Rethinking Schools Writing Guidelines

Here's how to submit an article for publication in our quarterly journal. Click here for a copy of our stylesheet as a Rich Text Format file. Click here for the stylesheet as a PDF.

Address all snail mail to:

Editorial Department
Rethinking Schools
1001 E. Keefe Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53212

Send email to: bbpdx@aol.com

Overview and General Guidelines

1. Rethinking Schools accepts unsolicited manuscripts, but due to the volume of unsolicited manuscripts we receive we cannot guarantee a response.

2. Please do not send term papers, master's theses, or doctoral dissertations.

3. For best results, start by sending a query letter to Bill Bigelow, the journal's classroom editor. You can snail-mail it to the address above or email him at bbpdx@aol.com. This letter should BRIEFLY outline what you would like to write, a proposed length in words for your piece, your background in the subject area you have chosen, and a brief overview of your published writing. Include a mailing address, phone number and the best email address for you.

4. If you are interested in writing an article that expands upon or modifies a previously published article, please submit the already published article first. The editorial board then can evaluate whether the article is appropriate for Rethinking Schools and how it should be modified.

Procedure:

1. Because Rethinking Schools only publishes four issues per year, we do not have the space to print all of the worthwhile articles we receive. We give priority to articles dealing with critical education topics, based on the perspective of classroom teachers, parents, and students.

2. All articles are read by the Rethinking Schools editorial board. We unfortunately cannot guarantee that articles will be accepted by the board. In most cases, significant revisions are required to articles that are accepted.

3. The editors at Rethinking Schools work on a volunteer basis; all have full-time jobs. Please be patient and allow eight weeks response time.

4. If your article is accepted, the managing editor will contact you regarding any needed revisions.

5. In general, Rethinking Schools follows writing guidelines more akin to popular magazines than academic journals. Expect articles to be edited to conform to the style and guidelines of magazine journalism. For the most part, Rethinking Schools follows the manuscript style of the Associated Press to determine punctuation, abbreviations, etc., but there are exceptions. Click the appropriate link above to download a copy of our stylesheet, which spells out some of the most common the forms and syntax we use.

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Format:

1. All articles must be typed, double-spaced, with ample margins. The author's name and a page number must be on every page.

2. The last page should include the author's full name, address, day and evening phone numbers, and a one-sentence biographical statement.

3. If an article is accepted, Rethinking Schools will need an electronic copy. You will be asked to submit a copy to the managing editor via email (as an attached file) or on a Macintosh-compatible computer disk. Writers are encouraged to use Microsoft Word as their word processor; please indicate in a cover letter or email message if you have used a different program.

4. Please mail articles to Rethinking Schools, Attn: Editorial Dept., 1001 E. Keefe Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53212. They can be e-mailed to: bbpdx@aol.com, with "submission to Rethinking Schools by (last name)" as the subject heading.

Categories:

Essays (600-2,000 words)
. Analysis or critique of current educational policy, theory or practice.
. Review of a book or report.

How-to articles/first-person reflections: (200 to 1,500 words. Can be either longer essays or brief suggestions)
. Tips on classroom materials, curriculum, and practices to empower students and inspire teachers.
. Practical ideas for overcoming racism, sexism, and class bias in the classroom.
. Reflections on a personal experience, such as an organizing project, looking at education from the point of view of a parent, etc.

Student work:
Any length from pre-school through 12th grade on any subject. May include black-and-white drawings, poetry, short essays. Must include the name, age and school of the student, as well as the phone number of the person submitting the work.

Bibliography
If you have ideas for an annotated bibliography, please contact us before submission.

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