbreviated, printable version of the process can be found in Appendix A.) As you will see, we did not design the case analysis process to guide you toward a correct response. Hand this process and any case from this book to ten teachers or school administrators and chances are they will arrive at ten diferent plans of action. Instead, we designed it to help you practice using your unique insights, your knowledge about students and their families, and your expertise with school and classroom dynamics to respond to and redress the types of biases and inequities that often operate in schools as transformatively and equitably as possible. It is more an art than a science; more a willingness to dig deeply than an ability to calculate quickly. Tis also is why, humbled by our own limitations, we encourage you to analyze the cases in this book in groups whenever possible. Almost as important as refecting upon our unique individual analyses of each case is refecting upon why people with diferent combinations of identities and life experiences might interpret the cases so diferently.

16 ◆ Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework

Step 1: Identify the Problem or Problems Posed by the Case

Many of the biases and inequities students face in school are implicit and unintentional, hidden in day-to-day practices, school traditions, and quiet interactions. It can be especially difcult for us, as educators, to recognize the sorts of challenges that students or families face when we never have faced those challenges ourselves. If you have never had to withstand racism and cisgenderism at school or confront racist or cisgenderist presumptions that you must have a troubling home life, it might be difcult to imagine the depth or scope of injustice with which some students, and even adults, contend at school. Tis is why we urge you to read between the lines during Step 1. Practice recognizing the conditions and contexts you might not normally recognize because your privilege protects you from their worst impacts. Begin by naming the challenges or problems (or potential problems) that are explicit and immediately apparent to you. It’s obvious, for example, that Simone is feeling all kinds of marginalized at school. Tat much is clear, even on the surface. But it’s also notable that, despite what might be good intentions, Mr. Johns is working from a set of presumptions based on other adults’ misinterpretations of Simone’s disposition or behaviors. Be careful not to dismiss the efects of bias and presumption because of what we might assume are good intentions. Whatever the intention, damage is being done. What might this tell us about conditions at Simone’s school? We also might point to the fact that Simone has tried to talk with adults in her school about what she is experiencing, but felt they had blown of her concerns. Tis sort of invalidation of people’s experiences with inequity and oppression is a bit of an epidemic in schools. Obviously, Simone has gotten the message that reporting what she’s experiencing to adults in her school is not going to help. Te dismissiveness of their responses is like oppression piled on top of oppression. Once you have a grasp of those more obvious dynamics, try to dig a little deeper. Look for less explicit, not-so-obvious examples of existing or potential bias, inequity, injustice, stereotypes, or assumptions. What does the case tell us about individuals’ attitudes or about institutional culture and practices that might hint at something deeper than those surface-level biases and inequities? For example, as we noted, Simone

Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework ◆ 17

does not feel comfortable sharing her concerns about the racism and transphobia she experiences at school with most of her teachers or school administrators. Ms. Dotson is a consultant, not a school or district employee Simone knows well, but Simone chooses to share her experiences with her. Might that suggest she’s feeling desperate for somebody to address her concerns? Might it be read, too, as a powerful form of resistance? We also might note that Ms. Blake’s impulse was to defend the intentions of the adults in her building rather than to show concern for Simone or to consider the conditions that make school an oppressive, harmful space for Simone. Tat impulse might be especially curious given Ms. Blake’s insistence that the school had embraced a comprehensive set of practices for trauma-informed education. What might that say about Ms. Blake’s ability or willingness to lead for equity? What might it say about the limitations of whatever form of trauma-informed education the school had embraced? If we dig a little deeper, we might even wonder why it never occurred to Mr. Johns that the tool he was using to assess possible sources of trauma in Simone’s life didn’t account for harm she might be experiencing at school. Nor did it account for the possibility that racism and transphobia could be the sources of her trauma. It apparently didn’t occur to him that the tool he was using didn’t capture her experience at all. And he did not seem prepared to adapt and engage with Simone in a more meaningful way once the inadequacy of the instrument became clear. What might that say about his preparedness to use the instrument? What might it suggest about gaps in professional development? What else is happening in this scenario that could suggest bias or inequity, even if it appears unintentional or small in scope? It’s important to remember that, if we don’t practice identifying the forms of bias and inequity that aren’t immediately obvious, if we don’t practice recognizing the harm hidden in the nooks and crannies of everyday ideologies, practices, and institutional cultures, then we’re missing most of the bias and inequity. Also remember that there are no right or wrong answers here. Tere is no single “problem” that everybody should identify in a case. Diferent people will identify diferent problems. Tat’s intentional. It’s

18 ◆ Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework

an opportunity for us to learn and refect on which sorts of harmful conditions we generally are able to recognize and which we might be more likely to miss.

Step 2: Take Stock of Varying Perspectives

Our case has at least a few obvious stakeholders. Most obvious, perhaps, are Simone, Mr. Johns, and Ms. Blake. In the most immediate term, we might think, Ms. Blake’s decision about how to respond to Simone’s concerns is key. We must fnd a way to support Ms. Blake’s ability to recognize, respond to, and redress the conditions that make school the bane of Simone’s wellbeing. Or maybe our impulse is to check on Simone and to start rebuilding trust with her. Our frst task for Step 2 is to try to understand what’s happening for Simone and Ms. Blake as clearly as possible without having direct access to them. How might they be experiencing the situation as individual people and as people who are tied together by the circumstances of the power relationship they’re tangled into at school? Ms. Blake, we might suggest, is a caring if somewhat reactively rigid school leader who probably wants Simone to succeed. It can be easy to interpret her impulse to defend her staf as coming from a positive place. After all, schools and educators are often under attack for various things, so the fact that she initially responds to Ms. Dotson, a sort of outsider in that she isn’t a full-time school or district employee, by defending them may be understandable, or even commendable in some ways. But when it comes to equity and the experiences of students, it’s also dangerous. It’s hard to know whether her initial defensiveness is about protecting her staf or about feeling uneasy when she’s confronted with a concern related to equity. We don’t want to be so insularly protective that we can’t hear those sorts of concerns. On the other hand, with a little prodding she seemed open and ready to look at the situation diferently. We might also note that school leaders, like the rest of us, have a lot of spinning plates. It can be easy to want to grasp onto whatever popular program we think we can plug in to address whatever problems we need to address. Has Ms. Blake put too many proverbial eggs in this trauma-informed basket? Ten we have Simone who is bearing the brunt of the misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the adults in her school. School is becoming increasingly hostile to her. She’s not lashing out.

Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework ◆ 19

She’s trying to survive the racism and transphobia by withdrawing and perhaps even disengaging. Simone is doing this because the adults in her building are not responding adequately. She feels invisible. She has tried to report what she’s experiencing but adults at her school have been at best unresponsive. Tey’ve piled oppression on top of oppression. Now Simone is so exhausted, so frustrated, so harmed, that she reaches out to Ms. Dotson. Consider Simone’s perspective next to her principal’s impulse to reactively defend the adults who are harming her. Tat’s a little insight into the scope of what she’s up against at school. When, in her view, Mr. Johns presumes her withdrawal must mean she’s experiencing something awful at home, she’s reminded again, as many students who experience the lion’s share of injustice at school are reminded over and over, that people are looking at her as though she is the one who somehow needs to be fxed. Rather than address the oppression with which she contends at school, adults she is supposed to trust, to whom school rules say she must defer, want to adjust her so that she will do better at school. Perhaps she sees Ms. Dotson as a potential ally or advocate. Complicating matters, despite being at the center of the scenario, Simone and Ms. Blake are only two of many afected and afecting parties. Mr. Johns seems unprepared to let go of a prefabricated instrument and listen to Simone. It doesn’t seem to occur to him to ask Simone what she’s experiencing. So he unintentionally (we might assume) drives a bigger wedge between himself and Simone, further deteriorating trust. We might wonder whether he has been so thoroughly trained on applying the ACEs instrument with “fdelity”—that word we hear more and more often in schools these days to describe something that, in equity terms, often looks more like rigidity or infexibility—that he didn’t feel comfortable or prepared to go of-script. We also wonder whether he has sufcient equity literacy to be curious about the extent to which the school was safe for Simone. If an equity-literate educator was to engage with Simone, we imagine the frst question would be, “To what extent are you feeling supported at school?” What might we learn from considering Ms. Dotson’s perspective? Given her work, we might assume she’s well-prepared to bring this to Ms. Blake. She likely has the expertise to prod Ms. Blake toward deeper thinking. She defnitely prods her toward a willingness to dig a little deeper. We also might wonder about the level of emotional labor in

20 ◆ Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework

which Ms. Dotson must engage to advocate for Simone. We probably can assume that, as an equity professional, she has at least some level of insight, not only into Simone’s sufering, but also into what Simone’s sufering suggests about how other students might be similarly sufering at the school. She knows what’s at stake. Tat’s a lot to carry. It also can be instructive to consider when we’ve made presumptions about people’s identities. Did you make any assumptions about Ms. Dotson’s racial identity? Or Ms. Blake’s? Or Mr. John’s? What about their gender identities? Before we move to Step 3, we want to dig even deeper. Tere are other stakeholders here, even if they weren’t directly involved in this scenario. How might Ms. Blake’s decisions on how to respond to or redress the immediate scenario afect other students, including Black or transgender students—or, for that matter, students who do not identify with a binary gender construction? What’s at stake for them? What are the stakes for students whose racial and gender identities are privileged at school? How are they being cheated out of opportunities to grow? We might even consider teachers and counselors as well as other student support personnel. What challenges might they continue to face if they are equipped with a few trauma-informed “strategies” but not adequately prepared to help create equitable learning environments? How might Ms. Blake’s impulse to defend them rob them of opportunities to receive important feedback? On the other hand, how might her impulse to defend them create space for her to provide that feedback? We do encourage you to fnd balance between focusing only on the most obvious stakeholders and broadening your focus so much that the analysis becomes unwieldy. Start with the immediate participants and then, at the very least, the ring of constituents around them. And be sure to consider people who might bear the brunt of bias and inequity in a case, not only as targets of oppression, but also as agents of justice and liberation. Simone is more than a passive target for marginalization in this scenario. She is advocating for herself. She is demanding equity. If we don’t consider that part of her, then our analysis and solutions will lack equity robustness.

Step 3: Consider Possible Challenges and Opportunities

Given the varied perspectives explored in Step 2, our next task is to imagine the potential challenges and opportunities presented by the case.

Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework ◆ 21

Start with the individuals involved. We might surmise that Ms. Blake has an opportunity to reimagine her role as an equity leader and to rethink the relationship between trauma-informed education and equity. She has the opportunity to shift whatever it is about institutional culture that led adults in her school to presume Simone needed individual support when she was demanding institutional change. Tese are big equity opportunities, the impacts of which could reach far beyond this one scenario. Other opportunities abound. Ms. Blake, Mr. Johns, and other adults have an opportunity to grow as equity advocates by really hearing Simone’s story and understanding why she’s speaking up. Tey have the opportunity to better understand the problems they need to redress rather than mindlessly applying strategies. Tat shift would be good for all students. One challenge we might identify is that Simone does not seem to trust many adults at her school. And of course it’s not her job to educate the adults about ways she’s being marginalized, anyway. Why should she want to take that risk after being invalidated when she’s raised concerns in the past? More generally, how do we restore some level of trust with a student who has experienced so much harm at school? Tere are a number of challenges for Ms. Blake and Mr. Johns, as well, including overcoming their own presumptions. Another challenge is that nobody appears to be stepping forward to advocate for Simone and to challenge their colleagues to redress the oppressions she’s experiencing at school. Tis might mean that nobody knows they need to step forward. But it also could mean nobody feels comfortable challenging Ms. Blake or their other colleagues. We also want to explore institutional challenges and opportunities. For example, restoring Simone’s trust and modeling to other students experiencing similar harm that the school is committed to equity will take something more than small individual gestures. It probably will require serious institutional change and accountability. Because Ms. Blake’s impulse is to defend her staf, she might need help with understanding and enacting that sort of accountability. Tere’s no shame in that. None of us is equity-perfect. But where is she going to fnd that help if she needs it? An institutional opportunity, on the other hand, might be the chance to collaborate toward more equitable school-wide policies and practices, including developing a more holistic, institutionally-transforming approach to trauma-informed education.

22 ◆ Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework

We can use our analysis from Steps 1 and 2 to inform our exploration of possible challenges and opportunities. In later steps we will develop responses to cases that take optimal advantage of the opportunities while thoughtfully navigating the challenges.

Step 4: Imagine What Equity and Justice Would Look Like

Building on the contextual understandings that we gain by taking stock of stakeholders’ perspectives and considering possible challenges and opportunities, we turn, in Step 4, to imagining what a just and equitable resolution to the situation might entail. Tis is an important step, as Steps 5 through 7 are designed to facilitate the process of working toward the outcomes we defne in Step 4. A few guiding principles can be especially helpful as we imagine what we hope to achieve by seeking resolutions to the cases in this book. Te frst is the distinction between equitable outcomes and equal outcomes. Equality, as we see it, connotes sameness. Equity, on the other hand, connotes justice or fairness. Equity accounts for the existing inequity; it’s responsive to existing conditions that harm some people and privilege others. Te equality-minded educator, for instance, might think it’s unfair for schools to make specifc eforts for students like Simone. Everybody has challenges, they might argue, so why would we allocate additional energy into making big changes to support a single student? Te equity-minded educator, on the other hand, might recognize the ways that Black, transgender, economically marginalized, and other students are denied all manner of opportunities that many of their peers take for granted and think it’s only fair for schools to do everything possible to change that reality. Te question is not how many students are being harmed. Te question is, are any students being harmed? And what do we need to do to eliminate that harm and to cultivate equity, justice, and joy? For example, using this principle, we understand that institutional change is important even if Simone is the only openly transgender student in the school. Secondly, remember to think both immediate term and long term. What can be resolved right now, on the spot, and what will equity look like once it is resolved? We might decide, for example, that Mr. Johns needs some sort of intervention right now so that he’s more mindful in how he uses the ACEs tool. We might recognize the immediate need for professional development for all staf on how to respond when students

Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework ◆ 23

report that they have experienced oppressive harm. Te bigger institutional change is going to take some time, of course. But we also want to start thinking about what equity will look like in that longer term. How would institutional ideologies and practices change? Finally, be specifc. Identify very specifc, on-the-ground outcomes. How, specifcally, will things be diferent in the school if we commit to resolving the issue and all its complexities equitably?

Step 5: Brainstorm Immediate-Term Responses

Now that you have some equitable outcomes in mind, it is time to begin brainstorming strategies to get us there. What are some of the things you might do right now to achieve those outcomes if you were in Ms. Blake’s shoes? Tis is a brainstorm, remember, so do not overthink. Focus on using the understandings that you’ve developed in Steps 1 through 4 and, of course, your own experience and expertise, and make a list. You’ll have an opportunity later, in Step 7, to craft your ideas into a more formal plan of action. All we are doing here is making a list. It’s an informed list, based on all the work we have been doing in the previous steps. But it is still just a list.

Step 6: Brainstorm Longer-Term Policy and Practice Adjustments

In Step 6 we turn to longer-term strategies, often for more substantive change. Tis is the equity redress step, where we examine the root causes of the bias and inequity in a scenario and challenge ourselves to imagine what sorts of bigger changes need to happen to eliminate those conditions for good. Yes, in the immediate term we might need professional development. But what were the institutional conditions that enabled an entire school to miss the realities of Simone’s experience? What were the conditions that allowed professional educators to invalidate Simone’s concerns? How did the racism and transphobia Simone withstood at school survive Ms. Blake’s leadership? What do we need to do to root racism and transphobia out of the school altogether? Tat’s going to require something more than professional development on how to respond to claims of bias and inequity. It might require rethinking everything from hiring processes to feedback systems to Ms. Blake’s ability to set equity expectations and hold staf accountable to them.

24 ◆ Analyzing Cases Using the Equity Literacy Framework

Here, again, we’re brainstorming. Try not to self-censor. Just focus on recording whatever ideas come to mind based on Steps 1 through 5.

Step 7: Craft a Plan of Action

During this, the fnal step, we craft our brainstorms into a set of specifc actions that will result in the equitable outcomes we imagined in Step 5. What would you do in the immediate term if you were Ms. Blake? If you’re an equity professional in a school or district, you might also want to refect on what you would do if you were Ms. Dotson. What would you do that might be more long-term—more transformative and root cause oriented? How would you respond to ensure, to the best of your knowledge and power, equity for everybody involved?

A Few Final Thoughts We recognize that in the heat of the moment we do not always have time to sit down and think through the seven steps of a case analysis process. Te point is not to memorize these steps. Instead, the idea is to use them to practice our equity literacy skills by refecting on classroom situations through an equity and justice lens. Use them to practice grappling with the nuances and complexities inherent in any interaction or exchange that might happen within a roomful or school-full of people with diferent aspirations, gifts, challenges, joys, and equity commitments. For additional guidance, refer to the “Points for Consideration” included with each case. Tese points ofer valuable insights to consider when analyzing a case. If you are facilitating conversations using the cases, these points will give you some idea of the sorts of issues we hoped to expose with each case and topics you might introduce if students or participants don’t uncover them. Practice enough, and an equity lens will become second nature. We begin to see the nuances and complexities that previously might have been invisible, or at least a little hazy, to us. Tat’s when we know we are strengthening our equity literacy.

3 Cases on Poverty and Socioeconomic Status Case 3.1: Learning for Sale “Tose trips aren’t for us,” Janelle said. She was sitting with several classmates on a panel titled “Students Experiencing Poverty: A Listening Session” as part of Lextown School’s fall equity and inclusion professional learning day. Tis particular panel consisted of students who received free or reduced-price lunch. Ms. Timberton, Lextown’s assistant principal, had arranged the session—one of fve from which teachers and administrators could choose. She had invited students to participate a week prior so there would be time to secure parental permission. “It’s an opportunity to share with teachers and administrators what you experience here,” she told them. Six agreed to participate. As Ms. Timberton predicted, the room was packed. She shared two community agreements. First, staf were there to listen. Tey would have an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session. Secondly, when they did ask questions, they would be allowed only to seek clarifcation or more information. Tey should not invalidate students’ experiences or “correct” their stories. Te session started slowly. Ms. Timberton asked students what they most liked and what they found most challenging about Lextown.

DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-3

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About halfway into the session, Ms. Timberton posed a more specifc question: “Have you ever missed out on learning opportunities in which you wanted to participate because your family couldn’t aford the cost?” She heard a subtle gasp from a few of her colleagues. She knew it would make some of them uneasy if she elicited student experiences that might point directly to the inequities in which Lextown staf members were complicit. When she drafted questions for the students she considered keeping them light and broad. But that would be unfair to the students. So after a couple broad questions, she chose to be more direct. Te students talked about academic clubs with fees and Lextown’s dual enrollment program among other examples. Ten one of the students, Andy, said, “Spring break trips,” prompting Janelle’s response: “Tose trips aren’t for us.” She shared how she’d love to attend one. “Tere was a trip to New York to see Broadway shows. It cost $400.” “Also, I have to work during spring break. I can’t take a few days of,” Andy added. Spring break trips were a treasured tradition at Lextown, at least for families who could aford them and teachers who sponsored them. Sponsors’ expenses were always fully paid. Lextown’s administration justifed the trips by pointing out that technically they were organized and sponsored by the Booster Club or Parent Teacher Association, not the school. Ms. Timberton could see some of her colleagues growing restless. She could see some of the “listeners” animatedly shaking their heads no. She knew moments later when she opened the foor to questions that some attendees would feel tempted to defend the trips. She reminded them of the agreements she shared earlier. It didn’t help. “Have any of you applied for a scholarship for the trips?” Mr. Toney asked. “Tey cut the price as much as 50%.” Nobody on the panel responded. “I have a question,” Ms. Inglebert announced. “Te theme of today is equity, fairness. I appreciate what you all have shared. Tank you. But I want to ask this: What would be a fair solution? Would it be fair if we denied students access to these opportunities because a few students can’t aford them?” Again, none of the students responded.

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After a few seconds, Ms. Timberton chimed in: “I want to remind us that our job here is to listen and learn from students who made themselves vulnerable so we could understand their experiences better. Te point is, whether or not you believe the spring break trips are inequitable, some of these students are experiencing them as inequitable. Tey’re saying that they are the ones being denied.” As she scanned the room she noticed some of her colleagues nodding in enthusiastic agreement. A few clapped. She appreciated their support, but wondered why none of them had spoken up to challenge the adults who were invalidating the students’ experiences.

Questions

1. How have you responded in the past when somebody has suggested you might be doing something inequitable, something that might cause harm? Are you able to hear that feedback as a gift or do you tend to be defensive? 2. Generally speaking, what are your thoughts about the sort of listening session Ms. Timberton organized? Can it be a useful way for educators to learn about what they can do to be more equitable? If so, what sorts of conditions must be established to minimize the possibility that students’ stories will be invalidated by adults in the room? 3. Is there an equitable way for schools to ofer high-cost trips? Why might asking families to request scholarships be inequitable? 4. Ms. Timberton was frustrated that, although some of her colleagues symbolically supported her when she challenged Mr. Toney and Ms. Inglebert, none had spoken up to support her or to challenge their colleagues. What conditions of institutional culture might dissuade people from feeling comfortable speaking up to inequitable ideologies or practices? What can school leaders do to create an institutional culture in which speaking up or ofering hard feedback is normalized and rewarded?

Turn to page 113 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

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Case 3.2: Not So Fair Book Fair Te demographics in Brookview had changed rapidly in the last decade. Tis was due in part to the construction of a new church that served predominantly Spanish-speaking families and in part to unemployment repercussions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Te local schools’ numbers of multilingual learners grew rapidly, as did the number of students who qualifed for free or reduced-price lunches. Although teachers at Brookview encouraged at-home reading, many families could not aford to purchase a lot of books. Making matters worse, the school library could not keep up with the demand for high interest books. To help mitigate these issues, the parent resource group at the school decided to earmark all of the proceeds from the annual book fair for purchasing library books. Te book fair was always held in the school entryway during conference time so that families would have an opportunity to buy books and other items. Te organizers hoped the book fair would be a success. Mr. Kumar was a new staf member, and although he didn’t have a classroom of his own, he worked closely with students in multiple grades who were learning English. He decided to check out the book fair on his break and noticed a small section of books in Spanish. “Tis is great!” he initially thought, but then he realized that the limited selection did not represent a variety of reading levels or interests. When he inquired about his concern, the book fair volunteer, Ms. Adams, responded, “Well, many of our Spanish-speaking families don’t come to conferences so we don’t stock as many books for them.” Upon overhearing the conversation between Mr. Kumar and Ms. Adams, a nearby parent, Mrs. Gunderson, commented, “Maybe they would come if they didn’t feel pressure to purchase books. I used to skip conferences because I hated telling my children we couldn’t aford to buy things at the book fair. It was heartbreaking to walk by these great displays.” Mr. Kumar asked Ms. Adams and Mrs. Gunderson, “Do you think this book sale causes more harm than good?”

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Ms. Adams responded, “Well, the proceeds help all students, especially the ones who are struggling fnancially, so I don’t think so. Besides, English learners should be buying books in English instead of Spanish.” Mr. Kumar looked bafed. He felt uneasy about correcting Ms. Adams’s negative assumption. Mrs. Gunderson replied, “Isn’t it a little awkward for any of us to feel like we have to buy books from the book fair? I’m worried about how awkward it might be for parents who can’t aford to purchase anything from the book fair to have to walk through it.” “Well you don’t have to. And most children and parents get excited to see the book fair, so we do it for them,” retorted Ms. Adams. Mr. Kumar, noticing the tension escalating, said, “My next conference is about to start, but I appreciate you both and will defnitely think more about this.” As he walked away, he began to think about ways to help families avoid the stress that Mrs. Gunderson described but still ensure the school library had funds to purchase more books.

Questions

1. How might book fairs in educational settings create barriers to learning for students? 2. Ms. Adams felt students who were learning English should only read books in English. As an educator who works with English language learners, should Mr. Kumar have corrected this misperception? How might his silence have been perceived by people overhearing the conversation? 3. What are some inclusive ways a school could obtain more books for their library or books students can keep? How might a school host a book fair without alienating students or families?

Turn to page 114 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 3.3: Chocolate Bar Fundraiser For years the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at Broadway School had organized fundraisers to defray the efects of budget cuts or to raise

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money so that student groups could participate in school-wide events. Many of these fundraisers revolved around students selling something, usually chocolate bars. Students who sold the most chocolate bars were rewarded with special privileges and other prizes including recognition at an all-school assembly. So at the frst PTA meeting of the school year, when Ms. Alexander, the mother of a Broadway student, raised a concern about its plan to run the chocolate bar fundraiser again that year, she caught several other attendees by surprise. “We’ve been doing this for years,” Ms. Torrence, the PTA president, said, “and nobody’s ever had a problem with it. What are your concerns?” Ms. Alexander, a single mother who struggled fnancially despite working two jobs, explained, “Tis school isn’t like it used to be, when most students were from two-income families. Tere are more students here, like my son, whose families and neighbors can’t aford to buy boxes of candy bars. It’s embarrassing when other students talk about how much their families purchased or receive individual rewards like lunch with the principal.” Ms. Torrence nodded sympathetically, then asked whether anybody else had concerns about the fundraiser. Mr. Cuertas, whose daughter attended Broadway, raised his hand. “My daughter felt awful last year when she couldn’t participate in the special rewards. I don’t think we should set up students for embarrassment or depend on them to raise money.” Ms. Torrence was sensitive to the growing numbers of students from economically marginalized families attending Broadway. She had made what she considered to be a great efort to increase PTA participation among those families. She sent postcards and made phone calls to almost every family and even ofered dinner at meetings. Tese eforts helped increase participation. Unfortunately, as far as she could tell, Ms. Alexander and Mr. Cuertas were the only two lower-income parents out of the 20-or-so people attending the meeting that night. She appreciated that they were speaking up, but was worried about how other attendees might react to their concerns. Before Ms. Torrence could respond to Ms. Alexander and Mr. Cuertas, Ms. Plumlee said, “So, we’re not going to let any students

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do this fundraiser because a few kids might feel bad? Bottom line is that we need the money for programs that beneft all students. Tis fundraiser has worked great in the past. People who don’t want to participate are free to opt out.” Mr.Winterstein agreed, adding,“My son sold the second most chocolate bars last year. He worked hard, going door to door and emailing friends and relatives. If these kids just worked harder, they could sell as many chocolate bars as he sold.” Ms. Plumlee added, “If other families care so much, maybe they should come to these meetings. We have to decide what to do with the people who are here, so let’s just take a vote.” Ms. Plumlee was correct: the group usually voted on issues on which they didn’t reach consensus. Ms. Torrence hesitated, however, empathizing with Ms. Alexander and Mr. Cuertas and feeling that their concerns remained unresolved.

Questions

1. What are the equity implications of fundraisers that require students to sell items such as chocolate bars? Do you agree with Ms. Alexander’s concerns about how these fundraisers can alienate students who are experiencing poverty? Why or why not? 2. If the PTA members are intent on raising funds to support student activities or make up for budget cuts, how can they do so without requiring students to compete with one another to sell something? How else might the PTA go about addressing the lack of funding for student activities? 3. Ms. Torrence knew that the concerns raised by Ms.Alexander and Mr. Cuertas would be drowned out by the voices of other attendees who saw the chocolate bar fundraiser as a school tradition. Can you think of other examples of school traditions that, despite being supported by many people, might be inequitable for some students and families?

Turn to page 114 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

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Case 3.4: The Trouble with Grit Samantha, a student at Hillside School, loves science. “Are we doing lab work today?” she often asks Ms. Grady as she hurries into science class. She usually aces quizzes and tests and even helps classmates with their work. So, Ms. Grady can’t understand why Samantha rarely turns in homework. She knows Samantha’s family is experiencing poverty, so her frst impulse was to wonder whether there are issues at home. She has reached out to colleagues who teach Samantha’s younger siblings to inquire whether they notice similar patterns. She learned that Samantha’s younger siblings almost always turn in their homework. Ms. Grady also has reached out to Samantha every way she knows how. She has pleaded with Samantha, “You could have an A if you did your homework! You have the smarts, now you need to show that you have the grit.” She has tried to reach out to Samantha’s parents, too. She has called the phone number they provided, but nobody answers. Imagine how successful Samantha could be if her parents supported her learning, Ms. Grady has thought. She has grown increasingly frustrated trying to support Samantha. She has dozens of other students who also need attention, most without Samantha’s natural gifts. And her grading policy is clear: failure to turn in homework results in a grade of “0.” She feels that if she bends her policy for Samantha, she risks being unfair to other students. One day after school Ms. Grady approaches Mr. Burns, a language arts teacher who also has Samantha in class. “I’ve tried to reach her parents,” she explains, “but they never respond. Don’t they care about her grades?” “I had the same experience. I didn’t know what to think until I visited them at home,” Mr. Burns replies. It never occurred to Ms. Grady to visit Samantha’s home. “What did you learn?” “A lot,” he answers, explaining how Samantha lives with a single mother who works multiple jobs, beginning her day at 5 a.m. on a restaurant cleaning crew and ending around 9:30 p.m. on another cleaning crew. She usually returns around 10 p.m., trying not to wake the kids.

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“So that’s why Samantha struggles with homework. Te moment she’s home from school she’s helping her siblings until they go to bed,” Mr. Burns explains. “Poor thing,” Ms. Grady replies. “How is Samantha going to get by if her mother is not helping her develop the skills and resilience she needs to break their cycle of poverty?” Mr. Burns, who had grown up experiencing poverty, was uncomfortable with how Ms. Grady was characterizing the problem: as irresponsibility on Samantha’s mother’s part and as a lack of grit on Samantha’s part. He knew the situation was more complex than that, but couldn’t quite fnd words to articulate his concern. He also knew Ms. Grady was not alone in her beliefs about Samantha’s family and other families experiencing poverty. He worried that the school’s new focus on “grit” and “resilience” might contribute to their misunderstandings. He wanted to respond productively, but how?

Questions

1. An equality view dictates we treat all students equally. Tis is the view Ms. Grady has applied to her homework policy when it comes to Samantha. How might her perspective change if she adopted an equity view instead, accounting for the barriers and challenges individual students experience and crafting policy to be responsive to those barriers and challenges? 2. Do you agree with Ms. Grady that Samantha is displaying a lack of grit and that she is not learning responsibility? Why or why not? In what ways is Samantha personifying grit and responsibility? 3. Mr. Burns worries that Ms. Grady and several of his other colleagues have a defcit view of families experiencing poverty. He notices that they tend to attribute conditions like Samantha not turning in her homework to supposed defciencies in those families. How might taking the defcit view force us into misunderstandings of the challenges and barriers students like Samantha face at school?

Turn to page 116 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

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Case 3.5: Student Protest Melody and Javier, seniors at North Shore High School, had attended Burlington County Public Schools (BCPS) since kindergarten. Tey attended elementary and middle school together at the highest-poverty schools in the district—schools that also had the highest concentrations of students of color. During their years in BCPS they experienced growing class sizes, a heightened focus on high-stakes testing, increasingly repressive discipline practices, and the erosion of music and arts programs, among other changes. A couple years earlier, as a project for Civics class, Melody and Javier attempted to organize a peaceful protest to raise awareness about racism and the broader deteriorating conditions at North Shore. Teir teacher, Ms. Tilston, was a strong advocate for civic engagement. She often ended class with what she called a “Now What? Popcorn.” Students brainstormed what they could do to create a better world based on what they were studying in class. As a fnal assignment, she often asked students to pick one social issue and propose a plan for creating a better world. As students who had been witnessing and experiencing economic and racial injustices their entire school lives, Melody and Javier were not satisfed with proposing a plan. Tey wanted to do something, to experience protesting, but Ms. Tilston quashed the idea. “I love your spirit,” she said, “but I don’t want you getting into trouble.” Now, two years later, news began circulating that BCPS intended to close North Shore. Te district had been losing students and, under state pressure, decided to consolidate schools. North Shore, which had the lowest test scores among the district’s high schools, was the frst school the district decided to close. Tough staf were asked to refrain from speaking about the closure until the student redistribution plan was announced, the situation was all over local news, so chatter was plentiful. Many students were angry. Tey knew this wouldn’t happen to a school full of wealthier students or a predominately white school. Melody and Javier decided it was time to organize the protest they started planning a couple years earlier. Tey asked Ms. Tilston for support. “I suggest that you do a little research. Read about protests

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students have done in other districts. Surround yourself with classmates who feel like you do.” Tey followed her advice and invited other students to a meeting outside of school. Te students divided into groups, each taking on a specifc task, and planned to meet again in a couple days. When they regathered, they decided they would organize a peaceful walkout and hold signs while chanting their displeasure and demands. In the meantime, their most important task was to spread the word about the walkout and to remind everybody it would be a peaceful protest. “Make sure to tell everyone, no cursing or violence,” Melody told the group. When Javier saw Melody the morning of the walkout, he asked whether she noticed the extra police presence around school. “How could I miss it?” she answered. Ms.Tilston noticed it, too, and it worried her. She knew the students had their plan together. But she worried that the police presence would exacerbate tensions. She believed that administrators had requested the police presence to intimidate students into canceling the walkout, and she knew that was the wrong approach to take with youth who experienced sleight after sleight during their educational lives. As she sat at her desk wondering what to do, Javier and Melody appeared at her classroom door.

Questions

1. Do you agree with the decision to ask teachers not to speak with students about the school consolidation plan while district administrators decided where they would send the students the following year? Why or why not? 2. If you were Ms. Tilston, and Melody and Javier approached you for advice about how to funnel their frustrations into positive action, what would you have suggested they do? How involved in their plans would you want to be? 3. If you were Ms. Tilston, what concerns might you have about the police presence given the demographics of the school? What could you do to help protect the students who hope to participate in the peaceful protest?

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4. School closings can have detrimental efects on local communities. Why might school closures in high-poverty areas have especially detrimental efects on the students and families in those communities? What about school closures in highpoverty communities consisting primarily of families of color? Turn to page 117 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

4 Cases on Religion and Faith Identity Case 4.1: The Winter Party One evening in early December, teachers at Chavez School joined a group of parents to plan the Winter Party. Te Winter Party was an annual tradition that involved students rotating among classrooms, participating in activity stations led by adult volunteers. Rather than generating ideas on their own and assigning roles, staf invited parents and other caregivers to brainstorm potential activities. As the meeting started, the teachers explained the party format and solicited ideas. One parent recommended a station where students could decorate paper Christmas trees. Another suggested a station where students could pin tails on reindeer, eliciting excited agreement among some other attendees. A third parent suggested, “How about a game in which the kids identify the missing words in popular Christmas carols?” Te group started to identify adults willing to lead each station. Ms. Mahdi was happy to volunteer and was asked to lead the Christmas carol game. She agreed, but then added, “I have not been in this country long enough to know the popular songs. I will need a sheet of answers too.” Ms. Mahdi’s statement prompted Mr. Olson, whose stepson attended the school, to scan the list of activities more closely. “Wait a

DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-4

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minute,” he said. “Did anybody notice these are all Christmas activities?” He suggested adding a station related to Hanukkah, such as a dreidel craft. Others nodded in agreement and praised Mr. Olson for making the event more inclusive. “What about a game or project to represent Kwanzaa?” another volunteer asked. “I can fnd something online.” Hearing this, Ms. Mahdi said, “I thought this was supposed to be a winter party, maybe we shouldn’t have religious-based activities.” Several volunteers opposed this suggestion, explaining that students enjoy Christmas-themed activities. “Tese activities aren’t religious,” Ms. Tyler said. “It’s really more cultural, more American than religious.” Sensing the growing tension, Mr. Olson reminded the group that the Fall Party in October was based mostly on Halloween instead of seasonal activities. “Maybe there’s some confusion with the name,” he said. “Why don’t we call it a Holiday Party and celebrate all of the holidays?” he asked. One teacher, Ms. Tate, replied that Chavez’s principal suggested at a staf meeting the event should be called a Winter Party to be more inclusive. She added, “Honestly, nobody’s raised any concerns in the past. Let’s just write down all the ideas and then vote.” She began writing a list of suggested activities on the whiteboard. As she wrote, a parent who had been quiet spoke up: “I think we are trying too hard to be politically correct. Tese are children. It’s no big deal to do some Christmas activities as long as we also have other activities.” Ms. Tate was pleased that family members were taking ownership of the party, but worried that this conversation might alienate some of them. She also noted most people at the meeting did not see a problem with the Christmas theme, despite the religious diversity at the school. She wondered whether she should step in and reiterate the spirit of the principal’s policy. Maybe I should be even more direct and insist we remove references to religious holidays, she thought. On the other hand, the last thing she wanted to do was alienate all the people who showed up to plan the event. She knew she had to do something, though. She just wasn’t sure how to proceed.

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Questions

1. Mr. Olson suggested that they call the event a Holiday Party and try to include “all of the holidays.” What do you think he meant by “all of the holidays”? Do you believe his suggestion is a good one? Why or why not? 2. What kind of privilege might be exerted when teachers and schools turn decision-making over to parents or other caregivers? How can staf encourage volunteer engagement and empowerment but also ensure equity? 3. What role can teachers play in either ensuring equity or enshrining privilege in the ways that they communicate with or “hear” from diferent parents? How might a teacher’s unaddressed biases impact who is truly “heard”?

Turn to page 118 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 4.2: Religious Accommodations “Tey’re just too loud,” Ms. Keating told Ms. Silva as they walked out of the media center. “I am glad these students have a place to go instead of the cafeteria during their lunch break, but it’s disruptive to me and other students who come here to study or look for books.” Ms. Silva, the school principal, knew there would be tension when she decided to provide an alternative space for Muslim students who were fasting to hang out during lunch. She knew it was difcult for them to be in the cafeteria. She decided the media center would provide them with ample things to do while their classmates ate lunch. “I’ll talk to them,” responded Ms. Silva. “But remember, lunch time is when they usually are social with friends. We can’t expect them to be silent. And from what I can hear, they don’t seem to be speaking any louder than we are now.” “Well, the rule is that students must keep their voices down in the media center,” Ms. Keating replied, exasperated. “I can’t allow these students to break the rules during this entire month of fasting, especially when other students are there quietly trying to work.”

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Ms. Silva knew this was a longer conversation than they had time to have at that moment, so she assured Ms. Keating she would check in with the students and then headed to a meeting with a prospective family. She enjoyed talking about the school and looked forward to showing the family around so they also could see what a great place it was. As the meeting in her ofce was wrapping up, Ms. Silva heard several angry voices outside her door and quickly stepped out of her ofce to see how she could help. Te administrative assistant, Ms. Taylor, looked worried as she gestured to the handful of students who had been sent out of the media center. “Ms. Keating said the students were being disruptive, so she sent them here,” she explained. Lowering her voice, she continued, “A couple of other teachers have privately shared their frustrations with me. Tey feel you’re being too accommodating to Muslim students. Tey wonder why we’re not treating all students equally because we’ve never let other students leave the cafeteria during lunch period. I’m fne with these students coming to the ofce instead, but at some point, we should fnd another solution.” “Let’s fnish this conversation later,” Ms. Silva said as the prospective family walked out of her ofce. Tey seemed uncomfortable when they saw the large group of frustrated students in the ofce. Concerned they might be misinterpreting the situation, Ms. Silva walked with them to their car and assured them that the school was welcoming to all students. As she walked back toward the school, she wondered how she could address the concerns and misperceptions raised by staf while still supporting students who were fasting. “If only our school had more space,” she thought, then realized that would really just be a band-aid over a deeper set of issues.

Questions

1. Ms. Keating was frustrated that the students were being loud and disruptive in light of her rule that people must keep their voices down in the media center. How might she see the situation differently if she considered the perspectives and experiences of the Muslim students about whom she was complaining?

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2. Some staf had expressed that the school shouldn’t make an exception for students who are fasting—that doing so rubs against a commitment to equality. What are other examples of when barriers to learning might be left unaddressed under the premise of equality? What would an equitable solution be? 3. Ms. Silva thought to herself that fnding another space for students would just be a band-aid solution. What do you think this implies? How would you address staf concerns and the Islamophobia that might underlie them? Turn to page 119 to read the Points for Consideration for this case .

Case 4.3: A Diference in Perspectives Upon entering his classroom, Mr. Ortiz noticed several students crowded around two of their peers, Nikhil and Jasper. Tey were arguing about something Nikhil was wearing. Mr. Ortiz asked the students to take their seats and inquired about the confict. Jasper explained, “Nikhil is wearing a swastika. It’s ofensive!” Mr. Ortiz glanced at Nikhil but didn’t notice anything controversial about his attire. Before he could inquire further, Nikhil looked at Jasper and retorted, “You’re ignorant! My grandmother gave this to me.” “Whoa!” Mr. Ortiz replied. “Perhaps someone other than Jasper or Nikhil can explain what’s going on.” Madelyn shared, “Nikhil is wearing a gold chain and swastika pendant from his grandmother. Jasper asked Nikhil why he was wearing a Nazi symbol. Nikhil said it’s an ancient Hindu symbol, but Jasper said that it shouldn’t be allowed in school because it represents hate.” She continued, “I agree with Jasper. It’s weird for Nikhil to wear it.” “May I see your necklace, Nikhil?” Mr. Ortiz asked. Nikhil pulled the gold chain out from under his T-shirt, revealing a pendant that looked like a swastika. “Tat was a gift from your grandmother?” asked Mr. Ortiz. “Yeah,” replied Nikhil. “She passed away. I’m wearing it to honor her.”

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“You understand this symbol is ofensive to a lot of people, right?” Mr. Ortiz asked. “But it’s not the Nazi symbol. If people learn the history, they’ll see it’s no diferent from wearing a cross pendant.” Several students quickly disagreed. “OK, OK,” said Mr. Ortiz. “Quiet down. Tis is a longer discussion than we have time for right now. We’ll discuss it later, I assure you.” “Tat’s fne with me,” responded Jasper. “But Nikhil should take it of until then.” As Mr. Ortiz was thinking about what to say, he saw Madelyn waving her hand, eager to share something. “Yes, Madelyn?” he asked. “Nikhil is telling the truth,” Madelyn shared. “I Googled it. Tat is an ancient Hindu symbol. It was used in other religions, too, before it became a Nazi symbol.” “Of course I’m telling the truth,” Nikhil responded.“Tis chain means a lot to me and I’m not taking it of just because people are ignorant.” Mr. Ortiz didn’t know anything about the history of the symbol, but he knew Nikhil’s pendant could be disruptive to some students. Although learning more about it would be a great educational opportunity, he worried that it would be impossible for the conversation to reach everyone in the school and did not want to deal with additional disruptions. He proposed a solution to Nikhil. “You are right about our ignorance, Nikhil,” he said, “but your necklace is causing a disruption, since most people think it is a symbol of hate. Perhaps you can honor your grandmother by wearing it at home.” “No,” responded Nikhil, “It’s not fair that other students can display their religious symbols or have accommodations and I can’t. I’m not taking it of.” Mr. Ortiz sighed, “OK, but keep it under your shirt.” Once class ended and the students headed to lunch, Mr. Ortiz knew it would be only a matter of time before other students throughout the school learned about Nikhil’s pendant. We need to fgure out a solution quickly, he thought.

Questions

1. Nikhil believes it would be unjust to allow other students to display religious symbols while he is not allowed to wear his pendant. Do you agree? Why or why not?

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2. It appears that Mr. Ortiz is concerned about the lack of time he has to address the issue in class. If you were Mr. Ortiz, how would you address the situation given the time limitations? 3. Should Mr. Ortiz and other educators at the school educate the student body about the history of this religious symbol so that Nikhil can continue wearing the necklace? How might the religious identities of people in the school and broader community infuence your response? Turn to page 120 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 4.4: Islamophobic Read-Aloud Ms. McGrath, a language arts teacher at Grove School, was determined to help students learn how to write thoughtfully about complex social issues. She encouraged students to write about everything from oil pipelines to gun control. However, she always kept her views on controversial topics to herself, so although her teaching elicited an occasional complaint, her principal supported her and the tension always waned quickly. Ms. McGrath also believed that students should stay apprised of current events. She started every class with a question: “What’s new today?” Grove was populated predominantly by Christian and upper middle-class students. It was located near Washington, D.C. A small but growing population of Muslim students, mostly children of diplomats, recently started attending the school. Ms. McGrath knew some of the Muslim students had experienced racism and xenophobia, but from what she could see in her classes, students got along well. A couple weeks into the new school year, with the anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaching, her students began talking about news stories commemorating the event. Sensitive to the likelihood that some students’ families had been impacted directly by the attacks given the school’s proximity to the Pentagon, Ms. McGrath developed a writing activity on the topic.

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A few days before the anniversary, Ms. McGrath asked students to do a free write, reminding them to write whatever comes to mind. Ten she gave them a prompt: “What, in your opinion, has been the long-term impact of the events of September 11, 2001, on the United States?” She gave students fve minutes to write. After the fve minutes Ms. McGrath asked for volunteers to read their free writes to the class. George, an outspoken student who frequently referenced his Christian faith in class, was the only student volunteering. She reluctantly looked at him and nodded. He stood to read his free write. “I believe most people are good,” he read, “but I believe 9/11 was a tragedy brought to this country by an immoral religion, and we will continue to see more terrorist attacks because of this religion. Tat is why we need stronger immigration laws to control the number of Muslims entering our country.” Ms. McGrath considered interrupting George at this point, but remembered that when they frst shared their free writes, she set the ground rule, we listen carefully and mindfully, without interrupting. She felt stuck. George continued, “But what’s most important is that the attacks helped us remember how important it is that we need to protect America’s Christian culture.” George bowed playfully and sat down. Ms. McGrath noticed several students nodding. Hasina, a Muslim student, stared down at her desk. Essam, another Muslim student, looked at Ms. McGrath as if to say, “Are you going to respond to that?” Ms. McGrath knew she needed to respond, but she was not sure how.

Questions

1. Should Ms. McGrath have interrupted George’s reading despite her own ground rule? Why or why not? If she had decided to interrupt his reading, how might she have addressed George’s anti-Muslim sentiments? 2. Ms. McGrath had developed a reputation for being balanced on controversial issues, which is part of what allowed her to continue to engage students around those issues despite the occasional complaint. What was her responsibility in this scenario?

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Should she have taken a stand against George’s views? Why or why not? 3. Should Ms. McGrath maintain her “neutral” stance on controversial topics when students’ ideologies or comments are oppressive or discriminatory? What does neutrality mean to the students in the class, including Hasina and Essam? Turn to page 120 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

5 Cases on Ethnicity and Culture Case 5.1: Misinterpreting Data “I know you’re both passionate about this topic, so I decided to ask for your help,” Principal Beamer said. He had invited Ms. Herrera, the district equity director, and Mr. Davidson, a math teacher and the school’s cultural liaison, to his ofce to talk through data Terrybeth School had collected about student participation in extracurricular activities. Terrybeth’s population was predominately white, but included a large number of students whose families had immigrated from Mexico or El Salvador two or three generations ago. Also attending the school were a growing number of American Indian students, most of whom lived on a reservation on the outskirts of school boundary lines, but some of whom lived near the center of town. Mr. Beamer handed both Ms. Herrera and Mr. Davidson a copy of a bar graph that compared the likelihood students would participate in at least one extracurricular activity by race. “As you can see,” he said, “our Caucasian students are most likely to participate in at least one extracurricular. Tey’re especially active in sports and academic clubs. Our Spanish kids are not far behind.” Before Mr. Beamer could continue, Ms. Herrera chimed in. “I’m concerned about the language you’re using to describe groups of students and the terminology on this chart. I don’t believe this is your intention, but you’re using language that is inaccurate and, to be honest, pretty archaic.”

DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-5

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Mr. Beamer responded with a frustrated sigh: “Can we focus on what’s important here?” Ms. Herrera made a mental note to circle back around to her concern. She knew it was never benefcial to push Mr. Beamer on something when he seemed irritated. Ten Mr. Beamer pointed to the chart depicting the likelihood of participation for “Native American Indians.” “As you can see, these kids are notably unlikely to participate in sports, academic clubs, or any extracurriculars,” he said. Mr. Davidson asked, “How do you make sense of that disparity?” Mr. Beamer reminded Mr. Davidson and Ms. Herrera that Terrybeth data also showed that “these same students are far more likely to be suspended or expelled than the other kids.” He paused for a moment, then asked, “Doesn’t this prove what I’ve been saying, that these kids just don’t value the opportunities we’re ofering them? I would love to brainstorm ideas on how to convince the Indian families to instill in their children the value of extracurriculars.” “I don’t see any indication of a why in what you’ve handed us,” Ms. Herrera said. “Nothing here is evidence of why the disparity exists. Is it possible you’re projecting your presumptions onto the data?” Mr. Davidson added, “I agree. And I’m worried about how widespread those presumptions are in this school and the efect that might have on students.” “Look,” Mr. Beamer responded, “I didn’t invite you here to interrogate me or to make me out to be the problem. It’s well-known that some families just don’t value education. What I want to talk about is what we’re going to do about that.” After the meeting Ms. Herrera and Mr. Davidson had a brief moment to chat before Mr. Davidson’s next class. Tey shared their concerns about Mr. Beamer’s biases and defensiveness and agreed to meet with one another soon to fnd some way to minimize its impact on students.

Questions

1. What are three possible explanations other than “those students don’t value education” for why Native or Indigenous students were less likely to participate in extracurriculars than other

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students at Terrybeth School? How might Mr. Beamer’s biases contribute to this pattern, whether directly or indirectly? 2. Mr. Beamer suggests that the language he’s using and the language used on the bar graph are not important. Do you agree with him? What harm can using outdated, potentially ofensive terminology cause? 3. If you were Ms. Herrera or Mr. Davidson, how might you try to break through Mr. Beamer’s defensiveness and help him understand the data diferently? 4. Can you think of other examples of when data have been misinterpreted in a school setting in ways that could exacerbate inequity instead of helping to create the understandings necessary to eliminate inequity? Turn to page 121 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 5.2: Not Time for Stories Ms. Ward loved geography.Te frst unit Ms. Ward planned for the new school year focused on California. Although Rustin School, where Ms. Ward taught, was in the Midwest, she thought it would be a fun state with which to kick of the year. Students at Rustin represented a wide range of socioeconomic and racial diversity, but she knew many of them were interested in ocean beaches. California, in her mind, ft well with this theme. Ms. Ward invited students to sit on the carpet and began writing on a fip chart. Several students whispered excitedly as she wrote “California” at the top of the sheet. Although Ms. Ward was happy to see their excitement, she reminded them to remain quiet and raise their hands if they had something to say. Immediately several hands few up. “Are we going to learn about California?” Maddy asked. “Yes,” Ms. Ward replied. “We will be learning about California in many of our subjects throughout the week.” Students chattered excitedly again and Ms. Ward reminded them to remain quiet: “It’s hard to understand when so many of you talk at once.” After explaining the unit in more detail, Ms. Ward asked who had been to California. DeQuan raised his hand. When Ms. Ward called on

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him he said, “A few days ago, I was at my grandmother’s house watching television with my little sister, but she was crying so I couldn’t hear very well. I gave her a toy to play with because the person on TV . . .” Ms. Ward interrupted DeQuan and reminded him that the question she asked was who had been to California. Growing irritated by the side chatter and DeQuan’s indirect answer, she reminded the class that now was not the time for stories. “Please raise your hand only if you can answer the question,” she said. Upon hearing this, DeQuan angrily added, “I was saying that the person on TV was in an ad by a company that makes raisins, which are my favorite snack, and that the raisins are made in California!” Ms. Ward reminded DeQuan he needed to raise his hand if he had something to say, and added that his tone was disrespectful. Attempting to refocus the group, she asked, “Has anyone been to Disneyland?” Maddy raised her hand and said,“I have. It’s in California, and it is sunny and warm there. It’s also far away because we were on the airplane for a long time.” “You’re right,” Ms. Ward replied as she wrote “warm” and “sunny” along with the phrase “far from Rustin School” on the fip chart. “Any other words to describe California?” she asked. As several other students raised their hands, Ms. Ward noticed that DeQuan still looked angry. Anticipating another outburst, she cheerfully said, “DeQuan, please try to compose yourself so that you can remain seated with the group.” Hearing this, DeQuan stood, walked to his desk, and slouched in his chair.” Oh no, thought Ms. Ward. He must not have heard me correctly. Knowing time was passing quickly and that she needed to fnish the lesson, Ms. Ward continued teaching but wondered how she should respond to DeQuan if this behavior persisted.

Questions

1. How did Ms. Ward’s behavior in this scenario fail to ensure an equitable and just learning environment for all of her students? 2. What diferences can you identify in Maddy’s and DeQuan’s responses to their teacher’s question? What similarities can you identify?

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3. In anticipation of another “outburst,” Ms. Ward gave DeQuan some instructions. What might have caused DeQuan to react the way he did? What long-term efects could result if Ms. Ward does not remedy the situation and change the way she relates to students? Turn to page 122 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 5.3: Teaching Thanksgiving Ms. Porter raised her hand nervously. It was the beginning of her school’s staf meeting. Her principal, Ms. Chang, had asked if anybody wanted to add new items to the agenda. “I’d like to talk about how we plan to teach about Tanksgiving this year,” Ms. Porter said. Several colleagues responded. “I don’t plan to talk about it at all. Tanksgiving seems to be more about consumerism than spending time with family,” Mr. Espinosa said. Ms.Tilson commented,“I focus on food. Students are really engaged when we talk about food. We’ll talk about how the Pilgrims and Indians shared a feast, and since some of our students are immigrants, we can use it as an opportunity to learn about traditional foods.” “I focus on the Tanks in Tanksgiving,” Mr. Webster added. “We all have so much to be thankful for. I like to focus on the positive.” Ms. Chang replied, “Seems we have a variety of ways to honor the holiday. I’m not sure we need any more conversation on this unless you have questions.” Ms. Porter was most concerned with what her colleagues were not intending to talk about. She anxiously wondered how she could emphasize the importance of discussing issues like racism and colonization with students without ofending her colleagues. “Well,” she said, “I’m concerned with how we are perpetuating myths about the frst Tanksgiving. I’m concerned that we are not acknowledging that some Indigenous people observe it as a day of mourning, not as a celebration. Tis is a great opportunity to promote dialogue within the school community about popular customs that might alienate some students and families, such as pretending to be Pilgrims and Indians.”

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As she heard these words coming out of her mouth, Ms. Porter felt a wave of relief and regret. She was bothered by the way many of her colleagues had addressed Tanksgiving in previous years. She regretted never before feeling comfortable to speak up. “We have so many needs in our school. I don’t think we should micromanage how people teach Tanksgiving. We don’t even have any Indians in our school,” Ms. Tilson said. Ms. Chang, sensing the growing tension, replied, “You all have valid points. Tank you for sharing them. It seems this is a larger topic than we have time to discuss now. Maybe those of you who are interested in exploring it further can create a presentation for one of our professional development days in the spring.” With that comment, she moved to the next item on the agenda. Ms. Porter looked around the room, frustrated that nobody else spoke up or supported her for speaking up. She knew everyone felt overwhelmed. She doubted anyone would volunteer to develop a presentation after Tanksgiving passed. “Tere goes another year,” she thought to herself.

Questions

1. Which person in this scenario most resonates with you? Why? 2. To what extent do teachers have an obligation to incorporate multiple perspectives when discussing holidays? To what extent is this dependent on which identity groups are represented in the student population? 3. How should this situation be addressed before another Tanksgiving passes?

Turn to page 123 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 5.4: A Place to Study Ms. Grady decided over the summer that one of her goals for the new school year was to cultivate better at-home study habits in students. So, when Back to School Night rolled around, she explained to parents how important it was for students to have a designated place at home to study and keep learning materials.

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In hopes of motivating students, Ms. Grady purchased a pencil box for each of them to take home. She flled the boxes with writing instruments. Shua, one of Ms. Grady’s students, was especially excited about the pencil box. And Ms. Grady was excited for Shua because his parents seemed responsive to the suggestions she shared at the Back to School event. A month into the school year, Ms. Grady noticed Shua was turning in homework with food stains. She also noticed he was crossing out some answers instead of erasing them. When she asked Shua about this he explained his siblings also had been using his pencils and pens. Tey did not always return them, which was why he had not been using an eraser. “And the food stains?” Ms. Grady asked. Shua explained he and his older brother do homework at the kitchen table, sometimes while others are eating. Ms. Grady was sympathetic to Shua’s situation and decided to give him another set of utensils, which she labeled with his name.“Remember to fnd a quiet, separate place to work instead of working and keeping your pencil box at the table,” she told him. Shua nodded. A few weeks later, after seeing little change in the condition of Shua’s homework, Ms. Grady followed up with him regarding where he was studying and whether his siblings were still using his utensils. Noticeably uncomfortable, Shua replied, “I still work at the table and sometimes they still use my things.” Ms. Grady thanked Shua for his honesty. Later, when the school day ended, she wondered how she should approach Shua’s parents at the upcoming parent-teacher conferences. She remembered they seemed supportive about her expectations that students have a quiet place to study. If they were supportive in front of her, but did not follow through at home, she worried they also would not be supportive of her other ideas for at-home learning. She also wondered whether Shua’s family might beneft from a referral to a local agency that could provide donations if the family needed school supplies or other household items, since his siblings seemed to be in need of supplies. Feeling frustrated, she packed her things and left for the day.

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Questions

1. What outcome was Ms. Grady hoping to achieve by talking about study habits during the Back to School meeting? Do you feel her strategies were useful? Why or why not? 2. Was Ms. Grady’s expectation for how Shua should use the pencil case reasonable? Why or why not? 3. How might Ms. Grady’s frustrations impact her interaction with Shua and his family during the upcoming conference or for the remainder of the school year?

Turn to page 124 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

6 Cases on Race Case 6.1: Kindness Pledge Te student demographics at Lozen School, where Mr. Bankston started teaching more than 20 years ago, were unique for its suburban region. It was predominately white, like other schools in the region, but unlike those schools its second biggest racial group was comprised of mostly second and third generation Asian American students. Te biggest portion of these students were from families whose ancestors had immigrated from China several generations ago. Mr. Bankston enjoyed working at a school with a unique student body. He always volunteered to present at the annual fall “Inclusion and Belonging” conference hosted by his district. Te theme of the most recent conference was “Te Power of Kindness.” Mr. Bankston was excited by the idea of using kindness as a springboard for talking with students about matters of equity and diversity. He felt it would provide a positive, constructive approach for talking about bias, bullying, and discrimination, and kindness seemed like a more accessible concept for his students than, say, structural racism. Soon after the conference Mr. Bankston initiated a Kindness Matters club at his school. He hung messages about kindness around his classroom. When he noticed students mistreating one another, he made it a point to focus, not on the negativity of the mistreatment, but on the positivity of kindness. Instead of saying, “We don’t talk to each other that way in this classroom,” for example, he might say, “In this classroom we lead with kindness.” He asked students to sign a kindness pledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-6

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One day Mr. Bankston heard a commotion in the back of his classroom. He noticed Min, a Chinese American student, bent over her desk crying. Jeremy, a white student, was standing over her. When Mr. Bankston approached the students and asked what happened, Jeremy responded, “I don’t know. She just started crying.” Wei, a Chinese American student who had witnessed what happened, defended Min. “No she didn’t, Jeremy. You’re a racist.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Mr. Bankston replied. “Let’s remember our kindness pledge, Wei. We don’t want to throw language like ‘racist’ around. Lead with kindness.” He asked Min if she wanted to talk about what was going on. Slowly she raised her head. Pointing at Jeremy, she said, “He keeps saying I caused COVID and killed people. He’s been doing this all year.” “Is that true, Jeremy?” Mr. Bankston asked. Jeremy answered, “Tat’s what my parents said. China made COVID and sent it here to kill Americans.” Mr. Bankston wanted to be careful to not directly criticize Jeremy’s parents and their views, so he turned his attention back to kindness. “Whatever we might believe about COVID or what this or that country might have done, in this classroom we lead with kindness. What you’re saying to Min is unkind.” Wei interjected, “It’s not unkind. It’s racist.” “Tat goes for you, too, Wei,” Mr. Bankston replied. “Let’s fnd a way to have this conversation where we all presume the best in each other.” “You want us to be kind to somebody who’s being racist toward us?” Min asked. “What are you going to do about Jeremy being racist?” It struck Mr. Bankston in that moment that he had been chastising Wei for sticking up for Min. And he was about to chastise Min for holding Jeremy accountable for the damage he was doing. And aren’t both of those actions—sticking up for a friend and holding somebody accountable for harm they’re doing—also forms of kindness? Maybe he needed to rethink the relationship between kindness and equity.

Questions

1. Te notion of kindness has become more and more popular in schools, as in larger society, and often is associated with

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conversations about bias and bullying. Why do you think the idea of kindness has become so popular? 2. How might you have handled the situation diferently from how Mr. Bankston handled it when Wei defended Min? 3. Jeremy said that he heard from his parents that Chinese people made COVID to kill Americans. Mr. Bankston was cautious about directly countering or criticizing Jeremy’s parents’ view. Was that the right choice, in your opinion? If not, what would you do diferently? Should our approach to addressing Jeremy’s actions account for the fact that he was socialized by his family to believe harmful things? 4. How might the idea of kindness obscure the need for stronger equity solutions? Is there a way to frame kindness so that it supports equity eforts? Turn to page 125 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 6.2: Organized Resistance to Equity Principal Stone created the Antiracism Initiative a couple years ago, when he arrived at Rissmiller School. He was Rissmiller’s frst Black principal. Both of his assistant principals were white, as was the entire district leadership team. He sensed from his interview that he was ofered the job because of his experience improving racial outcome disparities in other schools. But those schools were in communities where he felt mostly supported in his equity eforts. He did his due diligence. He assembled an equity team to help create the vision for the Antiracism Initiative. He always talked about equity in positive ways, as opportunities to expand access and opportunities for all students. Sure, there was some initial blowback. Several staf members took ofense at the word “antiracism.” “Why use such a divisive word?” one teacher asked. Still, Mr. Stone believed that over time he would win the trust of most staf. His approach was not divisive. He expressed high expectations that all staf could do a better job understanding racial inequities, and then provided the tools they needed to eliminate those

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inequities. “We all do amazing things for students, sometimes without even realizing it, and we all do harmful things, usually without realizing it,” he liked to say. “Antiracism is recognizing and eliminating the harmful things.” During his frst year at Rissmiller, when the Antiracism Initiative focused primarily on professional learning and examining racial bias in discipline practices, Mr. Stone felded a few calls and emails from angry parents and managed small pockets of resistance within his staf. Tat was nothing new to him. It was the nature of being an antiracist leader. Tings became ugly during his second year, when the focus turned to curricular inclusion and student engagement. Teachers received training on how to engage students in conversations about racism. Rissmiller formed student racial afnity groups for whoever might like to participate in them after repeated requests from Black students. Te backlash calls and emails grew more frequent. Parents and even community members who had no afliation with the school accused Mr. Stone of segregating students and shaming white children. He could tell based on phrases repeated in the correspondence that it was an organized efort. Most of the calls and emails mentioned critical race theory (CRT) even though Mr. Stone had never uttered the term since arriving at Rissmiller. Tings came to a head during the May school board meeting. A board member warned Mr. Stone that dozens of people had requested time to speak at the meeting. Many were known members of Save Rissmiller, a parent and community group that was organized to challenge Mr. Stone’s racial equity eforts. Mr. Stone decided to attend the meeting. Several members of his equity team joined him in support. Mr. Stone decided that, no matter what anybody said about him, his best strategy was to listen quietly and not respond. He hated that he needed to worry that, simply by countering false information or advocating for students who had experienced harm in the district, he might be labeled angry or militant, which would give the anti-equity contingent fuel to attack him and the Initiative. It was brutal. Te speakers lambasted Mr. Stone for turning Rissmiller, in one speaker’s words, into a “bastion of anti-whiteness.” Several insisted that Mr. Stone was the real racist. Tey demanded he be fred.

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After the public comment portion of the meeting, Ms. Sheller, the board member who had warned Mr. Stone about the meeting, defended him. She said she had learned that Save Rissmiller was largely funded by political interests outside the district. She urged the board, “Be cautious not to be swayed by external political forces and pressures.” Ms. Sheller continued, “I want to acknowledge that Mr. Stone has been respectful, even when his reputation was being ravaged by speakers. I think it’s appropriate that we break protocol and give him an opportunity to respond.” “We’ll have to table that request until the next meeting,” the board president said before thanking the crowd and then adjourning.

Questions

1. One concern Principal Stone felded from his staf was about the use of the word “antiracism” in his Antiracism Initiative. One staf member called the term “divisive.” In your opinion, why do some people claim terms like “antiracism” are divisive? What might motivate that claim? 2. Mr. Stone felt he needed to remain silent at the board meeting regardless of what anybody said about him for fear that he might be construed as angry or militant and become an even bigger target for Save Rissmiller. What insights about social and cultural conditions in a school or district might we gain from situations in which people might have to choose to stay silent even in the face of misinformation and harmful rhetoric? Ms. Sheller, a white board member, spoke up. To what extent might her whiteness have protected her to be able to speak up without facing the sorts of presumptions that Mr. Stone might experience? To what extent might gender or other identities play a role in these dynamics? 3. Why have so many parent groups pushing back against equity eforts adopted the strategy of referring to everything as critical race theory, even when it has nothing to do with critical race theory? What is Save Rissmiller trying to accomplish by using that strategy? 4. If you were Ms. Sheller, what steps might you take to support Mr. Stone? What if you were part of the equity team?

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Turn to page 126 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 6.3: Teaching Race with Huckleberry Finn Samuel, one of three Black students in Ms. Kohl’s language arts class, loved discussing literature. Ms. Kohl enjoyed having students act out the stories they read to connect more deeply with characters. Samuel always volunteered to play one of the characters. Ms. Kohl’s favorite novel was Mark Twain’s Te Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. When her students returned to class after reading its frst 50 pages, she couldn’t wait to dive into role-playing. She was aware, of course, that this approach was risky with Huck Finn, which was full of racialized language—and full of racist language, like the n-word. She considered talking with students about the use of the n-word in the novel before they read it. But she resisted, concerned that such a discussion might manipulate students into a particular view of the book. Once students were settled into their desks, she asked for volunteers: “Who wants to play a role?” Several students raised their hands but, to Ms. Kohl’s surprise, Samuel was not one of them. In fact, he appeared distracted. As classmates moved to the front of the room to play a role, he stared down at his desk. “How about you, Samuel?” Ms. Kohl asked. “Didn’t you like the novel?” “It was OK,” he answered. “Well, everyone can’t love every piece of literature,” she said before continuing the lesson. Johnny, one of Samuel’s white classmates, volunteered to play the role of Huck, which also made him the story’s narrator. He played his role with verve, trying his best to sound the way he imagined Huck sounding. Initially Samuel sat quietly, following the story in his book. But within minutes Ms. Kohl noticed him growing listless, shifting in his seat. “Everything OK, Samuel?” she asked. “Not really,” he answered.

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“What’s going on?” “I hate this book.” “Yes, well, everyone can’t love every piece of literature,” Ms. Kohl said again. “Let’s get through these frst ten pages. Ten I’d like to hear why you don’t like it.” Samuel sighed. Samuel’s classmates continued to read. Noticing that Samuel remained uncomfortable, Ms. Kohl started to worry that it might be because of the racialized language. Te students had reached the eighth page of the novel. Ms. Kohl always felt nervous about page eight because, although the n-word was scattered through the frst seven pages, it appeared several times on page eight. Ms. Kohl’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Samuel shouting, “Stop it! You think saying that is OK? Shut up!” Samuel threw his book on the foor and exited the room, slamming the door behind him. Looking up to fnd 26 students as shocked as she was, Ms. Kohl had no idea what to do next.

Questions

1. How might Ms. Kohl have prepared her students for the language in Huck Finn? Should she have done so before they began reading the novel, or do you agree with her not wanting to “spoil” their experience of the book by talking too much about it before reading it? 2. Should Samuel be punished for his outburst and for walking out of the classroom the same way another student would have been punished if it had happened on another day for another reason? How might Ms. Kohl address the situation with her other students? 3. Does your school or district have a policy on use of the n-word? Have conversations happened regarding use of the word, and if so, does it appear that everybody is clear on the expectations?

Turn to page 126 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

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Case 6.4: Black Lives Matter It was a Friday afternoon. Ms. Simmons, a teacher at East City School, wondered how the protest was shaping up. Local Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists had organized the protest just a few blocks from the school. Tey had done all the proper paperwork to hold their protest in the area. Still, because the protest was scheduled for the block of time between when schools let out and when rush hour ends, Ms. Simmons knew tensions would be high. If the mood of the adults who came by East City to pick up their children was any indication, her concerns were warranted. When she left school around 4:30, trafc was still heavy. She noticed several school buses trapped in the gridlock. Although she found an alternate route and got home just a half hour later than usual, bus drivers couldn’t so easily navigate through intersections full of pedestrians and protesters. Having been an activist herself, Ms. Simmons understood protests could be disruptive. Tat was one of the points of protest, after all: to force people to pay attention to a problem too many of them were ignoring. She was proud of the protesters for raising awareness about racism and demanding accountability in light of the recent spate of police shootings of unarmed Black men. Tese included one incident in East City, just a few blocks from the school. For Ms. Simmons, the inconvenience posed by a blocked road was well worth the message the protesters were spreading, although she worried for students unintentionally caught up in the trafc, stuck on buses. Unfortunately, many adults trying to get to the school to pick up their children or waiting for their children at home were not as forgiving. Tey were frustrated with the protesters and angry the city allowed them to protest at a busy intersection near the school. Local news outlets covered the protest’s trafc disturbance and parent frustrations about the trafc as heavily as the protest itself. Parents complained about BLM’s “divisiveness.” Tey circulated their complaints on social media. On Monday morning Ms. Simmons noticed a few students wearing T-shirts with the words “All Lives Matter” and a few wearing shirts with the words “Black Lives Matter.” She could feel the tension. She saw an opportunity to engage students in a conversation about the protest and

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racism in the local community, but when she mentioned to colleagues her desire to do so, they discouraged her. “Stick to academics,” one colleague suggested. With the frst period bell set to ring, Ms. Simmons decided to ignore her colleagues’ advice and hoped her teaching instincts would be sufcient to make the conversation constructive and informative. She wondered what she should say frst.

Questions

1. Why might some educators be fearful about introducing conversations about racism in their classes? What can school leaders do to alleviate that fear? What can we do as individual educators to alleviate that fear in ourselves? 2. If you were a teacher at East City, how would you respond to students wearing “All Lives Matter” shirts to help them distinguish that point from the importance of a movement insisting “Black Lives Matter”? 3. If you were Ms. Simmons, what pedagogical strategies would you use to engage students in a conversation about racism and the BLM movement?

Turn to page 127 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 6.5: Terms of Endearment Ms. Lawson, a teacher at Audre Lorde School, previously worked at an afuent and racially homogeneous school. Tis year, however, she was excited to accept a job in a more racially and economically diverse environment. Several weeks into her frst year at the new school, Ms. Lawson refected on her adjustment. She had taken several measures to demonstrate her commitment to racial equity and it seemed that students were responding positively. She was especially pleased when she saw students of color reading the Diversity in Mathematics posters highlighting historically important mathematicians of color she hung around the room. One afternoon, as students made their way into her classroom, Ms. Lawson overhead one of her students use the n-word. Understanding

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how infammatory the word was, her immediate concern was that there would be a fght in her classroom. So, when she looked up from her computer, she was surprised to see Reggie, a Black student, and Anthony, a white student, laughing together. “Who said that?” Ms. Lawson asked as she walked toward the students. “Said what?” Anthony asked, still laughing. “Te n-word,” Ms. Lawson replied. Nobody responded, but Reggie glanced at Anthony. “Anthony?” Ms. Lawson prodded. “I didn’t say the n-word, I said n-i-g-g-a,” he explained. “I call Reggie that and he’s cool with it because we’re friends. It’s a term of endearment.” Keisha, a young Black woman who had overheard their conversation, interjected, “Tat’s not a term of endearment, you idiot. It’s racist. You’re lucky you’re not getting a beat down for saying it.” “We’re not going to have any threats in my classroom,” Ms. Lawson said, glaring at Keisha. “Let me take care of this.” Unsure what to say next, Ms. Lawson turned toward Reggie. He looked uncomfortable. “Is that true, Reggie, that you’re fne with it?” “It’s no big deal,” Anthony explained playfully. “He gave me an n-word pass.” “Reggie can speak for himself,” Ms. Lawson said, then looked back at Reggie, who appeared even more uncomfortable. Just then, the start of class bell rang. Ms. Lawson noticed everybody staring at Reggie. Sensing that whatever he really felt about Anthony’s use of the n-word, Reggie was even more uneasy with the spotlight she was shining on him, she decided to drop the issue and begin class. As she walked back toward her desk, Ms. Lawson said with a halfdefeated sigh, “Please remember that one of our community norms is respect. I don’t care how you pronounce it, there is no room for that kind of language.” Even as she was making this statement, she knew that she did not handle the situation well.

Questions

1. Are there any circumstances in which it would be fne for somebody to use the n-word or any variation of it in a classroom or school? If so, what would those circumstances be?

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2. How could Ms. Lawson have addressed Keisha’s comments more efectively, instead of chastising her out of fear of escalating tensions? 3. What are other ways Ms. Lawson might have checked in with Reggie to avoid shining the spotlight on him? How might she use the teachable moment to address the use of the n-word and other oppressive language with her entire class? Turn to page 128 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

7 Cases on Sex, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression Case 7.1: Pronouns and Deadnames “Before we begin the logistics part of our meeting today, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the positive feedback we’ve received from students regarding inclusive classrooms,” Principal Hussein announced at the staf meeting. She had just received the results of a climate assessment survey sent to students and families, and Ms. Hussein believed it was important to share both positive fndings and areas for improvement. “I’d like to share that many respondents commented in response to an open-ended item that Mr. Jacobson’s classroom is a place they can show up authentically and feel they belong. Many noted he’s one of few teachers who asked them at the start of the school year which pronouns they use and what name they prefer to be called. I know some of you might also be doing this, but I’d love for Mr. Jacobson to tell us more about his approach,” Ms. Hussein shared. Everybody turned to Mr. Jacobson. He quietly replied, “I’m glad students responded that way but I really don’t think I do anything special. I encourage students to be proud of who they are and I avoid binary language or activities like ‘boys versus girls’ contests. I try not to assume everybody is cisgender. My sister’s child is non-binary. I see how much they struggle in school. I don’t want our students to feel that way.” DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-7

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“Well, what you think isn’t special is making a big, positive impact on so many students,” Ms. Hussein replied. As she scanned the room, she noticed that several staf members looked confused and some looked irritated. She decided to spend some additional time on the topic. She asked her staf to turn to somebody sitting next to them and discuss what they had just heard and why it was relevant to them. After a few minutes passed, she asked if anyone would like to share a question or comment. “I have one,” said the physical education teacher, Ms. Dixon. “I feel like you both are speaking a diferent language with all these new terms—binary, cisgender. I don’t know what those words mean and I don’t need to. Kids are always changing their minds. My job is to teach content, not get caught up in the latest fad or to worry about alwayschanging terminology. And frankly, most students love when they have to compete boys versus girls. Te ones who have a problem with it are welcome not to participate.” An awkward silence fell over the room. Ms. Hussein took a deep breath, unsure of how to respond. She knew, but hadn’t divulged, that many students had responded on the survey that Ms. Dixon’s class was one they dreaded. She also knew that some staf—perhaps many staf— felt the same as Ms. Dixon. Ms. Hussein took one more deep breath before responding, hoping to keep her most marginalized students’ voices, the ones demanding the school do better when it comes to equity, in mind as she continued the conversation.

Questions

1. Some students commented that Mr. Jacobson did not simply use their birth name, also referred to by some transgender or nonbinary students as their “deadname,” and instead asked what name they should be called. What other students in class might beneft from this practice? How might this practice strengthen a learning environment and break down barriers to learning? 2. Ms. Dixon insisted that her job was to teach content and not keep up with the ever-changing language of youth. How would you address a colleague who shared this sentiment if you were their partner during the pair-and-share activity Ms. Hussein initiated?

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3. How can we solicit students’ insights about the extent to which their schools are equitable without potentially causing additional trauma? Do you think climate surveys are a useful tool? What other approaches could be useful? Please turn to page 129 read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 7.2: Online Objectifcation Usually Petra was full of energy. So, Ms. Alexandra was surprised Monday morning when Petra walked into her classroom looking somber. “Are you OK?” Ms. Alexandra asked as Petra headed toward her desk. “Yeah,” Petra answered, avoiding eye contact. A few minutes later Ms. Alexandra noticed several students smirking at Petra. One of them, Brett, was holding his phone up so other students could see it. Sensing a connection between Petra’s discomfort and whatever Brett and others were seeing on the screen, Ms. Alexandra approached the group. Brett quickly slipped the phone into his pocket. “What’s going on, Brett?” Ms. Alexandra asked. “Nothing,” he replied. “Just checking Instagram.” Ms. Alexandra reminded Brett that he was only allowed to use his phone to look up information relevant to schoolwork. “If you’re on Instagram again I’ll take your phone until the end of the day.” She looked back at Petra, whose head was buried in her arms. Concerned, Ms. Alexandra approached Petra and motioned her toward the hallway. “What is going on?” Ms. Alexandra asked once they were both in the hallway. “I can see you’re upset and I want to help, but I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong.” Petra shook her head. “Is it something on Instagram?” Ms. Alexandra inquired. Petra started crying. At that moment Ms. Santos, the assistant principal, turned the corner. She was walking quickly toward Ms. Alexandra and Petra, carrying her tablet computer.

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“Are you OK?” Ms. Santos asked Petra, handing Ms. Alexandra the tablet. An Instagram profle titled RateTeGirls was on the screen. At the top of the page was a photo of Petra. When Ms. Alexandra clicked on that photo, she found a series of numbers between one and ten and brief comments about Petra’s attractiveness such as “was hotter last year” and “ok, nothing special.” Ms. Alexandra recognized the names of some but not all of the people who left comments. Many were students. “Oh no,” Ms. Alexandra said, giving Petra a hug. “I guess that means you don’t know that the creator of this page is in your class?” Ms. Santos asked. “Brett?” Ms. Alexandra inquired. Ms. Santos responded, “He posted it on Friday. It’s been a diferent girl each day since then. Some students just reported it.” “Well, I’m going to put an end to this right now,” Ms. Alexandra exclaimed as she stepped toward her classroom door. “Wait!” Petra pleaded. “Please don’t say anything. Tat’ll make it worse. Please!” “OK,” Ms. Santos said. “Well, for now why don’t you take your seat and let Ms. Alexandra and me chat.” Ms. Alexandra and Ms. Santos could hear laughter as Petra walked into the room, making them both cringe and reminding them that they had just sent her into a hostile environment. Ms. Alexandra asked whether this situation was covered under the school’s anti-bullying policy. “Absolutely,” Ms. Santos replied, “or at least it should be. My concern is how we can hold Brett accountable and address this issue with all of our students without making Petra and the other girls on that page bigger targets.”

Questions

1. How would you respond to Petra’s request to not address the incident directly with students because she fears it would escalate the bullying and harassment she is experiencing? 2. Should Ms. Santos remove Brett from class immediately? What about other students who posted comments? 3. What are some ways you have seen social media used to facilitate bullying, sexual harassment, or other types of bias and

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discrimination? What role should schools play in addressing these social media concerns? Turn to page 130 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 7.3: Timmy’s Gender Nonconformity Timmy, a student in Ms. Grover’s class, often was teased by classmates because he displayed what some interpreted to be “girl” qualities. Ms. Grover had been warned of this situation by Mr. Franks and Ms. Puterio, Timmy’s previous teachers. In fact, ever since kindergarten, teachers and administrators had noticed not only that Timmy preferred to play with girls, but that he preferred what they considered stereotypically “girl” toys and books. Mr. Franks noted that, as a kindergartner, Timmy gravitated toward playing with costumes. He especially liked a princess gown and tiara. Other children didn’t seem to care, but occasionally somebody would say something like, “Tose are girls’ clothes.” Mr. Franks always stepped in quickly to say that all of the clothes and toys were for everybody. Timmy’s mother, who picked him up from school and often saw him playing with dresses or carrying around a doll, never mentioned any concerns. Timmy’s frst and second grade teachers handled the situation similarly, but noticed the teasing slowly intensifying. Ms. Puterio was quick to defend Timmy. She also noticed that the girls who had been friends with Timmy began to nudge him out of their social circles and join in on the teasing. She spoke with the girls about this, urging them to be nicer, but it didn’t help. Timmy, however, did not seem upset about losing friends. One day, Ms. Grover noticed that several students were standing around Timmy’s desk, pointing and laughing. “What’s going on?” she inquired. “Timmy thinks he’s a girl!” one student shouted, eliciting laughter from classmates. “He painted his fngernails, like a girl,” another student giggled. “It’s just one nail,” Timmy muttered, bending forward and hiding his face in his arms, which were crossed on the desk.

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Ms. Grover could see the pinky nail on his left hand was painted white. “Everybody move to your seats. Tere will be no teasing in this classroom.” As the students sat down, Ms. Grover kneeled next to Timmy’s desk and asked in a whisper, “Do your parents know you painted your fngernail?” “My mom knows,” he whispered back, tears in his eyes. “She only let me paint one.” Ms. Grover felt conficted. On the one hand, she knew children could be brutal over gender identity and expression. She knew that most bullying at school happened beyond the earshot of teachers. She also knew that the staf could not completely protect Timmy from all of the increasingly harsh bullying he might endure at school in future years. Part of her wanted to urge Timmy’s family to help him try to ft in better at school, maybe even help him try to make friends with boys. Another part of her wanted to create a safe environment for Timmy exactly as Timmy was, but she knew that would take a schoolwide efort and she was sure not everybody would be supportive. She fgured she needed to fnd an educational way to address what was going on with her students despite not fully understanding it herself, and without further alienating Timmy.

Questions

1. Timmy’s teachers from kindergarten through second grade only chose to intervene by addressing the teasing he was experiencing. Should they have done more, such as educating students about gender identity? 2. How should Ms. Grover broach this conversation with Timmy’s family? Timmy specifed that his mom knew he had painted his fngernail. Should Ms. Grover reach out to Timmy’s mother, specifcally, unsure about whether other adults in his life know about the situation? 3. Ms. Grover was unsure about her ability to make the school a welcoming place for Timmy, which led her to wonder whether it might be safer for Timmy to conform while he’s at school. What would you advise Ms. Grover to do?

Turn to page 132 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

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Case 7.4: Dress Code Distress Ms. Patil was wandering through the shopping mall, pushing her daughter in a stroller, when she saw Angela, one of her students. Angela looked upset. Her mom was trying to comfort her. Angela’s mom spotted Ms. Patil and nodded. Ms. Patil walked over and asked if everything was all right. “No, it’s not,” Angela’s mom replied. “We’ve been shopping for hours and we’re having a hard time fnding clothes that ft her and don’t violate the school’s dress code. We’re both frustrated.” Ms. Patil asked Angela and her mom to share a little bit more about the problem they were having. From what she knew of the dress code, fnding appropriate clothes shouldn’t be difcult. Angela was taller and heavier than most girls her age. Ms. Patil wondered if that could be part of the problem. “We spent an hour yesterday talking to the principal about Angela’s clothes. My daughter had to sit in the ofce and listen to people talk about her body. It humiliated her. A teacher sent her to the ofce. She told Angela boys were distracted by her clothes because they were too tight.” Ms. Patil was puzzled. “What were you wearing?” she asked Angela. “Leggings and a T-shirt,” she answered. Her mother jumped in. “I wonder whether you all know how hard it is to shop for girls who don’t have small body types. Te trend is athleticwear but my daughter comes across diferently than most other girls. And some of the clothes she does like and that ft more loosely are too expensive for us. It’s either clothes or dinner. Tis is so stressful!” Ms. Patil was taken aback by this outpouring of frustration, but appreciated the candor. She never personally struggled with fnding clothes that adhered to the dress code, but she occasionally read news stories or blog posts by parents and students sharing similar frustrations. “How can I help?” she asked. “It would be great if you could talk to the other teachers,” Angela asked softly. “Do something about the dress code. Sometimes I don’t want to go to school at all because I get teased for being dress coded all the time.” “I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this. I’m especially sorry for that uncomfortable situation in the ofce,” answered Ms. Patil. “I will

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defnitely look into the dress code. And I’ll keep this conversation private.” “Tis isn’t just harming Angela. Imagine how many other girls have been humiliated by these kinds of experiences. Nobody is talking about how all these restrictions are getting in the way of girls’ learning,” Angela’s mom added. “I’ll do my best,” Ms. Patil reassured her before giving Angela a comforting hug. As they walked away, Ms. Patil looked at her daughter in the stroller. She sighed and whispered, “I need to address this not only for current students, but also for you.”

Questions

1. Angela’s mom explained that it’s difcult for Angela to adhere to the dress code because of her body type. Why else might it be difcult for students to adhere to dress codes? 2. Te stated purpose of dress codes is often to prevent distractions from learning. How might dress code policies contribute to body-shaming? 3. Dress code enforcement can be subjective. How might this subjectivity create inequitable experiences within schools?

Turn to page 132 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 7.5: Gendered Bathrooms Teryn and her parents had been pleasantly surprised by the support they felt from many of her classmates and teachers at Riverway High School. Teryn faced instances of transphobia and bullying, which escalated when she requested people start calling her Teryn instead of David, the name her parents gave her at birth. However, she appreciated how the school dealt with these instances, as painful as they were. Teryn’s homeroom teacher, Ms. Harris, tried especially hard to be supportive. For example, on the frst day of class she asked students to introduce themselves and share their pronouns. She also initiated a conversation about why pronoun introductions were important.

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Teryn and her parents had been proactive. Tey knew with all the news coverage about transgender youth, school bathrooms, and a variety of other issues, they should meet with Principal Trainor before the new school year. When the issue of bathroom use arose, Principal Trainor asked which bathrooms Teryn wanted to use. “I’m a girl. I want to use the girls’ bathrooms,” she answered. “You’ll use the girls’ bathrooms then. I’ll talk school staf through this. Hopefully nobody will give you a hard time.” When the school year began, Teryn used the girls’ bathrooms. Similar to her general experience as a transgender student at the school, she withstood some bias, from jokes about her gender identity to suspicious glares. Tis made her reluctant to use the bathrooms at all. When she reported the instances to Principal Trainor, he said, “Don’t worry. People need time to get comfortable with the change.” Meanwhile, several parents called to complain to Principal Trainor that they didn’t like the idea of a “boy” using girls’ bathrooms. He stood frm. Ten those parents started reaching out to the superintendent, Ms. Stoudt, with their complaints. A couple weeks into the school year Ms. Stoudt called Mr. Trainor and insisted he instruct Teryn to use the boys’ bathrooms until district leadership and the school board could discuss a new policy. When the principal pressed her on her decision Ms. Stoudt cited concerns about sexual violence. “How would you feel if he attacked one of your female students?” she asked. Based on what he heard about what other schools were doing related to transgender students, nonbinary students, and student bathrooms, Mr. Trainor suggested a compromise: “Can we change one of the staf bathrooms into a ‘gender-inclusive’ bathroom, allowing Teryn to use that one?” Ms. Stoudt agreed, only if the bathroom was in a discreet location. “We don’t want people feeling uncomfortable walking through the school,” she explained. Relieved, Mr. Trainor printed a sign, “Gender-Inclusive Bathroom,” and taped it to the door of the staf bathroom behind the music room. He emailed staf to announce the change. Disappointed with this “solution,” Ms. Harris responded to Mr. Trainor, reminding him, not only that this left Teryn even more

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vulnerable to a wide variety of humiliations, but also that the bathroom was located too far from her classes for her to use it and still be on time for class. “Sorry, but that’s the best we can do,” Mr. Trainor replied.

Questions

1. What other, more equitable, steps could Mr. Trainor, Ms. Harris, and other teachers take to support Teryn? What are some ways they can educate themselves more thoroughly about transphobia and cisgenderism? 2. Both Mr. Trainor and Ms. Stoudt expressed concern about creating discomfort for people who might harbor transphobia, whether implicit or explicit. Can you recall instances when a school you attended or a school at which you worked prioritized the comfort of people who did not support progress on equity over the comfort and safety of people who were experiencing inequity? 3. Besides Teryn, who else attending or visiting the school might beneft from gender-inclusive restrooms?

Turn to page 132 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

8 Cases on Disability Case 8.1: A “Surprise” Fire Drill Ms. Stintson, a special education teacher, enjoyed helping colleagues understand the unique needs of students with whom she worked. Recently, though, she sensed frustration on the part of Ms. Foster, who recently welcomed Aiden, a new student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), into her class. Aiden had been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder but functioned well in a mainstream classroom. Ms. Foster believed that many of the IEP objectives were unnecessary because Aiden was progressing just as well as his peers. She often expressed this sentiment to other teachers. Ms. Stintson reminded her that she needed to follow the plan, but also mentioned that teachers were welcome to share concerns during the annual IEP review. One morning, the principal pulled Ms. Stintson aside and informed her that he would administer a surprise fre drill later that morning. He asked her to take necessary measures to ensure that her students would not be negatively afected by the drill. One of the frst students Ms. Stintson thought about was Aiden. His parents had indicated that sudden, loud noises scared him so much they could disrupt his entire week. Although this concern was not yet indicated in his IEP, Aiden’s parents had asked Ms. Stintson if she could notify Aiden about fre drills before they occurred and provide him with noise-reducing headphones.

DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-8

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Ms. Stintson stopped by Ms. Foster’s classroom to share the plan with her. “I’ll sneak in a minute or so before the alarm to give Aiden the headphones, then walk with him out of the school with the rest of the students,” Ms. Stintson explained. Ms. Foster expressed concern about this arrangement. “It isn’t a surprise fre drill if the students see you preparing Aiden for it,” she complained. “Te best thing we can do for all of them is to make the drill as authentic as possible.” She continued: “Plus, it’s not mandated in Aiden’s IEP. You wouldn’t be able to come in and give him headphones if there was a real fre.” Ms. Stintson reminded Ms. Foster of Aiden’s parents’ request. She mentioned the potentially severe consequences for Aiden if he is taken by surprise and subjected to the noise and chaos of a fre drill. “I understand your desire to make it authentic,” she explained, “but we can’t knowingly subject Aiden to a harmful experience.” “I’ll be discreet,” Ms. Stintson continued. “It is in Aiden’s best interest to remain with his classmates so he will be prepared if there is a real fre.” “Sorry,” Ms. Foster responded curtly. “If you think headphones are necessary, then you’ll need to take him out of my classroom before the drill so other students don’t suspect anything. Tat’s my best compromise. I need to keep all of my students’ safety in mind.” Ms. Foster left the room before Ms. Stintson could respond. Ms. Stintson’s impulse was to notify the principal about Ms. Foster’s unwillingness to cooperate, but she worried about how that might afect her future interactions with Ms. Foster. And she certainly did not want Ms. Foster to resent having Aiden in class.

Questions

1. Ms. Foster’s intention is to make the fre drill as authentic as possible. She worries that the accommodation will make the experience less meaningful for Aiden and other students. What efect will not providing headphones have on Aiden? What about his classmates? 2. What might you have recommended to Ms. Stintson and Ms. Foster as an alternative compromise, or is a compromise not an option in this case? Does the request of Aiden’s parents inform how you would proceed?

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3. Sometimes, especially when co-teaching is involved, educators “choose their battles” with their co-workers. Is this a situation in which Ms. Stintson should prioritize her professional relationship over advocating for Aiden? Have you ever needed to make a similar decision? Turn to page 133 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 8.2: Insufcient Accommodations One of Ms. Turston’s favorite activities was taking students to Meadow Creek Park, a nearby nature reserve, where they could explore the same trails and terrain as ecologists from the local university. She was especially excited this year because the park had hired a new education director, Ms. Parsons, who had designed a one-mile conservation hike specifcally for students. Ms. Turston couldn’t wait to take students on that hike. Two weeks before the feld trip, a new student, Justin, was added to Ms. Turston’s class. Justin had cerebral palsy, a condition that required him to use crutches. At frst Ms.Turston was concerned about whether Justin would be able to participate in the feld trip. Although he navigated the classroom and school easily, Ms. Turston was not sure whether the park’s learning center was accessible. Ms. Turston called Ms. Parsons to inquire about the accommodations ofered for students like Justin. Ms. Parsons reassured Ms. Turston, saying, “Te hike might be a bit much for Justin, but we have accommodations for students with physical disabilities and learning diferences. He’ll be fne.” When the bus pulled up to the Meadow Creek learning center, Ms. Parsons was there to greet the students. As they listened to a short lesson and asked the tour guides questions, Ms. Turston talked with Ms. Parsons about accommodations for Justin. “Looks like he can spend some time in the garden,” Ms. Turston said. “Unfortunately, park rules don’t allow for that,” Ms. Parsons responded. She pointed to a sign labeled “General Rules of the Reserve.” Te third rule read: “For their own safety, visitors with conditions, injuries, or illnesses that may impair their mobility are not permitted

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on the nature paths or in the gardens. A selection of videos about local ecology are available for people who are unable to participate in the hikes due to these conditions.” Shocked, Ms. Turston replied, “I thought you said you had accommodations. A video isn’t an accommodation!” Heading back toward the students, Ms. Turston wondered what to do next. Should she use this as a teachable moment? What should she say to Justin? How could she still make it a meaningful experience for him and the rest of her students?

Questions

1. Ms. Turston was frustrated to fnd that the learning “accommodation” for Justin consisted of sitting inside the center and watching a flm while his classmates hiked. In your estimation, does this constitute an equitable accommodation? If not, what sorts of accommodations might have been more equitable? 2. Should Ms.Turston provide the hike experience to most of her students even if one would be excluded from any sort of parallel learning opportunity? Should she look for a diferent learning opportunity that could include all of her students, even if she feels that opportunity might not generate the same enthusiasm for most of her students as hiking in Meadow Creek Park? What would you do? 3. As she approaches her students after talking with Ms. Parsons, how might Ms. Turston use this situation as a teachable moment for all of them? Can she do that without risking making Justin uncomfortable?

Turn to page 134 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 8.3: Nut Allergy Katelyn had a nut allergy, which required extra precautions to ensure her safety while at school. Her teachers, including Mr. Hughes, willingly made accommodations so Katelyn never felt like she was missing out due to her medical concerns. Some of these accommodations included

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having all students wash their hands diligently before returning from lunch and making sure students did not bring snacks from home into the classroom. He clearly communicated his “nut-free” policy to all of his students’ families and sought training from the school nurse on how to use an epinephrine auto-injector to administer medication if necessary. At the beginning of the school year, Katelyn’s mom, Ms. Tomas, asked Mr. Hughes if she could chaperone all the class’s feld trips so she would be nearby if Katelyn experienced an allergic reaction. Mr. Hughes agreed, but also mentioned that parents typically attended only one feld trip during the year so that other parents would have an opportunity to chaperone. He warned her that some might complain about her request, but said he would support her. “Katelyn’s safety is more important than people’s misperceptions,” Ms. Tomas replied. Mr. Hughes nodded in agreement. When Mr. Hughes sent permission slips for feld trips and requests for chaperones, he was mindful to reduce the number of chaperones he needed by one to reserve a spot for Ms. Tomas. He received occasional complaints about why she was permitted to attend multiple trips, but he was quick to point out how helpful it was to have Ms. Tomas on the trips so he could focus on the rest of the students. Ten he sent home permission slips and chaperone requests for the last feld trip of the year: a visit to the state capitol building. Te day he sent permission slips home, Mr. Hughes learned that his class had been invited to watch their governor deliver a live press conference.Tey even would have time to ask her questions and take photos with her. Due to security restrictions at the governor’s ofce, only a few parents could chaperone. Mr. Hughes received several emails from interested parents who insisted they should chaperone because they hadn’t attended previous trips. Regretfully, Mr. Hughes had to deny most requests. Te next day, as he took morning attendance, he noticed Katelyn looked unusually sad. “What’s wrong, Katelyn?” he asked. Katelyn responded that some of her classmates were being mean to her because their parents could not chaperone the trip. “Tey’re mad because my mom has to come.” “It’s just an excuse,” one of Katelyn’s classmates said. “We’ve never even seen you get sick from nuts.”

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Mr. Hughes was shocked, and decided to address this issue with the whole class. Tis prompted candid responses from students, many of whom said their parents had been complaining at home. Mr. Hughes glanced at Katelyn, who looked embarrassed. I’m not going to change my policy, he thought, but I defnitely need to do something diferently.

Questions

1. Were Mr. Hughes’s accommodations for Katelyn, such as allowing her mother to chaperone every feld trip, reasonable or were they inequitable to other families? 2. Mr. Hughes was committed to maintaining an equitable environment in his classroom. Given his students’ comments about Katelyn and the fact that they might have been hearing negative things about Katelyn and her mother at home, how could he have addressed this situation proactively with families? 3. Katelyn was feeling the stigma of having a nut allergy. What else can schools do, not just to ensure the physical safety of students who are diagnosed with a food allergy, but also to ensure their emotional wellbeing?

Turn to page 135 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 8.4: Behavior “Management” Missing the Mark “Tis new system is not working,” Mr. Paulson heard his colleague, Mr. Rhett, say. Tey were eating lunch in the staf lounge. “Some of these students need to be suspended,” he continued. “Instead, we’re keeping them in school, allowing them to disrupt other students’ learning. It’s a disservice to everyone, including teachers.” Tis wasn’t the frst time Mr. Paulson had heard this sentiment from one of his peers. Over the summer, upon analyzing data about which students were more likely to be sent to the ofce, administration implemented a new reward system to help with behavior issues. Mr. Paulson watched as resentment and frustration grew among the staf. Tey were more hesitant to send students out of the class for fear

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of over-reporting, but were unsure how to handle some signifcant behavior issues in class. After school that day, Mr. Paulson stopped by Mr. Rhett’s classroom to ofer some help. Mr. Paulson typically had a good rapport with students. During their conversation, Mr. Paulson learned that two students, Andre and Carson, had been swearing at their teacher and other classmates. “Other students tease each other but those two take it to the next level,” Mr. Rhett complained. He said he was aware that both boys received special education services. Tis made him even more hesitant to send them to the ofce, as leadership was monitoring patterns of ofce referrals. Instead, Mr. Rhett ofered Andre and Carson incentives based on the new reward system. He hoped this positive intervention would curb the unwanted behavior. Unfortunately, from Mr. Rhett’s perspective, neither student seemed interested in earning rewards. Tey continued to be disruptive. Mr. Paulson knew that both students had a history of behavior concerns and, as a result, a reputation among the staf, but he was typically successful fnding ways to resolve minor concerns within class and rarely needed to send them to the ofce. He told Mr. Rhett he would speak with the students personally. Te next day, Mr. Paulson was surprised at how candid Andre and Carson were with him about their behavior. Tey explained to Mr. Paulson that, in his class, they could express themselves and even move around. He related the curriculum to students’ lives. His classroom was a break from the frustrations they felt at school. “Te other students make fun of us because we’re in special ed. Tey call us SPED all the time,” Andre explained. “And other teachers ignore it,” Carson added, “so, we handle it ourselves.” “Why do we have to behave in a school we hate?” Andre asked angrily. “In a school that hates us,” Carson added. Mr. Paulson understood their frustrations, but also knew his colleagues would argue that Carson and Andre needed to be held accountable for their behavior. Te incentives were not working with them because the root cause of harm was still present. Now how do I communicate this with my colleagues?, he thought.

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Questions

1. What other strategies could Mr. Rhett have tried when he found that incentives were not efective with Andre and Carson? 2. Te intent of the administration’s desire to change a punitive system and decrease ofce referrals was positive, but the impact on staf and students was negative. Why might this be the case? What other changes could the school make to address the negative outcomes? 3. How would you respond to Andre’s question if you were Mr. Paulson? Do you think there are students in your school or district who feel the same way? If so, what can we do to address their concerns?

Turn to page 136 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

9 Cases on Sexual Orientation Case 9.1: Heterosexism in the Hallway “I’m in a predicament. I don’t know who else I can talk to,” Carter said. He had come to school early that morning hoping to catch Ms. Ibarra alone. Carter was out to Ms. Ibarra, his English teacher at Sleeter Circle School. But she was the only person at school to whom he had openly identifed as gay, aside from a couple close friends. He also wasn’t out at home. He feared his parents would kick him out of the house if they knew he was gay. Despite the fact that Carter hadn’t publicly shared his identity, many of his classmates presumed he was gay. Many called him names or bullied him in other ways. “I’m sorry to hear that, Carter,” Ms. Ibarra replied. “What’s going on?” Carter shared that things had become especially dire between his fourth and ffth period classes. On his way to ffth period a group of boys repeatedly harassed him in an unsupervised stretch of hallway. Tey pummeled him with heterosexist slurs and sometimes elbowed, pushed, or tripped him. “I’m concerned about my physical safety,” Carter shared. “But I’m also worried about the three tardies I now have in ffth period.” He told Ms. Ibarra that he had found a nook near the music room where he could hide until his tormenters passed, but that often meant being 10 or 15 seconds late to Mr. Staub’s ffth period class. He could take a diferent route to class, but that would make him even later. “I’ve DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-9

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received a notice that the next infraction would mean a call home,” Carter said. Tat terrifed him. Ms. Ibarra always hated the presumptuousness of that word, infraction. She thought, Was the infraction in this situation committed by Carter or leveled against Carter? “Have you considered explaining your situation to Mr. Staub?” she asked. He had considered it, he explained. But last time he was late to class, Mr. Staub made a sarcastic remark about it in front of the class. “I think he was joking,” Carter shared, “because he has a reputation for being sarcastic. He was smiling when he said it.” “What did he say?” Ms. Ibarra asked. “He said everybody else seems to be able to get to class on time. Ten he asked, ‘So what’s your issue?’ I felt humiliated.” “And I never intended to come out to Mr. Staub,” Carter continued. “I don’t want this to be the reason I’m pressured to come out to him or anyone.” “I’m so sorry,” Ms. Ibarra said. “Tis whole situation sounds awful. Nobody should have to experience what you’re going through.” She asked Carter how she could support him. “I don’t know,” Carter answered. “I just need somebody to help me get through this.” Ms. Ibarra knew not only that Carter’s next tardy would elicit a call home, but also that a few more tardies could land him in a day of in-school suspension. Carter could end up missing an entire day of instruction for a total of less than a couple minutes of tardiness. And worse, his only way to avoid these consequences might require that he come out to people to whom he didn’t intend to come out so that he could explain why he was showing up to class late. In essence, she thought, Carter was being punished for the school’s failure to protect him from heterosexism. She also knew she had to act quickly. Carter could get the fourth tardy later that day. “Tank you for sharing this with me, Carter,” Ms. Ibarra said. “Let me think about this. Can you come back by on your way to lunch?” Carter nodded. “Tank you,” he said, and left Ms. Ibarra’s room just as her homeroom students started fling in.

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Questions

1. Many frameworks for school discipline require that educators understand and respond to the root causes of behaviors rather than reactively applying rules. If you were an educator or administrator at Sleeter Circle School and wanted to apply that principle, what would you identify as the root causes of Carter’s repeated tardiness? 2. To what extent do you agree with Ms. Ibarra that, in essence, Carter was being punished for the school’s failure to protect him from heterosexism? 3. If you were Ms. Ibarra, what would you do to advocate for Carter, who clearly does not feel comfortable being out at school or at home? How might you have handled the conversation with him diferently? 4. Carter told Ms. Ibarra that Mr. Staub had made a sarcastic remark to him about his pattern of tardies. Tis ruined any chance that he would feel safe confding in Mr. Staub. What is your experience with sarcastic humor in a classroom environment? Why can it be particularly stinging even if its intention is not malicious?

Turn to page 137 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 9.2: Spirit Week or Stress Week? “I hope you can join us after school for the Student Council meeting, Dakota!” Mr. Greenway said as the bell rang for his last class of the day. Dakota was president of the Indigenous Student Union. Mr. Greenway invited her and other group leaders to the meeting even though they were not on the Student Council to try to ensure a diversity of opinions would inform the planning of the annual Spirit Week festivities. Mr. Greenway hoped the students he invited  would feel confdent using their voices. He took a hands-of approach to the Student Council. He wanted the students to have ownership of their decisions with as little guidance from him as possible.

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McKenna, the Student Council president, started the meeting: “Based on what we’ve done in previous years, I came up with a list of theme days that we all loved. I say we just vote on these so we can start planning the pep fest.” Matt responded, “Tese look great!” He added, “Hawaiian Day is my favorite. And I love that you included Ugly Sweater Day. Tat’s new!” “So, if we’re good with these spirit days, can we move on?” McKenna asked. As others nodded in agreement, Dakota chimed in: “I fnd most of these days ofensive. I don’t get how they show school spirit.” A silence fell over the room as students looked to Mr. Greenway. Appreciating Dakota’s comment, but knowing it could make some students in the room feel attacked, he asked, “Does anyone else fnd these days ofensive?” “Anything can be ofensive to someone,” DeAndre, another Student Council member, replied. “Yeah,” agreed Matt. “If we debate these, we won’t have time to plan the pep fest.” As others nodded in agreement, Mr. Greenway noticed another student leader he invited, Simone, say under her breath, “Te pep fest is ofensive too.” “Let’s hold of on deciding anything for now and move on to the pep fest,” Mr. Greenway said, hoping to appease the Student Council members. “I’ll bring up these concerns with administration.” Under the leadership of McKenna, students then separated into smaller groups to plan the pep fest. As they worked, Mr. Greenway noticed the students he had invited to the meeting seemed disengaged. He walked over to them and said, “I’m sorry some of the Council members challenged your feedback. For the record, I see your point. I just want to make sure nobody gets upset or says we’re being too sensitive. Spirit Week is an important tradition here for students, staf, and alumni. It’s meant to unify our school, not divide it.” “Too sensitive?” questioned Simone. “I only came to this meeting because Spirit Week was painful for me in middle school. Te week is flled with so much ‘King and Queen’ stuf that it’s almost unbearable for me as a nonbinary queer-identifying person. Also, I can’t pay for sweaters or other outfts to wear for just one day. It’s stressful!”

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“Yeah!” Dakota agreed. “Pretending Hawaiian culture is about wearing plastic leis is really ofensive. And all the ‘girls versus boys’ competitions at the pep fest are ofensive, too.” Mr. Greenway felt awful as he heard how Spirit Week had caused harm for Dakota and Simone, but he also knew the pushback he’d experience if he challenged what the other students wanted. “Maye we should cancel Spirit Week altogether,” he thought.

Questions

1. Mr. Greenway believed in giving students ownership of decisions they made, but in this case, he realized his approach felt marginalizing to students whose voices were drowned out of the decision-making. How would you recommend he balance this practice, if at all? 2. Dakota and Simone were bearing the burden of explaining to their peers why these events were ofensive. Tey were invited to the meeting because Mr. Greenway knew they might have perspectives that were diferent from those of their peers. How could the meeting have been more inclusive of their perspectives and more responsive to their experiences? 3. Sometimes educators might feel an “all or nothing” pressure when it comes to social events or celebrations. Do you think this is benefcial? How, if at all, can theme days or Spirit Weeks be more inclusive, especially to groups who are typically marginalized?

Turn to page 138 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 9.3: A New Club Ms. Green was a proponent of student efcacy. For that and other reasons, many students at Halloway School who felt alienated or disconnected gravitated toward her and her classroom. It was little surprise, then, when Lorraine and Jef, the only two openly LGBTQIA+ students at the school, asked Ms. Green if she would serve as faculty sponsor for a Gay-Straight Alliance or “GSA,” a student

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organization for LGBTQIA+ students and their allies. Tey wanted to create a student group that could be a “safe space” for students, and shared that Terrence and Hu, two classmates who identifed as heterosexual but were allies, also wanted to help start the GSA. “We’ve already started talking about how to help educate our peers about homophobia and heterosexism,” Lorraine explained. “We’ve even researched GSAs at other schools.” “Sounds like you’ve done your homework,” Ms. Green replied. “It’s a nationwide movement,” Lorraine added. “Ten I’d love to be your sponsor,” Ms. Green said. Usually students who came to her with requests did so in search of permission or with the assumption that Ms. Green would lead the charge. Lorraine and Jef were taking the lead, not seeking permission. Of course, Ms. Green knew that Lorraine, Jef, Terrence, and Hu were heading down a difcult road, that their eforts might be met with ridicule from some peers and calls to the school from angry parents. But she agreed to support them any way she could. A few days later Ms. Livingsworth, Halloway’s principal, visited Ms. Green’s classroom. At frst she sounded supportive of the students’ eforts. “I think it’s great when young people take initiative,” she said. “Tey’re braver than I was at their age.” “I do have a concern about this particular group, though,” Ms. Livingsworth continued. “We talk about being inclusive. My fear is, by allowing a Gay-Straight Alliance, we might be alienating other families whose religious views don’t approve of homosexuality.” “Tose families feel welcome here in other ways,” Ms. Green insisted. “Te students are just trying to create space for themselves as people who care about ending discrimination.” Ms. Livingsworth nodded. “I commend them for that. But it’s not the right time for a GSA. Let’s suggest they start a Diversity Club instead. Tat way more students will feel included and welcome to the group.” Ms. Green knew this would devastate Lorraine and Jef. She felt horribly disappointed, too, but knew Principal Livingsworth had made a fnal decision. Eventually she would need to raise this issue again, but for now she needed to focus on breaking the news to the students.

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Questions

1. Was Ms. Livingsworth’s suggestion that Lorraine and her peers start a Diversity Club rather than a GSA an equitable one? Why or why not? How is a Diversity Club diferent in nature from a GSA? 2. If you were in Ms. Green’s shoes, would you have argued more vigorously in support of the GSA? If so, how? 3. How can Ms. Green support the students’ eforts to create a safer, more equitable community for themselves, while also complying with Ms. Livingsworth’s request?

Turn to page 139 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 9.4: Two Moms Ms. Ribiero prided herself on being attuned to students’ needs. So, when she learned that Denise, who lived with her two mothers, would be in her class, she did some research. She found two highly-recommended books depicting families with same-sex parents for her classroom library. She had no intention of teaching a lesson on same-sex partners. She just felt the books should be available to all students, and especially to Denise. A couple months into the school year Ms. Ribiero noticed a few students briefy looking at one of those books. Soon after that she noticed Denise reading one of the books. One of Denise’s classmates, Julia, asked her what she was reading. “It’s called Emma and Meesha My Boy,” Denise replied. “What’s it about?” Without skipping a beat, Denise said, “A little girl who lives with her two moms and they have a cat.” Overhearing their conversation, Ms. Ribiero walked toward them. “Two moms?” Julia asked with an elevated voice, drawing the attention of nearby classmates. “Her moms live together? Weird!” Brandon pointed to Denise and said, “She’s reading a book about weird people.” “OK Julia and Brandon,” Ms. Ribiero interrupted, “focus on your books and let Denise focus on hers.”

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Immediately Ms. Ribiero was dissatisfed with her response. As usual she was uneasy about doing anything that might seem controversial. She did not feel comfortable or prepared to teach a mini-lesson on family diversity or same-sex partners on the spot. She agonized that evening over what to do. She felt she needed to do something, not necessarily as a matter of advocacy, but as a matter of accuracy. Families with two moms do exist. Plus, although Denise was the only student in class with same-sex parents—at least the only one she was aware of—others lived in a variety of family structures. Ms. Ribiero decided to read Emma and Meesha My Boy aloud to the class the next day. Because she was using the book to begin a conversation about family diversity rather than “gay marriage,” she decided to not send home notices that would have allowed families to opt their children out of the activity. She was thrilled to see how open students were about the book. “Your family is like that?” Julia asked Denise. “Yes. Two moms,” Denise replied. As other students began asking Denise questions, Ms. Ribiero felt tempted to stop the conversation. But she paused, happy with how respectful the students were being with one another and how empowered Denise appeared as she answered questions. She was happy, that is, until the next morning, when she learned from Principal Hernández that several parents called complaining that she was teaching about “homosexuality” and “gay marriage.” Mr. Hernández shared, “A few are angry. Tey’re coming by after school.” Ms. Ribiero anxiously said, “All I did was read a book about a girl with two moms.” “I know you’re the last person who would purposefully start a frestorm. Come to the ofce after school. Te parents are arriving around 3:45.” “Tank you,” Ms. Ribiero said nervously before heading to her classroom.

Questions

1. How else could Ms. Ribiero have responded when she saw Julia and Brandon teasing Denise about reading a book about a child with two moms?

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2. What responsibility do we, as educators, have to educate students about diverse family structures, including families with same-sex parents? What responsibility do we have to educate students about discrimination and inequity on the basis of sexual orientation? At what age should that educating begin? 3. Did Mr. Hernández do the right thing by inviting Ms. Ribiero into the conversation with parents? How can he support Ms. Ribiero? Turn to page 140 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 9.5: Outed at School Mr. Brooks never intended to move back to his hometown, a place where gay men like him were reminded constantly that they were not welcome. However, his mother had been diagnosed with cancer, so he moved home to care for her. Luckily, Ridge Rock School, just a 15-minute drive from his mother’s home, had an opening for a teacher. When he was ofered the position by Principal Patterson, he decided reluctantly to mention his sexual orientation. “I’m telling you this because I know this area can be rough for people like me. I can handle it, but I can’t handle not having support from leadership.” Ms. Patterson responded, “It’s not every day somebody divulges his sexual identity in an interview. Since you brought it up, do you mind me asking how you’ll handle it with students?” “If you’re asking whether I’ll be ‘out’ at work, the answer is no way. Not here.” Ms. Patterson had been one of the most outspoken allies of LGBTQIA+ people in the district. “If you’re looking for my support, you have it,” she said. Tis brought Mr. Brooks some relief. Still, when he remembered his experience as a closeted gay student, he shuddered. Memories weighed on him of regularly hearing classmates use homophobic and heterosexist slurs. Worse were memories of the lack of responsiveness among adults in his schools. He felt a little foolish for holding on to these concerns. Maybe things have changed, he thought.

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Te frst couple months of the school year went smoothly. Mr. Brooks heard the occasional ofensive comment and the usual heteronormative assumptions, like questions about whether he had a girlfriend, but all in all it was friendlier than he anticipated. He hated having to hide who he was, so the smoothness was a relative kind of smoothness, but given his initial concerns, relative smoothness felt like a small victory. Ten, in late fall, Mr. Brooks was stunned when Jeremy, one of his more boisterous students, asked him in front of the class if he was gay. Tis was not a new question for him, so the asking did not faze him so much as the collective gasp of the students. He knew what he should say: Tat is not an appropriate thing to ask your teacher. Instead, conscious that he might be opening a can of worms, he calmly asked, “Why would you ask that?” “My brother told me. He saw it on Facebook,” Jeremy said. “How many of you have heard about this?” Mr. Brooks asked. Most of his students raised their hands. “I will not discuss my personal life,” he said. “Let’s focus on today’s material.” Mr. Brooks was disappointed with how he’d handled Jeremy’s question. Part of him wished he’d said, “I’m gay and it is sad to think how much better I could teach if I didn’t have to spend energy hiding it.” Ten he remembered where he was and how he needed that job. When school ended he went to see Ms. Patterson. “Guess what happened today,” he said. “I can only guess,” she responded. “A couple students outed you on social media. Word got to parents. Some requested I move their children out of your class.” “What did you say?” Mr. Brooks asked nervously. “I said your sexual orientation is irrelevant to your teaching, and that you are a highly regarded teacher by students, staf, and families,” she replied. “I refused to move their children.” “I appreciate that. What now?” Mr. Brooks asked.“I cannot lie about this to my students. Hiding it is one thing, but lying is something else.” “You shouldn’t have to lie,” Ms. Patterson said, “so let me know what I can do to support you.”

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Questions

1. Ms. Patterson so far has defended Mr. Brooks, insisting to complaining parents that his sexual orientation is irrelevant to his teaching. Should she do more? If so, what? 2. What type of practices or climate could have been present prior to Mr. Brooks coming to the school so that students or adults who identify as LGBTQIA+ could feel accepted and not have to hide aspects of their identity? 3. Although things were better at frst than Mr. Brooks anticipated, he still was subject to “heteronormative assumptions.” In a heteronormative context, people are assumed to be heterosexual and heterosexuality is deemed “normal,” even if implicitly so. What are some of the ways you have witnessed heteronormativity in schools?

Turn to page 141 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

10 Cases on Language Case 10.1: Student Interpreter “Wait, Maria!” Mr. Clark shouted. He hurried to catch up with her, her mother, and her younger sister, Marcela, as they left school at the end of the day. Maria and Marcela usually walked home together. Tey were excited that day when their mother came to walk them home. Mr. Clark had been trying to reach Maria’s mother, Ms. Montes, to discuss discipline concerns about Maria. Several classmates had reported that Maria had called them names. Maria denied the accusations, but Mr. Clark started paying closer attention to Maria’s interactions with classmates and witnessed a couple incidents. He wrote a note home but noticed a few days later it remained in Maria’s backpack, undelivered. Ten he called her parents, but he knew they were just starting to learn English, so he wasn’t confdent they understood his message. As he jogged to catch up with Ms. Montes, Mr. Clark wondered how their conversation would go. He didn’t speak Spanish and did not have access to an interpreter. When he caught up with them, Mr. Clark shook Ms. Montes’s hand and asked if she had a few minutes to talk. “Yes,” she replied, hesitantly, and Mr. Clark noticed that Maria’s happy expression quickly changed. Mr. Clark knew it would not be a good idea to ask Maria to interpret. He was not sure she would translate accurately given the topic. He turned instead to Marcela, asking her if she could translate.

DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-10

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Marcela nodded and explained to her mother that Mr. Clark needed to talk about issues he was having with Maria in class. After ten minutes of conversation, Maria, Ms. Montes, and Mr. Clark discussed the behavior concerns and agreed to meet again if needed. Mr. Clark was pleased with the results of the impromptu meeting. “Tank you, Marcela,” he said, and told her how wonderful it was that she spoke two languages. He looked at Maria’s mom and said, “You must be very proud of her.” Marcela beamed. “I like helping the teachers,” she said. Mr. Clark smiled and told her he might need help translating for her mother again soon. Maria and Ms. Montes appeared uncomfortable, so Mr. Clark reassured them, “I know next time we will have something good to report. Tank you so much for your time.” “I’ll see you tomorrow, Maria,” he said with a wave, then headed back toward the school. Mr. Clark felt satisfed about what he accomplished during the brief exchange. He felt confdent Ms. Montes would follow through on their agreement to meet if needed. As a bonus, he felt good about empowering Marcela and praising her for her help. He was happy to know she would be a resource to translate for her mother if he could not arrange for an interpreter. A win-win, he thought.

Questions

1. Why might Ms. Montes and Maria have been uncomfortable with Mr. Clark’s interaction with Marcela? What longer-term implications might the interaction have for the family? 2. Was it appropriate for Mr. Clark to stop Ms. Montes, Maria, and Marcela on their walk home from school without an interpreter to have a conversation about Maria’s behavior? Why or why not? 3. Was this interaction a “win-win” as Mr. Clark believes?

Turn to page 141 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

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Case 10.2: English-Only When Ms. Mancini attended Potomac School, she did not know any classmates or teachers who spoke a language other than English at home. By the time Ms. Mancini applied for a teaching job at Potomac, more than one-third of the students spoke multiple languages. Although she only spoke English, Ms. Mancini often teamed with Ms. de Leon, a teacher with a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages endorsement. In addition to speaking English, Ms. de Leon spoke fuent Spanish and prided herself on learning phrases from the other languages students spoke. Unfortunately, it was common for some other staf to lament changes in the student demographics or complain presumptively that students’ families were not learning English. Aside from Ms. de Leon, she found few teachers willing to openly advocate for students who were learning English. During a faculty meeting, a small group of teachers collectively introduced their concerns about “the English Language Learners.” Ms. Ross was particularly outspoken. “It’s one thing for them to speak their languages at lunch, but not in my classroom. It’s a distraction!” “Exactly!” Mr. Tompson agreed. “We don’t know if they are talking about other students or something else inappropriate.” “I’m sure that’s not the case,” Ms. Mancini interjected, but she was drowned out by what seemed like years of pent-up frustration from several of her colleagues. “It’s their parents,” Ms. Ross said. “Tey don’t think they need to learn English, which hinders their children’s ability to learn it.” “I used to be one of those students,” Ms. de Leon responded.“When you talk about those kids, you’re talking about me. And I can tell you, you are way of base.” Sensing tension, Mr. Kang, the principal, stepped in. “I don’t like how contentious this is getting. We’re all colleagues.” He then explained how he had been feeling pressure from district administration to institute the same English-only policies adopted by other schools. “Tis wouldn’t afect what students do in their free time or while receiving language services,” he explained, “but it will mean, during classroom time, students will not be allowed to speak any language except English.”

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As many of Ms. Mancini’s colleagues expressed relief, all she could do was think of her students. She knew their home languages were invaluable to them during class, since they helped one another understand concepts that were unclear in English. She glanced at Ms. de Leon, who looked upset. “Are you saying this is what we’re going to do?” Ms. Mancini asked. “Starting next term, so that we have time to let students ease into it. I’m not a fan either, but there’s pressure on the district,” Mr. Kang answered. Ms. Mancini knew this was bad policy. She knew it was going to hurt English Language Learners and that it was already alienating Ms. de Leon. She wondered if she could follow a policy she knew would negatively impact students.

Questions

1. Should Ms. Mancini enforce the policy and support the administration’s decision, even though she believes it is bad for her students, or should she attempt to change her colleagues’ minds? If you believe she should do the latter, how might she go about it? 2. Would you have reached out to Ms. de Leon following the faculty meeting? If so, how? 3. If you were in a school where an English-only policy was instituted, how might you engage students in a conversation about the policy and its implications, recognizing that students from families that are emergent multilinguals could feel alienated by the policy?

Turn to page 142 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 10.3: Family Night With the goal of bolstering family engagement among families who are masters of languages other than English, Crestview School decided to host a Family Night. Teachers and administrators discussed ways to entice as many people as possible to attend. A light dinner and student

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performances would draw a crowd, they hoped. Te school circulated fyers translated into the languages spoken in the homes of each student. Tey arranged for students to perform the songs they learned in music classes. Teachers planned a presentation about how to reinforce math concepts at home by utilizing online resources. Tis presentation was to follow the student performances. Te entire event would last only one hour, they decided, sensitive to the fact that many of their students’ parents worked evening shifts or had other responsibilities that made long school events difcult to attend. Mr. Nelson, a veteran teacher, took it upon himself to create a handout about how to access online math tools. Te evening of Family Night, several families began arriving shortly before the published start time. Te teachers noticed, however, that most early arrivers were families that attended most school events. Five minutes after the scheduled start time, with several people seated and awaiting the performance but many other families not yet in attendance, the teachers decided to change the order of the program, moving their discussion of home support for math learning to the beginning, to be followed by the student performance. Te teachers were relieved to see more families fling into the event as they were speaking. Tis is a great turnout, thought Mr. Nelson. He and several other teachers noticed that some families stood in the back of the cafeteria rather than joining other families in the provided seats. Many were chatting. A few of the parents who arrived early and were sitting seemed visibly annoyed about the background noise. Ten minutes after the event ended, many of the families continued chatting. Ms. Stowe, a newer teacher, noticed a stack of copies of the handout Mr. Nelson created left on the table so she handed one to each adult who did not have one. She felt disappointed that so few of the parents took time to ask questions when she handed it to them. Once all the families had left, the teachers met briefy to discuss the evening. Ms. Stowe expressed frustration over what she interpreted as disinterest on the part of many “non-English-speaking families.” Other teachers complained that the evening was not a success because so many families arrived late and seemed more interested in side conversations than the presentation. Mr. Nelson could tell his co-workers were discouraged. He knew that they were interpreting the evening’s events in a way that would

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reinforce their stereotypes and defcit views about certain families. He also knew the evening held an important lesson for the school, but he was not sure what that lesson was.

Questions

1. Do you agree with the perception of some of the teachers that the evening was not a success? Why or why not? 2. Te teachers were careful to try to alleviate some potential barriers to participation for families who spoke languages at home other than English. For example, they distributed fyers in diferent languages. What else might they have done to make the evening as inclusive and equitable as possible? 3. Why might some families have remained in the back of the cafeteria rather than joining other families in the provided seats? Should the teachers have intervened when some of the seated families grew frustrated with the noise from their conversations? If so, how?

Turn to page 143 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 10.4: A New Task Force Ms. Ahmed, a parent volunteer at Pike School, enjoyed speaking Somali with students and families who were multilingual. One morning, she overheard a conversation between two teachers regarding an important after-school meeting later that day. Te teachers, Ms. Bayfeld and Mr. Dawson, asked Ms. Ahmed whether she was planning to attend. “I’m sorry,” she replied, “I don’t know which meeting you’re talking about.” Ms. Bayfeld explained that the purpose of the meeting was to create a task force consisting of district administrators, school staf, and parents or other caregivers to address pressing issues in the school. “Unfortunately,” she said, “our test scores are below the district average. We have a large concentration of students whose home language is not English. Te state is threatening to intervene if we don’t raise those scores.”

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“Oh, no,” said Ms. Ahmed. “I’ll be there, but I wish I had known about the meeting earlier.” Mr. Dawson replied, “It’s been posted on the school website and it was listed under ‘volunteer opportunities’ in the last newsletter. We even sent home translated fyers.” Te bell rang, so Mr. Dawson and Ms. Bayfeld headed to their classrooms. Ms. Ahmed texted her family that she would be at work later than usual. As she headed to the media center after school, Ms. Ahmed hoped to see some of the other Somali families, many of whom had shared concerns with her about the school’s performance. Upon entering the meeting, she saw one other parent, Mr. Webb, and sat down next to him. As people continued to arrive, Ms. Ahmed realized she and Mr. Webb were the only people present who were not Pike staf or district ofce staf. Also present was a consultant, Scott, who started the meeting by explaining that attendees would develop a plan over four meetings. He thanked everyone, saying, “Te people in this room will make signifcant changes to Pike so that all students can succeed.” Mr. Webb leaned over to Ms. Ahmed and whispered, “Where are the other parents?” Ms. Ahmed shook her head, and then raised her hand to express her concerns. She shared her belief that more parents, especially those who identifed with the groups being discussed by the task force, should be part of the decision-making. A district administrator, Mr. Clark, responded, “While it would be great to have more voices here, the reality with most task forces like this is that some parents are too busy to attend all the meetings or choose not to come because they don’t fnd this stuf particularly important.” Scott, wanting to reassure Ms. Ahmed, reminded her that the fyer was sent home in multiple languages. “All parents had equal opportunities to learn about the meeting. We need to work with the people who saw this as important enough to show up. Perhaps you can speak on the other parents’ behalf.” Ms. Ahmed did not want to speak on behalf of other families and felt her concerns were being dismissed. But she also was worried that if she pushed her concerns any harder, she would be perceived as a troublemaker.

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Questions

1. Were the strategies used to announce the meeting sufcient to ensure adequate parent representation on the task force? What other strategies, both in terms of announcing the task force and scheduling the frst meeting, might have yielded greater parent or caregiver attendance? 2. Consider decision-making groups in your school or district. Are they representative of community demographics? Is consistent attendance at meetings valued more than adequate family representation? 3. Ms. Ahmed worried that if she pressed the issue of representation, she would jeopardize her credibility and be interpreted as a troublemaker. In what other contexts might people worry that insisting on equity might result in them being viewed as troublemakers or having their concerns dismissed? Have you experienced this?

Turn to page 144 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

11 Cases on Immigrant Status Case 11.1: An Assigned Nickname It was the frst day of school at Treetop Elementary. Ms. Goodwin looked forward to meeting her students. But she always felt a little anxious on the frst day of school, mostly because she found the challenge of learning to pronounce students’ names anxiety-inducing. Te student body at her school was becoming more ethnically and linguistically diverse each year, and she struggled to properly pronounce some students’ names. Once class started, she invited students to sit in a circle on the foor. “Let’s learn about one another,” she said. She then asked students to share their names and favorite animals. As students shared their names, Ms. Goodwin repeated them and allowed students to correct her if they wanted to do so. Despite her attentiveness, Ms. Goodwin found herself stumbling over the name of one of her students, Sarai (pronounced Să-ră-ē). Over the next couple days Ms. Goodwin noticed she was avoiding saying Sarai’s name. She decided to ask Sarai for help. Sarai tried to help, saying her name slowly. As Ms. Goodwin continued to struggle pronouncing it, she worried Sarai was becoming uncomfortable. Another of Ms. Goodwin’s students, Sara, was standing nearby. She looked at Sarai and said, “Our names are almost the same! Maybe you can be called Sara too so it’s easier to say.”

DOI: 10.4324/9781003398394-11

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“OK,” Sarai replied with a grin. Ms. Goodwin asked Sarai if she was sure this would be OK. Sarai agreed. Ms. Goodwin assured her, “Sara is a pretty name too.” For the next several weeks Sarai was introduced, and introduced herself, to students and staf as “Sara.” When it came time for conferences, Ms. Goodwin forgot “Sara” was not Sarai’s given name. She noted the confusion on Sarai’s mother’s face when she referred to her daughter as “Sara.” She explained to Sarai’s mother that some students in class have nicknames. “Sarai said it was OK to call her ‘Sara,’” Ms. Goodwin explained. “I’m sorry for not checking with you frst, but hopefully it’s OK.” Sarai’s mother seemed hesitant at frst, then nodded. Relieved, Ms. Goodwin continued with the conference. She noticed, however, that Sarai’s mother seemed quieter and not as engaged as she was earlier in their conversation.

Questions

1. It is possible that Sarai agreed to change her name even if she did not really want to be called “Sara.” Why might she have done that? 2. How might Ms. Goodwin have introduced the topic of Sarai’s nickname in a way that invited her mother to share concerns she might have had? When should she have invited Sarai’s parents into such a conversation? 3. Why is it so important for teachers to learn to pronounce each student’s full name?

Turn to page 145 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 11.2: I’m Not Black Ms. Lee enjoyed the racial and religious diversity of her students. Tere were some tensions in the larger community, and sometimes those tensions found their way into the school, but for the most part it appeared to her as though students got along well.

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Ms. Lee often attempted to create opportunities for students to collaborate in pairs or small groups to help facilitate relationship-building across racial and ethnic groups. She watched happily as students discussed historical narratives or complex political issues together, learning from one another’s perspectives. Recently, though, Ms. Lee and her colleagues began noticing what appeared to be steadily growing confict at the school between Nigerian students who were recent immigrants and Black students who were born in the United States. A couple of brief shoving incidents had occurred between individuals from these two groups of students and social divisions were becoming more pronounced. Late in the school year a new student whose family recently immigrated from Nigeria, Abiola, was assigned to Ms. Lee’s class. As she always did for students who joined her classes mid-term, Ms. Lee assigned Abiola a “mentor”—a fellow student who could help him navigate the school. Hoping to build a bridge between the Black students who had been born in the United States and Nigerian students, she asked Warren to stay after class so she could introduce them formally. It did not go as planned. “I didn’t know you were asking me to stay after school for this,” Warren said. “You know the other Nigerian kids have been calling us names like the n-word, right?” Abiola stood motionless, eyes cast downward. “What?” Ms. Lee responded, puzzled. “Why? Tat doesn’t make sense.” she said. “Tey think they’re better than us,” Warren explained. “Tey think they’re not Black.” “I’m not ‘Black,’” Abiola said defensively, “I’m Nigerian.” Ms. Lee replied, “Well all of you need to learn how to get along because I won’t have any tension in my classroom. You just met!” Later, after the school day ended, a small group of Nigerian students got into a shoving match with a small group of Black American students in the parking lot.Te melee was broken up before punches were thrown, but tensions remained high. Speaking with a couple colleagues about the incident, Ms. Lee said, “I can’t understand it. I know there are always social tensions with kids this age, but they’re all Black. You would think they would get along better because they have that in common.”

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“Well I do understand it,” replied Ms. Tompkins, one of the few Black teachers at the school. “Our staf contribute to the tension by treating the students like they are the same when they don’t see it that way.” Mr. Werth responded, “So you’re saying we’re the problem here? I always try to not see the diferences in students and instead to see commonalities. Tey should do the same.” Ms. Lee knew she did not understand the complexities of the situation, but something about what Mr. Werth had just said did not feel right to her. She wished all her students would get along, but she also wondered what she could do diferently to address the tensions.

Questions

1. What factors should Ms. Lee have considered when choosing a mentor for Abiola? 2. What, if anything, should Ms. Lee have done diferently to address Warren’s concerns and to ensure that Abiola felt welcome? What might the school administration do to address the growing confict? 3. Mr. Werth expressed a color-evasive mentality when he said that he tries to see only the commonalities among his students. How might this color-evasive approach afect his ability to understand and address the situation efectively?

Turn to page 145 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 11.3: Collective Action on the Basketball Court “Remember, one game at a time. We got this!” Coach Tremblay shouted to his basketball team as they sat on their bench, ready to start the game. It was a semifnal game of the district tournament. As he scanned the players, and then their families cheering in the visitors’ stands, he was overcome with pride. He was proud of how well his students had bonded despite their linguistic and cultural diferences. Two of his players were immigrants from Afghanistan. One had immigrated from Russia. Te rest were a racial and cultural

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mix of students who had played basketball for the same district since elementary school. He spent a lot of time on teambuilding and allyship, which helped to cultivate a tight-knit group. Many of his fellow coaches believed that sports were race-free. But Coach Tremblay, who also taught in the high school, learned from his students that they experienced life diferently depending on their identities. Several players and their families were open about the discrimination they endured on and of the court. As the game was about to start, Coach Tremblay nervously looked at the home team’s stands. Students of the school they were visiting had a reputation for ruthlessly taunting their opponents, so he felt concerned as the referee blew his whistle and tossed up the jump ball, but hoped for a good game. About halfway through the second quarter, Omar, one of the Afghan students, fouled a member of the opposing team, inadvertently knocking him down. Te player stood up and shoved Omar. Omar did not respond at frst, but when the opposing player shoved him again, Omar shoved him back. Finally, one of the referees wedged himself between the players before the situation grew more heated. “Easy, easy!” the referee yelled at Omar, prompting applause from the home team fans. As the game continued, Coach Tremblay and his players began to hear chanting coming from the student section of the home team stands. Instead of the typical chant of “DE-FENSE” when the ball was near their basket, students began yelling, “DE-PORT.” Coach Tremblay was furious, both because of the racism and xenophobia underlying the chant and because no adult from the opposing team seemed to address the taunting. He noticed some of the opposing players laughing while others appeared embarrassed. He scanned the eyes of his players and saw anger and exasperation. Next time the team had possession, Tre, one of Coach Tremblay’s co-captains, purposefully threw the ball out of bounds. He approached the bench. “Coach, if this doesn’t stop there’s going to be a fght on the court. I’m refusing to play until somebody addresses that chanting.”Te other four players who were with Tre on the court joined him, sitting down on their bench. Coach Tremblay knew his actions would carry more weight than his words, especially because he had worked so hard to promote

Cases on Immigrant Status ◆ 107

allyship among his players. He didn’t want to put them at risk and he didn’t trust that any adults from the home team would intervene since they hadn’t yet. He yelled at the opposing bench, “Are you going to address this?” Te opposing coach shrugged. Coach Tremblay considered joining his players in protest and exiting the court with them. But they had worked so hard to make it to the semifnals. It was time to walk his talk. He just wished he knew what walking the talk meant in this situation.

Questions

1. If you were Coach Tremblay, how would you address the chanting from the opposing crowd? What factors would impact your decision? 2. If you were an educator in the stands of the home team, what would you have done? Do educators have an obligation to address after-school behaviors like the chanting in this scenario? 3. Taunting and “trash talk” among players is common in sports and seen by some people as proof of enthusiasm and even team spirit. But there appears to be a sort of global epidemic of racist, heterosexist, and otherwise oppressive taunting and trash talk from spectators in sports, ranging from the highest echelons of professional soccer to little league baseball. Is there something about the culture of competitive sports that breeds this sort of behavior? How should school-based sports leagues handle these situations?

Turn to page 146 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 11.4: Family Involvement Joel Pham’s parents reliably attended conferences, but that was the extent of their involvement when it came to visiting Baldwin School. Joel’s mother, Ms. Pham, worked at a local printing company known for encouraging employees to do community service, and even paid

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employees to volunteer during designated work days throughout the year. Most employees whose children attended Baldwin School came to school on these days to assist teachers, but Ms. Pham never did. Like many other teachers, Mr. Rolnick believed family involvement was integral to student success, so he constantly tried to provide opportunities to volunteer, ofering tasks like shelving library books or updating bulletin boards. Understanding some people might want to be involved but have difculty getting to the school, he also provided work-from-home opportunities such as preparing materials for school events. Joel’s parents never responded to these opportunities. Mr. Rolnick was sensitive to parents who worked multiple jobs and could not aford to take time of work. He was bothered, though, that Joel’s parents, who to his knowledge had no such limitations, showed no interest in being involved. Mr. Rolnick knew transportation was not an issue for them. Te family lived in walking distance. He knew Joel and his parents were ethnically Vietnamese, but Ms. and Mr. Pham were raised in the U.S., so language was not a barrier. One day, Joel expressed interest in working with a classmate, Myles, on a Science Fair project. Mr. Rolnick said he would need to speak to the parents frst, since joint projects needed parent approval. He called Mr. Pham and suggested that everyone meet to devise a plan that would ensure both boys had equal responsibilities. Mr. Rolnick said his schedule was fexible, but Mr. Pham said he would speak with Joel at home instead. Mr. Rolnick shook his head in disbelief. He turned to a co-worker for advice. Ms. Smith had taught in the school for more than 25 years and was a great resource for other teachers. “I’ve reached out to the Phams several times, but they just aren’t involved,” Mr. Rolnick complained. “I don’t want to speak for them,” Ms. Smith said, “but I encourage you to think about other barriers. I remember Joel’s parents. Tey both actually attended this district when there were few Vietnamese families in the area. Unfortunately, the schools were not welcoming. I’m sure they were happy to move on. Some of the same teachers are here— teachers who were not supportive of them. Perhaps that explains part of their reluctance.” “But I’m not one of those teachers,” Mr. Rolnick said.

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“You’re not,” Ms. Smith replied. “But do you think the assumptions you’re making or the way you’re approaching the Phams remind them of some of those teachers?” “Maybe you’re right,” Mr. Rolnick conceded, wondering what he could do to make Ms. and Mr. Pham feel welcome.

Questions

1. Mr. Rolnick provided various opportunities for students’parents to volunteer, but Ms. and Mr. Pham did not volunteer in these capacities. Ms. Smith suggested that one reason for their lack of participation might be their own experience as students in the school. What other factors might be keeping them from volunteering? 2. How could Mr. Rolnick and other teachers and administrators reach out to parents and other caregivers who might have experienced school as a hostile environment when they were students? 3. Mr. Rolnick appeared to assume that, because they didn’t take advantage of family involvement opportunities he created, Ms. and Mr. Pham were disinterested in their son’s education. What are some ways families are involved and demonstrate interest in their children’s education other than volunteering at the school?

Turn to page 147 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Case 11.5: My Uncle Abdi was an energetic student who excelled academically. He was liked by peers, but some teachers’ patience with him was wearing thin because he often needed to be reminded to pay attention during class. During a family night event, Abdi’s teacher, Ms. Klein, noted that he was excited about learning, but that he had difculty following directions. Even during the meeting Ms. Klein noticed that Abdi had trouble staying focused despite being instructed by his mother to listen. It wasn’t until his father reprimanded him that his behavior

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changed. Seeing this, Ms. Klein knew Abdi was capable of following rules, but he needed guidance. As she was planning for November conferences, Ms. Klein was sure to remind Abdi that his mother and father should attend. She wanted to discuss Abdi’s behavior with his parents in person because she did not want them to misinterpret her concerns and think Abdi was being disrespectful. Instead, she wanted them to understand that he simply struggled to stop talking when she wanted him to listen, sometimes becoming a distraction for other students. From what she observed at Family Night, she hoped Adbi’s father would address the behavior concerns efectively. When Abdi’s conference time arrived, his mother, Ms. Asha, entered Ms. Klein’s classroom with a person who introduced himself as Abdi’s uncle. After hearing Ms. Klein’s concerns, they agreed to speak to Abdi about his conduct. Ms. Klein, feeling skeptical that this would resolve the issue, suggested they inform Abdi’s father on the issue. Tey promised to convey the information, but Ms. Klein worried they were saying so only to appease her. After saying goodbye to Abdi’s mother and uncle, Ms. Klein went to the main ofce to check her mailbox. “You look frustrated,” the ofce administrator, Ms. Larson, observed. “I am frustrated,” Ms. Klein said. She scanned the ofce to make sure nobody was around. “I just fnished Abdi’s conference. I was hoping to speak with his father about Abdi’s behavior, but he didn’t come. Instead, Abdi’s mom and someone who said he was Abdi’s uncle came, and I worry they won’t be able to infuence Abdi to behave better in class. Abdi’s so bright! He needs discipline though.” “Abdi is a sweet kid,” Ms. Larson said. “As for the uncle, I’ve seen several people over the years arrive after school to pick up Abdi claiming to be his uncle. To be honest, I don’t think any of them are related. I’ve seen the same thing with some of our other immigrant students.” Shaking her head in disbelief, Ms. Klein said, “I’ll keep you posted if I learn anything.” Te next day as students arrived Ms. Klein noticed Abdi was his usual talkative self. She approached him and said, “I had a good conference with your mom and uncle yesterday.” Abdi smiled and shared, “Tat’s what my mom said too.”

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“Tat’s great!” replied Ms. Klein. She then inquired, “It was nice for your uncle to come, too. Is he your mom’s brother or your dad’s brother?” Abdi, puzzled and embarrassed, replied, “Neither.” Ms. Klein sighed and thought, I’ll have to let Ms. Larson know she was right.

Questions

1. Why might somebody attend meetings at the school in the place of Abdi’s father? How can this be viewed positively, rather than negatively? 2. How might Ms. Larson’s mistrust of certain visitors afect how she interacts with them? 3. Ms. Klein questioned Abdi about how he was related to the person who called himself Abdi’s uncle. Based on how he responded, how might that exchange impact his comfort level in the classroom and relationship with his teacher?

Turn to page 148 to read the Points for Consideration for this case.

Appendix A: The Equity Literacy Case Analysis Worksheet Step 1: Identify biases or inequities.

Step 2: Take stock of various perspectives.

Step 3: Consider possible challenges and opportunities.

Step 4: Imagine what equity and justice would look like.

Step 5: Brainstorm immediate-term solutions.

Step 6: Brainstorm long-term solutions.

Step 7: Craft a transformative plan of action.

Appendix B: Points for Consideration Case 3.1: Learning for Sale ♦

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Focus groups or listening sessions like the one facilitated by Ms. Timberton are increasingly popular in schools. Tey’re often used with at least the presumed intention to give people who have been harmed in some way a platform to share their insights with people who have the power to transform the conditions creating the harm. As a result, there often is a tremendous power imbalance in spaces where these focus groups or listening sessions are occurring. Tis power imbalance played out in Ms. Timberton’s session as participants ignored the norms she had created and immediately started to invalidate student concerns. It takes very skilled facilitation to pull of this sort of session and a willingness on the part of the facilitator to immediately interrupt somebody who undermines the student-centeredness of it. Otherwise, we risk causing more harm to students who have already been harmed. Both Mr. Toney and Ms. Inglebert responded to that feedback, not by considering what they could do to eliminate the inequities the students were experiencing, but instead by putting pressure back onto the students to resolve their own marginalization. It should never be the responsibility of somebody who is experiencing an inequity to change something they are doing to adjust to the inequity or to come up with a solution, especially when they don’t have the power to enforce the solution. It can be difcult to hear critical feedback, whether about something we are doing as individual educators or about something harmful that is occurring at an institution we may

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want to believe is not doing any harm. Te students in the listening session were ofering participants a tremendous gift by sharing their experiences at the risk of subjecting themselves to trauma. Unfortunately, the institutional cultures of schools often do not reward critical feedback. Tis is a serious equity roadblock. We all can work on learning how to embrace feedback—even the hardest feedback to hear—as a gift rather than an afront. Tat will position us to be stronger educators for all students.

Case 3.2: Not So Fair Book Fair ♦

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Book fairs in schools can trigger stress and other negative emotions for some students and families, particularly those who can’t aford to purchase the books. As Mrs. Gunderson indicated, the anticipation of having to tell her children they can’t purchase a book was humiliating and caused her to miss the conference altogether. Her absence might then be misinterpreted by the teachers as a sign she doesn’t value education. It’s important that, when we consider events based around purchasing items at school such as a book fair, we account for how it may impact students and families who might feel marginalized by them. Mr. Kumar felt uneasy correcting Ms. Adams’s negative assumptions, but his silence can easily be interpreted by some people as acceptance of her assumptions. As an employee of the school, it is important for him to speak up against the assumptions in order to advocate for students, whether they are present or not.

Case 3.3: Chocolate Bar Fundraiser ♦

As a form of decision-making, voting captures the majority desire. But it does not always result in an equitable decision. If we’re committed to equity, sometimes we must support an

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unpopular course of action because it’s the equitable thing to do, even if most people disagree with it. Tis case provides an important opportunity to discuss how PTA meetings and other venues for in-school family involvement often are not as accessible to families that are economically marginalized as they are to wealthier families. Parents experiencing poverty are more likely than their wealthier peers to work multiple jobs without paid leave, including evening jobs, and are less likely to be able to aford childcare or public transportation if necessary to attend events. So, although it might be easy to interpret lower levels of some types of school involvement by families experiencing poverty as an indication that they don’t value education, we might ask ourselves, instead, how we can make opportunities for school involvement more accessible and welcoming to families experiencing poverty. Mr. Winterstein illustrates what often is called “defcit ideology,” suggesting that students experiencing poverty could sell just as many chocolate bars as their peers if they worked harder. Te problem with the defcit view is that it ignores context, like the inability for economically marginalized families to aford to purchase a large percentage of their children’s chocolate bars. Being an equitable and just educator means being able to recognize the defcit view and refusing to contribute to it by blaming youth who are experiencing poverty for the results of their poverty. Parent groups such as PTAs can play an important role in schools. Although some PTAs are viewed simply as a mechanism for bringing volunteers to schools or to fundraise, it is important to realize the collective power these groups can have. Tey can make a signifcant impact by contacting local elected ofcials such as school board members and state representatives to express their concerns over school funding and other issues. Setting aside time in meetings to learn about advocacy and changes in funding or policy can help the groups be more efective when making decisions and facilitating more substantial change.

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Case 3.4: The Trouble with Grit ♦

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Despite its popularity, “grit” ideology in schools can be understood as another in a long history of strategies and initiatives that help us avoid naming and addressing educational injustice. Te problems with the ways “grit” often is used in schools are plentiful, but two are particularly salient to this case. First, the most marginalized students, including students experiencing poverty, already are the grittiest, most resilient students. Tey must overcome far more barriers and challenges on average than students with more access to economic and other kinds of privilege—barriers and challenges they never should have to face. Secondly, we must be careful not to reactively defne educational outcome disparities (like test scores or homework grades) as a lack of grit or as defcient mindsets while we refuse to eliminate those barriers and challenges. Grit is not a path to equity and justice because it fails to eliminate inequity and injustice. As equity literate educators, we should learn to resist the impulse to adopt a defcit view of families like Samantha’s. We can practice adopting a structural view instead. A structural view challenges us to consider, frst, the structural challenges and barriers that impede student engagement, growth, and connection. In Samantha’s case, these might be big-level structural conditions like poverty itself. Tey might be economic justice issues that cause and sustain poverty, like the scarcity of living wage work, and how those issues afect families and their engagement in school. Or they might be biases and inequities in school policies and practices. It also challenges us to consider how the policies and practices we and our schools adopt might disadvantage some students and privilege others. When we form the habit of examining these issues, we position ourselves to be powerful cultivators of equity. Samantha’s mother works multiple jobs. She is doing what she needs to do, given the scarcity of living wage work in the United States, to provide for her family. Samantha is spending her afternoons and evenings caring for younger siblings, feeding

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them and helping them with homework. As educators, perhaps we are not in a position to secure every family living wage work or other resources and opportunities—preventive healthcare, stable afordable housing—that would bolster the educational success of students experiencing poverty. But we can shift policy and practice to be responsive to these barriers. Sometimes policy and practice designed with the “median” family in mind punish the most marginalized families for the implications of the ways they are already marginalized.

Case 3.5: Student Protest ♦

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Students who are denied equitable educational opportunity often are particularly attuned to the inequities they are experiencing. It is only natural that they would look for ways to respond. Unfortunately, when youth who experience injustice respond even in the most peaceful and constructive ways, they often are viewed as troublemakers. Tis case provides an important opportunity to refect on the subtle and not-sosubtle ways students might be interpreted as troublemakers simply for advocating for educational justice. Walkouts are a common form of student protest. School administrators and local law enforcement ofcials often respond to student walkout plans by increasing police presence in schools. By doing so they might increase tensions in the short term and criminalize student leadership in the long term. If safety is a concern, how might law enforcement be used to show support to student organizers by providing space, resources, and access for the walkout, instead of preventing it? School closings tend to take place in neighborhoods already facing other challenges, including declining infrastructure, high foreclosure rates, and a lack of services such as banks and hospitals. Declining enrollment often occurs because of these external factors. It is important to consider these factors that lead to school closures and attempt to address them proactively rather than reactively.

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Case 4.1: The Winter Party ♦

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It is important to distinguish between inclusivity and tokenism. Focusing primarily on Christmas-themed activities and then including a Hanukkah or Kwanzaa activity is tokenism. Hanukkah traditionally is not a major Jewish holiday in the way Christmas is a major Christian holiday. Notice, too, that the people who are planning this event never explicitly raised a question about what such a party would mean for students who do not celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Christmas, including students from religious and spiritual traditions that do not celebrate holidays at all or students whose families do not practice any religion. Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday. It is a celebration of African heritage and Black culture. Several misperceptions about this and other non-Christian holidays are perpetuated in schools. If we are going to discuss holidays at all, we should make sure we prepare to discuss them without perpetuating these misperceptions. It is also helpful to consider when holidays are discussed, and whether we allow time and provide inclusive environments for students to share what they are observing and celebrating with family in real time, rather than waiting to add it to the next big Christian holiday. Although Ms. Tate is happy that volunteers are taking ownership of the party, it is important to note that teachers are ultimately responsible for what happens in their classrooms. Sometimes a democratic vote doesn’t land on the most equitable decision. While it may be easier for an educator to allow the “majority rules” parents to make decisions in the classroom or school, this often marginalizes parents with other views or experiences, whose numbers may be fewer, or who might not be able to be present to represent their viewpoints. Wealth and privilege are also operating here. Asserting that something is “no big deal” is an act that privileged-identity people can use to assert privilege and silence dissent, so that speaking up becomes inherently “a big deal.” Although many public schools have become more conscious of not explicitly celebrating Christian holidays while ignoring

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or tokenizing people from other traditions, there are many ways schools continue to normalize Christianity. Te simplest example might be the fact that “winter break” is scheduled around Christmas and “spring break” is often scheduled around Easter. Ms.Tyler’s comment that Christmas is not religious, but American, is evidence of this normalization.

Case 4.2: Religious Accommodations ♦

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Te expectation of the students who were fasting might have been that they could talk and engage freely, since this was their lunch period. Ms. Keating had clear expectations for how she thought students should behave in the media center, regardless of why they were there. Because of this equality expectation, the students were labeled disruptive and sent to the ofce. Had Ms. Keating understood that the students should have an equitable alternative for where to spend lunch period, she could have been more fexible with rules rather than reactive. Ms. Silva demonstrated empathy for the students by recognizing how difcult it might be for them to remain in the cafeteria while fasting. In addition to navigating the temptation to eat, students might also have to deal with questioning and teasing from their peers. Ms. Silva recognized this could have a negative impact, so she provided an alternative. It’s important for her to continue to advocate for her students even if it means taking time to engage in difcult conversations with staf. Ms. Taylor shared that other teachers were questioning why the Muslim students were being allowed to do something other students were not allowed to do. Tis should indicate to Ms. Silva that the issue should be addressed with all staf. Otherwise, she runs the risk of this sentiment and the underlying bias being funneled into resentment and discrimination. Providing equitable accommodations for students who are fasting does not refect preferential treatment of a religious group. Instead, it ensures equitable access to learning and engaging at school. Instead of seeing this as religious accommodations, it should be viewed simply as equity.

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Case 4.3: A Diference in Perspectives ♦

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Mr. Ortiz was hesitant to educate members of the school community, including students in his class, about the positive, historical signifcance of the symbol, perhaps because of his lack of familiarity with it. However, by not addressing the situation more thoughtfully, he could be depriving students of a valuable lesson in critical thinking. As Madelyn demonstrated, students are eager to learn things that challenge their views and to share that knowledge with others. Had he seized the teachable moment and allowed students to learn something new, and also communicated it to all staf, he might have prevented future confict. Mr. Ortiz told Nikhil he should not wear the pendant at school because of its potential to disrupt other students. Legal precedents suggest that school ofcials can censor religious and political expression if they can demonstrate or reasonably forecast that the expression will cause a substantial disruption in the school. Tis case provides an important opportunity to explore what constitutes a substantial disruption and how interpretations of “disruption” might change depending upon how much educational information students are given. Tere have been numerous cases in the United States of students being asked to remove religious symbols or articles of clothing in schools because of dress code violations. Community reaction to these interventions has varied considerably from situations involving rosary beads to those involving hijabs. Educators might be inclined to appeal to the majority voice, or to what they believe most people think. While this approach may seem sensible, it is rarely equitable. When we make decisions on the basis of appeasing the majority, we risk marginalizing people like Nikhil who are not in the majority.

Case 4.4: Islamophobic Read-Aloud ♦

Being equitable educators requires us to take a stand on issues like Islamophobia when they arise in class. If we don’t take a

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stand, even if we try to appear neutral, it can appear to students as though we are complying with the dominant or discriminatory view. For many students, silence shows acceptance, so in some ways, not responding is just as much a response as responding. Tis case provides an opportunity to discuss how important it is to be mindful of who our students are and how power is distributed among them. In this case, knowing George’s reputation and the heaviness of the topic, Ms. McGrath might have been better of collecting the free writes and then picking one or two of them to share. Notice George’s collective language—his use of “we” and “us.” Work on learning how to catch these subtle declarations of community agreement and to analyze who they really include. Obviously in this case they do not include Hasina or Essam, and they probably don’t include many other students in the room. Te very language in George’s free write implicitly sets up an “us/them” dichotomy that promotes their identities as “outsiders.” We should be mindful of whether we are contributing to similar types of insider/outsider perceptions in the language we use.

Case 5.1: Misinterpreting Data ♦

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When we look at data that show any sort of racial or other disparity, we must be sure we are not projecting our biased presumptions or defcit views onto them. Mr. Beamer started with a prejudiced belief and then, rather than being curious about what the data might actually communicate, he twisted them to ft his existing biased narrative.Te equity-literate educator would look at that data with curiosity and wonder what sorts of institutional barriers might cause the disparities. Mr. Beamer demonstrates the dangers of a defcit ideology— the tendency to presume disparities must be the result of some sort of moral, intellectual, or efort defciency within groups of people experiencing the disparity. In his desperation to fnd fault with Native American families, he doesn’t consider the

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possibility that he or the school might bear some responsibility. One useful tool to use with people embracing that sort of deficit view is to ask whether they can think of any other possible explanation for the disparity that does not blame the people experiencing the disparity. Language matters. It matters because of the harm that is done when people hear oppressive language. But it also refects ideology and somebody’s willingness or unwillingness to do the work necessary to not cause the most basic kinds of harm. Mr. Beamer’s dismissal of Mr. Davidson and Ms. Herrera’s concerns about his language suggests, not only that he doesn’t want to spend even the minimal efort necessary to do less harm, but also that he feels entitled to do harm.

Case 5.2: Not Time for Stories ♦

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Because Ms. Ward dismissed DeQuan’s contribution as a story rather than an answer to her question, he and other students might feel that their contributions are not valued. Storytelling is a rich tradition in many families and might be a natural part of communication for some students. In some ways, his ability to make connections between various events and topics demonstrates a more advanced cognitive process than the kind for which Ms. Ward was asking. She could have seen in DeQuan’s story descriptive words about California, such as “sunny” and “warm.” Tese were the same words she recorded after hearing them from Maddy. Ms. Ward validated Maddy’s contribution by saying she was correct, perhaps indirectly communicating to DeQuan that he was incorrect. Ms. Ward also distanced herself from DeQuan by telling him he was being disrespectful when he might have thought she was being disrespectful by interrupting him. Furthermore, the use of the word disrespectful is often a trigger for students, especially when they feel they have been wronged. Tis provides an opportunity to discuss ways students’ behaviors can provide insights into our own missteps and the humility it takes to consider this possibility.

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Ms. Ward’s initial question limited responses to students who had traveled to California, which would have excluded, and might have alienated, students whose families could not aford such a trip. Recognizing that all students might have meaningful insights to share, Ms. Ward could have used a tool such as partner sharing to allow more voices to be heard instead of limiting responses. Attempting to proactively avoid further “disruption” from DeQuan, Ms. Ward called out his potential behavior in front of the class, embarrassing him. It is worthwhile to consider the long-term efects on student engagement these sorts of microaggressions can have. Furthermore, if Ms. Ward incorrectly views DeQuan’s behavior as disrespectful, and this type of interaction between the two of them continues, DeQuan runs the risk of having a negative reputation follow him in subsequent years, compounding the bias.

Case 5.3: Teaching Thanksgiving ♦

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While many schools might not perpetuate stereotypical teachings of “Pilgrims and Indians” during Tanksgiving, these teachings remain prevalent in many parts of U.S. culture. Students see images in media and advertising. Some hear misinformation from family and friends. By addressing this misinformation, we can take advantage of opportunities to teach critical thinking. For example, the histories and perspectives of Indigenous people often are omitted from curricula, so holidays such as Columbus Day and Tanksgiving provide opportunities to initiate a kind of critical learning that can be applied to a variety of topics throughout the school year. It can be powerful to explore with students why Tanksgiving or Columbus Day is observed by many Indigenous people as a day of mourning. Te words “Happy Tanksgiving” do not resonate with everyone because they obscure signifcant historical events that continue to impact people today. Te burden of changing inequitable teaching practices often falls on people who have the insights and the will to raise

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concerns about them. Although we want people with the deepest knowledge about equity to participate in equity eforts, we should be careful not to place the responsibility to raise these concerns fully on one or two people, or on people who also are directly afected by the inequities. Also, studies have shown that teachers of color often bear extra uncompensated responsibilities and pressure for doing “diversity and inclusion” work in schools because people assume they have the expertise and interest to do it. As educators we all should feel a sense of urgency to respond to and redress inequity in our schools and to support one another in that endeavor.

Case 5.4: A Place to Study ♦

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Tis case refects the importance of considering impact rather than intent. Ms. Grady intends to help her students become better learners. However, the impact of her actions could threaten their feelings of connection in her classroom. A quiet and isolated space might not be available in all students’ homes. Moreover, a collective approach might be more valued by some families over quiet isolation. In that situation, it would be completely normal for the pencils to be used by everyone in the household. Ms. Grady might have been setting Shua up to create confict in his family by expecting him to tell his siblings they were not allowed to use the resources she gave him. Note that the scenario does not indicate whether Shua’s homework situation negatively afected his academic success. Tis raises questions about the appropriateness of discussing it at a conference when doing so might create distance between the family and teacher. Additionally, Ms. Grady assumed Shua’s parents would not follow through on providing additional learning support at home. Tis assumption could impact how she engages them during the conference. Ms. Grady was worried about whether Shua was completing homework by himself. Would she harbor the same concern

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for a student who turned in homework without food stains or items crossed out? Is it possible that Shua’s brother is helping him, perhaps even teaching him, which is a good outcome?

Case 6.1: Kindness Pledge ♦

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Mr. Bankston was careful not to say something that might directly criticize the views of Jeremy’s parents. If we are committed to equity, we cannot avoid teaching or stating the truth because it might confict with bias or ideological racism, even if that truth conficts with something students are learning at home. When we do that, we passively condone oppressive beliefs. Kindness is a worthy pursuit. But we have to ask ourselves what kind of kindness we want to model and encourage. In too many cases, kindness has become a replacement for serious diversity, equity, and justice eforts in schools where adults may be uneasy about directly addressing inequity. Tis is an inverted sort of kindness that allows harm to occur in unkind ways, then expects the people experiencing that unaddressed harm to respond in ways that are kind to the people harming them. Tis is the kind of kindness Mr. Bankston embraced, as is evidenced by his insistence that Wei respond kindly to Jeremy. When kindness does not speak directly to injustice, then it becomes an enabler of injustice. Wei and Min are attempting to hold Mr. Bankston accountable for addressing the racism in this scenario. Too often, when people who experience racism or some other form of oppression respond to it, the focus shifts to how they responded and away from why they responded. Tis constitutes another layer of oppression. Te key concern in this scenario is not how Wei or Min react to Jeremy, but the racism they and other students are enduring. In addition to addressing the immediate scenario involving Jeremy, Mr. Bankston should engage Wei and Min in a conversation about other ways they experience racism or marginalization at school.

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Case 6.2: Organized Resistance to Equity ♦

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Resistance to equity is increasingly organized, often by parent or community groups that vilify even the most rudimentary equity eforts. In some cases, their primary targets are principals or superintendents who champion equity. If we are committed to equity, it’s important to learn how to understand this pushback as evidence that progress is being made rather than understanding it as a reason to stall that progress. A common strategy for groups who organize against antiracism or racial equity eforts is to claim that these eforts shame or alienate white students, staf, and families. In some cases, this strategy has been used to ban educators from talking about racism and its historical and present-day impacts as well as heterosexism and cisgenderism.Tis is privilege in action: the ability to ban or limit the teaching of the truth in schools. If people are feeling shamed or alienated, we can address that concern, but not by undermining antiracism and racial equity eforts. Terms like “antiracism” are not divisive. Tey describe eforts to address conditions that are divisive. If the goal is equity and justice, then prioritize the goal of eliminating oppressive conditions over the desire to protect the comfort of people whose privilege relies on those conditions.

Case 6.3: Teaching Race with Huckleberry Finn ♦

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Because Samuel was the only student in Ms. Kohl’s class who responded publicly to the language in Huck Finn, it might be easy to assume he was the only student troubled by it. Remember, students choose not to speak up for a variety of reasons. Some may remain silent in the face of bias or oppression because they know there is a social price to pay for speaking up, or because they believe they will not be heard if they do speak up. So it may be wrong to presume Samuel is the only student in Ms. Kohl’s class to have concerns about the language. Although Samuel’s conduct and language were, in a sense, disruptive to the lesson, we should consider the circumstances

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that led to his reaction. Samuel displayed signs of discomfort with what he might have perceived as a hostile environment, but Ms. Kohl continued the activity. Punishing Samuel for his actions could send the message that he was not allowed to feel how he did and that Ms. Kohl’s actions were acceptable because she was in a position of authority. Another way to look at the situation is that the most equitable act in the scenario was Samuel disrupting a lesson that was doing racial harm. Words are powerful. Tis is especially true of the n-word, with its oppressive history. It is a luxury of white privilege to see that word in a piece of literature and think of it solely as a marker of historical context. Unfortunately, people who have been targeted with the word do not have that luxury, so we should carefully consider why we want to allow the n-word in any aspect of a space where people are supposed to learn free from injustice. Too often when students learn about racism in school, they learn about it solely in the past tense, perhaps through novels like Huck Finn or To Kill a Mockingbird. Racism remains relevant today but often is not discussed in schools in the present tense. Help students make that connection to avoid contributing to the perception that racism was solved with the Civil Rights Movement. Anytime racism is discussed in the past tense we should discuss current, systemic realities as well.

Case 6.4: Black Lives Matter ♦

When conversations about racism and other social justice issues happen in school, they often are paced with the safety and comfort of the most resistant students and families in mind. While we do want to consider how to build bridges for all learners, we should be careful not to prioritize the short-term safety and comfort of racially or otherwise privileged students or colleagues over our commitment to equity and justice or over the long-term safety and comfort of students or colleagues who are being marginalized and demanding justice.

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Tere has never been an ideology within the BLM movement that suggests Black lives are the only lives that matter. By responding to BLM by arguing all lives matter, we strip the commitment to racial justice for Black people out of the messaging. When we do so we cheat all students out of an opportunity for authentic learning about racism. We also reinforce a dangerous color-evasive ideology that sacrifces deep understandings of racial justice for shallow and false notions of racial harmony. Some students might not have many opportunities at home to consider community issues through a social justice lens. Ms. Simmons demonstrated equity literacy in wanting to capture this teachable moment for students. She also demonstrated equity literacy by providing students whose communities are the targets of racism with an opportunity to share their insights. It’s important to have strategies for addressing these issues, including the distinction between “Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter.” For example, one way to promote critical thinking could be to draw parallels with other contexts in which people are trying to raise awareness of specifc under-addressed concerns. One that we’ve used is the Start Seeing Motorcycles campaign, which raises awareness of motorcycle-related trafc accidents. Tese examples might help students understand how responding to “Black Lives Matter” with “All Lives Matter” obscures a specifc issue: anti-Black racism.

Case 6.5: Terms of Endearment ♦

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Even if—and this is a very big if—Reggie sincerely wasn’t ofended by Anthony’s use of the n-word, it was very likely that other students, such as Keisha, were ofended. Failing to address the racist language could send a message to students that Anthony’s use of the term is acceptable. Reggie’s discomfort as Ms. Lawson prodded him might suggest that he really wasn’t fne with Anthony using the n-word. In some social contexts, young people who are the targets of oppressive language might feel pressured to pretend

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they are not ofended, knowing there might be a social price to pay for speaking up. Tere also might be cases in which students, hearing language such as the n-word used in popular culture, are desensitized to the words’ histories or even their full contemporary implications. We should be prepared to help students learn about the power of these words by informing ourselves about them, from variations on the n-word to other common slurs such as “Sped.” Ms. Lawson felt prepared to take instructional advantage of the diversity in her school but she was not prepared to facilitate a difcult conversation about racism and the n-word. As educators, we must equip ourselves with tools and strategies for interrupting and acknowledging the potential repercussions of harmful words being used in educational settings. Time should be allocated for staf to practice speaking up immediately and efectively so they feel prepared when these instances occur.

Case 7.1: Pronouns and Deadnames ♦

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Te steps Mr. Jacobson takes to create an inclusive environment for his students do not require additional funding or resources. He feels they are minor, but students reported that his support helped them feel as though they belonged. For students whose school days might be flled with feeling marginalized because of some aspect of their identity, this feeling of belonging carries tremendous weight, as indicated by the positive comments on the climate survey. While it was benefcial for Ms. Hussein to share Mr. Jacobson’s practices with the rest of the staf, a more impactful action would have been to establish an expectation that all staf use students’ preferred names and pronouns in their classrooms. Mr. Jacobson could serve as an example of how to do it. Using resources to solicit feedback, but not implementing serious changes to policy or practice based on that feedback can be interpreted as inequitable.

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Ms. Dixon was dismissive of the concerns raised by the survey and announced that students could just remove themselves from an activity like a “boys versus girls” contest if it made them uneasy. When she dug in her heels in this way it may have set up a power struggle and promoted an “us versus them” mentality. If she knows the range of ideologies and beliefs among her staf, Ms. Hussein can anticipate this result so she is prepared to keep the conversation focused on equity. She should seize the opportunity to set clear expectations for staf. She might say, “At this school, we will no longer use girls versus boys competitions, regardless of the student demographics in our classes, because we recognize how it might marginalize students.”

Case 7.2: Online Objectifcation ♦

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Students who are bullied or harassed often are reluctant to report it for fear that the social repercussions of doing so will exceed the pain associated with the bullying or harassment. Having to make this choice is itself oppressive. Similarly, students might be reluctant to stand up for others who are being discriminated against, bullied, or harassed because they worry about the social cost. Tis is why schools must have robust and comprehensive anti-discrimination, anti-bullying, and anti-bias policies and programs that are proactive rather than reactive. Also, students should have opportunities to learn about and discuss these policies. A tool for anonymous reporting that is simple and easily accessible should be available to eliminate the fear of repercussions. On a similar note, youth who are being judged negatively for any reason might worry about seeming weak-minded if they speak up. Tey might worry that they could be targeted in an intensifed way if they speak up. Tis, again, is why we must learn how to recognize and respond to symptoms of bullying, harassment, and discrimination and the institutional conditions underlying them rather than only responding to individual incidents. It can be easy to imagine a situation like this as a simple matter of Brett making a bad choice. However, there are deeper issues

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here that need to be uncovered and addressed if the goal is to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive classroom and school. For example, heterosexual cisgender young men often participate in these behaviors to assert or perform their masculinity. It also can be understood as a sense of entitlement to and need for control, which is at the root of much sexual harassment. Unfortunately, when schools attempt to address issues like online harassment, they often treat it as “inappropriate behavior” without considering these underlying dynamics and fnding ways to resolve them.

Case 7.3: Timmy’s Gender Nonconformity ♦

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It can be easy for those of us who have not felt the sting of prejudice or oppression to believe young children are not ready to have conversations about issues like gender identity, race, or class. However, wherever prejudice and discrimination are operating, youth already are thinking about and trying to process, resist, or even survive, these conditions. If Ms. Grover fails to address this situation directly, she misses an opportunity for her students to develop a deeper understanding of their own and one another’s identities and experiences. Another risk of failing to intervene is sending the message to Timmy and students who may not identify within a binary construction of gender that they are not welcome in Ms. Grover’s classroom. Some students in this case were assuming the role of “gender police,” policing one another into gender conformity through peer pressure. A failure to notice and address these early forms of policing could result in Timmy’s and other students’ internalization of the pressure to conform. It also normalizes students policing one another in later grades. Timmy’s teachers tended to see students’ treatment of him as teasing or bullying. Remember that teasing and bullying often are rooted in deeper concerns related to institutional culture. Tose underlying issues cannot be addressed only by interrupting the teasing or bullying, which are symptoms of the institutional culture. If she hopes to address the issues in this

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case in the longer term, Ms. Grover will need to ask herself what it is about her classroom culture or the school culture or the broader societal culture that encourages or rewards the type of teasing and bullying Timmy was experiencing.

Case 7.4: Dress Code Distress ♦

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Tis case presents an opportunity to consider the potential harm dress codes and other policies create when they do not account for diversity in body type, size, gender, gender identity (as in restrictions on makeup use), ethnicity (as in restrictions on hairstyles), household income (as in requiring uniforms or other new clothes), religion (as in restrictions on headwear), and other ways students identify. Some dress code policies can contribute to the sexualization or objectifcation of girls or young women by identifying types or fts of clothing as distracting to boys. Tis view conveys the message that girls and women are responsible for heterosexual young boys’ and young men’s reactions to them. Tis premise is sexist. Dress codes sometimes create contexts in which students feel enabled to be judgmental of one another, which could have negative self-esteem and body perception implications. Dress code enforcement presents a multitude of problems as well. It is often arbitrary and inconsistent, sometimes even targeting certain demographics. Power dynamics might come into play when adult men police the clothing of girls or young women or of nonbinary students.

Case 7.5: Gendered Bathrooms ♦

Te comfort of people who are resistant to progress toward equity and justice never should be prioritized over the goals of equity and justice. In this case, people with signifcant institutional power sacrifced progress toward equity to appease people who complained about that progress. Tis speaks to the

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will of equity work: being willing to withstand blowback and controversy and still doing the right thing. Tis case demonstrates how students’ concerns about inequity are often addressed with solutions that cause more inequities. A bathroom was provided for Teryn to use but it was not accessible to her. When students point out these problematic solutions, they often are seen as troublemakers. As educators, we must strengthen our equity literacy abilities so that we can imagine and enact meaningful solutions to equity problems. We can do this by reading articles and books by people whose work revolves around transformative approaches to equity and justice, attending local conferences where people are swapping strategies and stories about their transformative work, or linking in other ways with networks of fellow educators who are working on social justice issues in schools. Too often, conversations about injustice or bias are simplifed into narrow concerns that obscure the bigger picture. Tis can happen when we focus only on specifc aspects of a bigger issue—a common occurrence when certain aspects garner a sudden rush of legal or media attention. In the case of transphobia in schools, this important but narrow focus has at times revolved around gender identity and bathrooms. If we hope to approach this issue as meaningfully and equitably as possible, we must understand it and its impact on transgender students and nonbinary students. But it’s also important to understand and consider the insights this issue can provide into the larger scope of transphobia and cisgenderism. Tis insight will help transition from simply responding to bias and injustice to actually redressing bias and injustice.

Case 8.1: A “Surprise” Fire Drill ♦

A high-pitched, intermittent blast along with the chaos that may ensue from a fre drill can be traumatic for some students who have autism. For some, the efects can last for days or weeks and compromise their abilities to learn or function in the classroom. Providing an intervention for Aiden is essential,

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not optional. We also should note that students’ abilities to function well in a mainstream classroom are not an indicator of how severely they might react to particular stimuli or events. Tere are many strategies we can use to avoid this sort of trauma, including, in this case, using noise-reducing headphones. Tis case provides an opportunity to consider the relationship between practicing equality, wherein all students are treated the same, and practicing equity, wherein we consider context and existing levels of access and opportunity. Ms. Foster was concerned about creating an environment in which all her students, including Aiden, were given an equal opportunity to respond to the surprise fre drill. While her intentions may have been good, the impact of her desire to remove him from the classroom or deny him the headphones was inequitable. Aiden’s parents advocated for him by providing information not yet captured in his IEP, since making changes to these types of documents often requires lengthy processes. As educators, we should also be advocates for our students, especially those commonly experiencing bias and inequity.

Case 8.2: Insufcient Accommodations ♦

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Tis case points to the tension between equality and equity. All students are invited on the same feld trip, which would constitute a sort of equality. But once on the feld trip not all students have access to high-level learning opportunities, an obvious inequity. Te best “accommodations” should provide equitable experiences rather than roughly equal experiences. Making choices for equity can be difcult; often there is much we must consider. We might be tempted to look at this one event and think,“It’s just one feld trip so it’s no big deal if Justin is separated from the class while everybody else hikes.” But if we step back and consider the situation more broadly, we begin to see that students like Justin often experience little sleights, little fragments of inequity, that taken together could constitute a bigger inequitable school experience. Equity literacy means

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learning how to consider these single events cumulatively, in their larger contexts, not just individually. Ms. Turston might feel compelled to address this issue with Justin and Ms. Parsons exclusively, but instead she should address it with the entire class. But she has much to consider about how to do so. By engaging students in a problem-solving process, she would demonstrate that Justin is an integral part of the class community, but also might unintentionally shine an unwelcome spotlight on Justin, a new student. A future unit could encourage students to look at other ways inequity concerns come into play, perhaps by evaluating issues in their own communities. Although Ms. Turston was mindful enough to call the park and inquire about accommodations, she took for granted that Justin would have a learning experience similar to that of his classmates when Ms. Parsons told her that accommodations were available. Tis refects a sort of privilege that both Ms. Turston and Ms. Parsons (as well as other people without mobility limitations) experience, but might not understand. Had Ms. Turston asked for clarifcation about the available accommodations, she would not have been surprised upon arriving at the park. More importantly, she would have had an opportunity to make more equitable plans.

Case 8.3: Nut Allergy ♦

As the number of students diagnosed with food allergies increases, educators should proactively enact policies that ensure their safety. For some students who have a nut allergy, even minimal exposure to nuts can mean a life-threatening trip to the hospital. Katelyn’s mother advocated for her safety because the consequences that could occur if Katelyn accidentally was exposed to nuts were more important than others’ desires to share an experience with their children. For adults who do not understand the potential severity of allergies or other health concerns, Ms. Tomas’s request could have felt like an imposition—even an inequity. Mr. Hughes had taken

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many steps to protect Katelyn in the classroom, but he also might have helped by educating other students and their families about the seriousness of nut allergies. When he attempted to address the growing tension in the classroom, Mr. Hughes noticed that the conversation was causing Katelyn grief. He also noticed that some students’ comments refected what was being communicated at home. Rather than causing additional tension by directly confronting what some students’ parents were saying at home, Mr. Hughes could refocus the conversation on the classroom community and what equity looks like in that context. Whatever he chooses to do, it is important to take the spotlight of of Katelyn and her mother, while also immediately responding to the hurtful comments and misperceptions. Although he might have wanted to validate the frustration felt by the parents who hoped to join the feld trip but for whom there was no space, it was also important that Mr. Hughes defended his commitment to advocating for Katelyn. In this sense, this case provides an opportunity to discuss the importance of staying committed to equitable learning environments, even in the face of pressure and pushback.

Case 8.4: Behavior “Management” Missing the Mark ♦

Analyzing statistics pertaining to systemic inequity, and then creating action items based on that analysis, is important. However, action without preparation or training—without equity literacy—can result in unintentionally negative outcomes, such as resentment, confusion, and inefective implementation. Tese outcomes can become a cause of the student behaviors that staf members were trying to prevent in the frst place. Mr. Rhett needed support to address the issues in class but chose instead to use a reward system strategy that was not working. In addition to preparation and training, it is helpful to identify and utilize resources and expertise within the school. In this case, Mr. Paulson’s strategies for connecting with

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students and engaging them efectively in class might be useful for his colleagues. While incentive systems can lead to positive changes for some students, there is danger in allocating time and resources to change student behavior if students are responding to inequitable or unwelcoming learning environments in the frst place. For example, we must examine whether the incentive systems are, themselves, applied equitably. Unfortunately, in many schools, these systems exacerbate inequity and feelings of disconnection for students. We should make sure our equity strategies are solving, not exacerbating, our equity problems. Andre and Carson reported to Mr. Paulson the name calling and teasing they experienced at school and mentioned that their teachers ignored it. By not addressing bias and bullying those teachers communicate to students that they condone inequitable conditions and experiences. Students often report that more harm is caused by the inaction of adults than by the actions of their peers. It is unjust to force students to endure this sort of situation, and then to punish them if they fnally respond in kind.

Case 9.1: Heterosexism in the Hallway ♦

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A commitment to equity, diversity, and social justice requires us to do more than simply respond whenever specifc instances of inequity or oppression are brought to our attention. Inequity and oppression are operating all the time in schools through policies, practices, ideologies, and institutional cultures. Our commitment should include questioning how it might be operating in specifc instances. Mr. Staub could have privately talked to Carter about his tardies instead of assuming Carter was intentionally trying to miss class. Policies and practices must be fexible enough to account for the possibility that what might look like an “infraction” might actually be the result of institutional failures, not individual student failures. In this case, Carter is on pace to be punished

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for the school’s failure to address the heterosexism he is experiencing there. For people who do not experience heterosexism, it might be easy to presume that if nobody in a school is “out” as a lesbian, as gay, as bisexual, or as embracing any identity that does not conform with heterosexual norms, that means nobody with these identities attends or works at that school. It might be more likely that this indicates that nobody feels comfortable or safe being out in that school—an even clearer indication of the need for stronger anti-heterosexism eforts. Sarcasm can cause unintentional harm. Many people struggle to interpret sarcasm, so that it just comes across as mean and aggressive. Tis especially could be the case in contexts like Mr. Staub’s classroom, where he holds signifcant power over Carter and his classmates. Humor can be a useful teaching tool and even helpful for building community. But when people in positions of power use sarcastic humor targeted at individual people over whom they hold that power, its impact can be belittling and marginalizing, as it was to Carter.

Case 9.2: Spirit Week or Stress Week? ♦

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Mr. Greenway anticipated that decisions made by the Student Council might not be inclusive, so he invited students from other groups to participate in the council’s planning meeting. Tis might be a notable step toward inclusion, but it’s important to note that inviting is not the same as including. Although he had good intentions, he invited students into a context where they had little power and where they might have been resented by people on the Student Council. Ultimately, he further marginalized the voices of the students he invited by allowing a “majority wins” form of decision-making. Tis case presents many inequities commonly associated with events like Spirit Week, including economic injustice (in the afordability of participating), heteronormativity (in king and queen elections), and cultural appropriation (in Hawaiian Day)

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among others. A simple solution might be to cancel dress-up days. However, that decision could breed resentment for equity eforts. Instead, Mr. Greenway could engage student leaders in conversations about how to reimagine school traditions to make them equitable. Tere is probably no equitable way to host a full week of fve diferent dress-up days. But this might present an opportunity to consider other ways to show “spirit.” As with any decisions that impact the entire school population, it’s important to ask the question, “How will this impact our most marginalized groups of students?” People often go to the “not enough time to come up with something diferent” justifcation or the “we’ve always done it this way” justifcation when they want to sustain an inequitable practice. Tis, of course, is an expression of privilege. If somebody is being harmed, we must make time to do whatever is creating harm diferently. And “this is how we’ve always done it” is never a good reason to continue doing something that harms people.

Case 9:3: A New Club ♦

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Gay-Straight Alliances and other student organizations built around particular afnity groups are designed to provide points of connection and systems of support for students who are marginalized in schools and who want to organize to demand equity. So asking Lorraine, Jef, Terrence, and Hu to start a Diversity Club defeats the purpose of the GSA. Te fact that the students are taking the lead on creating a safe space for themselves can indicate that the school is not doing enough to create a safe, equitable atmosphere for them. Instead of prohibiting the GSA, the school could focus on recognizing, responding to, and redressing the inequities that create the need for a GSA. Ms. Livingsworth’s solution is yet another indication of the school’s troubling lack of urgency to ensure an equitable learning environment for LGBTQIA+ students (not to mention LGBTQIA+ staf, faculty, and other community members). By

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trying, in theory, to be “inclusive,” the principal risks further alienating students who already might be feeling marginalized. Ms. Livingsworth’s primary concern appears to be the possibility of alienating those who might be ofended by a GSA. She could be right that some families would respond negatively to a GSA. Certainly, if she allowed the students to start the GSA, Ms. Livingsworth and her staf would have work to do explaining or defending it to some families. However, prioritizing the comfort of people trying to slow equity progress over equity for students who are being marginalized guarantees the persistence of inequity.

Case 9.4: Two Moms ♦

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When somebody who does not experience a certain type of injustice suggests children are not old enough to talk about that injustice, they often really mean that they are reluctant to expose children who also don’t experience it to conversations about it. In this case, Denise is already beginning to experience bias from her peers. She likely has observed her mothers contending with heterosexism, as well. If students are old enough to express or experience bias or injustice, they are old enough to talk about that bias or injustice. It might not always be possible to completely avoid confict and controversy if we are committed to fostering an equitable and just classroom or school. Doing so requires us to respond to the kinds of situations to which Ms. Ribiero was responding in this scenario. One measure of a school’s commitment to equity is its persistence to that commitment even in the face of controversy and blowback. Ms. Riberio made an important equity consideration by including a diverse collection of books in her classroom library. Tis would have been best practice even if Denise was not in her class. It’s always better to be proactive rather than reactive when it pertains to diversity and social justice. Recognizing and accepting diverse family structures at an early age minimizes the potential for misperceptions and confict in later grades.

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Of course, adding a couple books is not sufcient for guaranteeing equity. It’s also important to examine other learning materials, policies, and practices to ensure they don’t refect heteronormativity or heterosexism.

Case 9.5: Outed at School ♦

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Tis case provides an opportunity to discuss heteronormativity: the way heterosexuality is normalized in subtle and notso-subtle ways. Examples might include how dances and other events are marketed, assumptions that all students have “mothers and fathers,” conversations about dating, and discussions about literature and history in which people are presumed to be heterosexual even when no sexual orientation is specifed. One reason Mr. Brooks may have been cautious about how he proceeded was that there might have been a student in his class who identifed as LGBTQIA+ or who had an LGBTQIA+ relative. Tis possibility, or probability, is why it is important never to allow heterosexist language to go unnamed. Doing so can make all students feel the way it made Mr. Brooks feel when he was a student: that teachers condoned it. A common concern about introducing conversations about sexual orientation, homophobia, or heterosexism in schools is the perception that youth of certain ages are not old enough to talk about such matters. However, youth who use homophobic or heterosexist language already are talking about sexual orientation, and doing so in ways that are hurtful to peers. Children of any age can talk about these issues when educators have the skills to facilitate the conversation efectively.

Case 10.1: Student Interpreter ♦

Although Marcela agreed to interpret for the conversation between her mother and Mr. Clark, educators should ask parents’ permission before requesting this sort of favor from

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students. And we should be hyper-aware of the negative power dynamics it could encourage in the family and between children and their elders. Mr. Clark likely thought he was empowering Marcela by praising her. Te impact might not have been quite so positive. His praise for her ability to speak two languages might have made her mother feel embarrassed since she was not yet profcient in English. Rather than using a student to discuss an issue with a parent, Mr. Clark might have asked a bilingual staf member to interpret. Alternatively, he could have had Maria explain to her mother that Mr. Clark would be calling her to arrange a time to talk with him and an interpreter, since one was not available at that moment. It’s important for Maria to take ownership of the conversation and for Ms. Montes to not feel self-conscious of her language abilities.

Case 10.2: English-Only ♦

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Research has shown for decades that English-only policies are harmful to the morale and the learning of students who are emergent bi- or multilinguals. Tese policies also can alienate their parents and families. Given these realities, it is important to consider that these policies often are ideological or even political responses, not based on evidence of best teaching practices. Ms. Mancini and Ms. de Leon are in a difcult situation. Tere are times in all educators’ careers when we must make decisions about the extent to which we will implement policies and practices we believe are harmful to students or colleagues. Ms. Mancini and Ms. de Leon will need to be mindful of the implications of their decisions about how to proceed. Tey might consider organizing with other staf members who recognize the harm this policy will cause, perhaps even including people outside of their school, to continue to advocate for students and families.

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Students who are learning English can feel exhausted by the end of the day because of how hard they are concentrating on language while also focusing on content and other aspects of school. Being able to speak in their home languages even for brief periods throughout the day provides relief so they are better able to focus. Tis reality might be difcult to understand for people who have not experienced submersion in an environment in which a language other than their home language is spoken. Despite popular perception, contemporary immigrants who arrive in the United States not speaking English are learning English more quickly than any previous generation of immigrants. It is important to challenge the stereotype that immigrants do not want to learn English or do not want their children to learn English. It also is important to remind ourselves that many people whose families have been in the United States for multiple generations, including white people, have ancestors who were discriminated against due to their inability to speak English.

Case 10.3: Family Night ♦

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Te teachers designed the event based on their perceptions of what would make an ideal family night.Tey assumed all family members would arrive at the start time, sit quietly, listen, then go home. One thing they did not consider was the importance in many cultures of social interaction, communication, and connection. Tis does not refect their disinterest in school or in an event’s ofcial program. Te teachers could interpret the social interaction as a positive outcome that could lead to continued involvement. Te teachers were thoughtful in translating the fyer for Family Night. However, they did not think to provide interpretation for the evening’s program or translation for the handout. So it could be that some attendees were discussing the presentation and helping to interpret it for one another, standing in the back

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to avoid disrupting other attendees. Alternatively, families might not have asked questions if they felt that the handout was selfexplanatory or if they felt it would be a burden to the teachers to stay and answer questions after the event ended. Te event produced high turnout from families who do not typically attend functions at Crestview. Instead of feeling discouraged, Mr. Nelson and the other teachers might focus on fnding ways to build on this success.

Case 10.4: A New Task Force ♦

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When planning to solicit parent input and improve attendance at decision-making meetings, we should consider the school’s history of outreach. Have under-represented families felt welcome? Might they be fearful of negative repercussions if they are critical of the school? Tis case provides an opportunity to explore barriers that might inhibit some parents from participating in school activities, such as fnancial constraints that limit access to childcare or transportation or work schedules for people who work multiple jobs or don’t have paid leave. We should prepare ourselves to consider these possibilities rather than defaulting to a presumption that a lack of on-site family involvement refects a lack of concern about education. Language barriers limit participation, even when we send home translated documents. In situations in which schools rarely send home translated documents, families may miss the ones that are translated, regardless of their importance. It’s important for schools to consider the type of communication their families prefer. Some might prefer text messages while others prefer hard copy documents or emails. Tere is danger in assuming one, or even several, voices from certain demographic groups represent the rest of the group. Although Ms. Ahmed had a good rapport with families, other task force members should not ask her to speak on behalf of other people, just as they should not assume Mr. Webb will speak on behalf of all parents.

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Case 11.1: An Assigned Nickname ♦

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Given the power dynamics between teachers and students, sometimes a choice really isn’t a choice. Sarai might have agreed to the nickname because she felt she needed to defer to Ms. Goodwin or because she hoped to avoid the uncomfortable situation of having to “correct” Ms. Goodwin’s pronunciation of her name. In either case, it’s important to understand the situations in which we place students. Some parents feel they should not challenge their children’s teachers. In some cases, this might be cultural. In other cases, it might be out of worry that they could be interpreted as troublemakers, perhaps putting their children at risk of unfair treatment. Sarai’s mother nodded in agreement with Sarai’s nickname, but might not be comfortable with the decision, or might be afraid of ramifcations if she challenges the teacher. Names are important. In many cases they tie students to family members or to the places from where their ancestors hailed. Changing a child’s name in school, or even giving them a nickname, can impact their sense of connectedness.

Case 11.2: I’m Not Black ♦

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Rather than assigning Abiola a mentor based on her own criteria for who would be best, Ms. Lee could have asked for a volunteer. She also could have asked Abiola whether he wanted a mentor. Certainly, though, she should have been more careful not to turn her mentor program into a social experiment by presuming she could help create a cultural bridge by matching Warren with Abiola. We should allow students to self-identify instead of grouping them based on our perceptions. Te trouble with claiming “color-blindness” is that it masks, not just diference, but the ramifcations of diference. When we are determined not to recognize diference it can become all too easy also not to recognize inequities. If we don’t recognize race, we can’t recognize racism. Students’ racial, ethnic,

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and other identities infuence the ways they experience school, largely because people’s assumptions and expectations of and presumptions about them are informed by their identities. As long as racism exists, color-evasiveness, or pretending race doesn’t exist or matter, merely masks this reality, blocking us from recognizing and addressing its roots, and trivializing students’ experiences. In many if not most cases in which new waves of immigrants have entered the United States, those immigrants have experienced signifcant amounts of injustice. Tis case provides an opportunity to refect on why this pattern persists. Consider what makes people whose own ancestors immigrated to the U.S., perhaps facing bigotry in the process, turn around and level bigotry against today’s immigrants.

Case 11.3: Collective Action on the Basketball Court ♦

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Coach Tremblay’s instinct might be to encourage his players to continue with the game to teach them to avoid allowing distractions to impact their performance. Te danger with this approach is that it treats racism like a distraction. For students who are targeted by racism and other forms of oppression, words can be perceived as physical threats. Tey also can be emotionally traumatizing. So it’s important for Coach Tremblay to proceed accordingly. If the home team fans had engaged physically, such as by throwing something onto the court, adults would have intervened immediately and stopped the game. Unfortunately, the adults attending the game to support the home team or as part of the school staf did not seem to recognize the chanting of “DE-PORT” as an equally troubling type of violence. It’s important for educators, administrators, and coaches to recognize the power they have to infuence behavior. As educators, we can use our positions of power to advocate for students who are marginalized. One way to do this is to unequivocally support students who are demanding justice for themselves and experiencing negative consequences for doing so.

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Tre, one of the team’s co-captains, responded to the xenophobic chanting by throwing the ball out of bounds, forcing a break in play, so his team could discuss what to do. His actions should be celebrated. Too often, the burden of responding to harm is placed on the people directly targeted by it. Tre demonstrated solidarity with his teammates and leadership as a captain. Tis type of leadership in sports is unfortunately not rewarded in the same way as points, assists, or rebounds.

Case 11.4: Family Involvement ♦

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Although Mr. Rolnick provided various opportunities for parents to volunteer, many could be interpreted as simple tasks meant to assist teachers rather than meaningful ways to engage with students. Although some parents and caregivers might enjoy fling books or making copies, others might prefer being involved more directly by tutoring, reading aloud, or assisting with other learning activities in the classroom or at home. Mr. Rolnick equated volunteering with family involvement. Parent involvement can take many forms, including simply asking children about their school day, encouraging them to read or do homework, or following up on a phone call from the teacher. Joel’s parents were involved, as they attended conferences and ofered to address concerns at home. Mr. Rolnick should avoid mistaking their hesitance to volunteer at the school as a lack of concern for Joel’s education. One barrier to family involvement that receives too little attention is some parents’ own negative experiences with school. An experience some people take for granted, such as walking into a school for a meeting and feeling welcome, is not universal. For people who felt alienated as students, walking into the building can feel like entering an unwelcoming cultural or political space. It can be uncomfortable; it might even feel hostile. Some parents and caregivers might still see in schools the inequities and biases they experienced as students and thus choose to involve themselves in their children’s education

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without coming to the school. Tis reality may be particularly difcult to understand for people who always felt welcomed or validated at school.

Case 11.5: My Uncle ♦

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In some cultures, all elders, or at least close family friends who are elders, are referred to as “Uncle” or “Aunt” as a sign of respect. Abdi’s uncle might have been unrelated by blood, but still a trusted friend who was invited to attend the meeting in place of his father. Because Ms. Klein and Ms. Larson’s cultural views only recognized terms like “Uncle” as referring to blood-related family members, they assumed Abdi’s family were deceitful. Tis assumption can have a harmful impact on relationships between educators and students, as well as between schools and families. Ms. Klein assumed her concerns would not be communicated to Abdi’s father. She felt frustrated assuming Abdi’s behavior would not change because his father did not attend the conference. Unfortunately, she discredited Abdi’s mother’s authority based only on her observations from Family Night. A more constructive, more efective, way for her to view the situation would have been to realize that Abdi’s mother was very much engaged in addressing his behavior concerns.Tis was evident because she addressed his behavior at Family Night and attended the conference with an additional infuential person in Abdi’s life. Students whose home lives are blends of multiple cultures can feel conficted between the norms of those cultures. Students who feel embarrassed because of some aspect of their identity, especially when teachers or their peers respond negatively to it, might disengage as a form of self-protection. Alternatively, a desire to be accepted by the school community might elicit a change in some students’ behavior that conficts with traditions in the home, causing confict within the family.

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