Volume 30, No.2

Winter 2015/2016

Our winter issue celebrates our new book, Rethinking Gender, Sexism, and Sexuality, and features two articles from the book—in both English and Spanish. “We Begin to Know Each Other,” by Maiya Jackson, is an honest and thoughtful description of how one school worked with teachers, students, and parents to nurture two trans middle schoolers. The other, “Elbow Is Not a Sexy Word: Approaches to Sex Education,” by RS editor Jody Sokolower, offers concrete examples of what sex-positive, inclusive sex education can look like.

And that’s just the beginning. Check out “Activism Is Good Teaching: Reclaiming the Profession” to find out why teachers in New Mexico burned their evaluations. And a whole lot more!

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  • We Begin to Know Each Other

    By Maiya Jackson

    An administrator describes the journey of her K-8 school as it welcomes a transgender 8th grader and the gender transition of another student.

  • Nos empezamos a conocer unos a otros

    By Maiya Jackson

    Una directora escolar describe el proceso que transcurrió su escuela primaria al darle la bienvenida a una nueva estudiante transgénero de octavo grado y a otro estudiante que estaba haciendo una transición de género.

  • Elbow Is Not a Sexy Word

    Approaches to sex education

    By Jody Sokolower

    A 9th-grade teacher lays groundwork for sex education that is sex-positive and inclusive.

  • Codo no es una palabra sexy

    Planteamientos sobre la educación sexual

    By Jody Sokolower

    Una maestra de noveno grado explica cómo desarrollar un currículo de educación sexual que sea positivo e inclusivo.

  • Activism Is Good Teaching

    Reclaiming the profession

    By Katherine Crawford-Garrett, Michelle Perez, Rebecca M. Sánchez, Amanda Short, Kersti Tyson

    Two elementary school teachers in Albuquerque resist the proliferation of harmful standardized tests. They see it as a professional responsibility.

  • Who Made the New Deal? Part II

    A role play explores the impact of popular movements on FDR’s policies

    By Adam Sanchez

    A history teacher helps his students see the conservatism of the early New Deal and the impact of organizing and mass resistance.

  • Blaming Mothers

    A disability perspective

    By Ruth Colker

    A legal professor who advocates for children with disabilities details how school and district administrators blame mothers rather than providing a “free and appropriate education” to all children.

  • Cracking the Box

    The personal cost of war

    By Chris Hawking

    A high school language arts teacher shares mementos from his father, who was killed in Viet Nam, to open up discussion about the long-lasting pain of war.

  • ‘Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality’ and the Power of Grassroots Activism

    By the editors of Rethinking Schools

    The youth on our cover is Lana “kQween” Grant. She was photographed by Lois Bielefeld as part of her Androgeny series. kQween’s pride—and the empathy and respect of Bielefeld’s image—are […]

  • Letters to the Editor 30.2

    Response to “A Revitalized Teacher Union Movement” Rethinking Schools included an article by Bob Peterson entitled “A Revitalized Teacher Union Movement: Reflections from the Field” (winter 2014-15). There are significant […]

  • The Seattle Educators’ Strike

    By Jesse Hagopian

    On Sept. 20, 2015, thousands of Seattle Education Association (SEA) members voted to approve a new contract with the Seattle Public Schools. The vote officially ended the strike, which delayed […]

  • Our picks for books videos websites and other social justice education resources 30.2

    By The Editors of Rethinking Schools

    Check out these valuable resources, reviewed by Rethinking Schools editors and Teaching for Change colleagues.

  • Joelito’s Big Decision/La gran decisión de Joelito

    By Grace Cornell Gonzales

    Joelito’s Big Decision/La gran decisión de Joelito Written by Ann BerlakTranslation by José Antonio GallosoIllustrated by Daniel Camacho(Hard Ball Press, 2015) Joelito is a regular kid who really loves his […]