Editorial: Queering Schools

The Editors of Rethinking Schools

How can we create classrooms and schools where discrimination and assumptions about gender and/or sexuality don’t keep us from nurturing every child, parent, and staff member?

Choreographing for Justice

Emily Todras

An elementary teacher helps her students express themselves about social justice issues like the murder of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter through movement and dance, and helps them see how dance can celebrate diversity.

Teaching Them into Existence

Mykhiel Deych

A high school English teacher (also the QSA staff advisor) wrestles with the suicide of a transgender student and calls on heterosexual and cisgender teachers to integrate LGBTQ authors, themes, and history into their classrooms.

Do Ask, Do Tell

What's professional about taking social justice and sexual orientation out of classrooms?

Therese Quinn, Erica Meiners

Two Chicago educators question the premier teacher education accrediting agency’s removal of social justice and sexual orientation language from its standards.

A Mother Speaks Out

What happens when schools fail to take action against harassment of gay and lesbian youth?

Leslie Sadasivan

Tragedy strikes when schools fail to crack down on harassment of gay and lesbian kids.

Framing the Family Tree

How teachers can be sensitive to students' family situations

My seven-year-old daughter came home from school with a handmade calico tie for her dad for Father’s Day. The oversized tie was carefully cut from the blue and orange fabric […]

What We Want, What We Believe

A teacher uses the Black Panther Party's Ten Point Program to prompt students to consider today's big issues.

Wayne Au

A teacher uses the Black Panther’s Ten Point Program to prompt students to consider today’s big issues.

Bush Backs Anti-gay Discrimination

New Federal education law witholds federal funds from schools that take a stance against the Boy Scouts.

Stacie Willimas

New federal education law withholds federal funds from schools that take a stance against the Boy Scouts.

“Aren’t There Any Poor Gay People Besides Me?”

Teaching LGBTQ issues in the rural South

Stephanie Anne Shelton

A teacher redesigns her curriculum to support a gay student. As the classroom community strengthens, they confront the impact of poverty and geographic isolation.

Making School Safe for Sissies

Eric E. Rofes

I knew I was queer when I was a small child. My voice was gentle and sweet. I avoided sports and all roughness. I played with the girls. I did […]

Exploding the Western Canon

San Francisco Adopts Diversity Requirement

Donn K. Harris

San Francisco diversifies its English requirements — and the media distort the issue.

Reproductive Justice and Our Classrooms

the editors of Rethinking Schools

There is no end-point in the fight for justice and equality, no moment when the argument is finally settled. As Angela Davis has said, “Freedom is a constant struggle.” Although that proposition seems exhausting, it is also hopeful. If our wins are never wholly secure, then neither must our losses be permanent. The struggle for reproductive justice continues, and our curriculum must nurture our students’ capacity to envision and participate in its next stages.

4-Year-Olds Discuss Love and Marriage

A.J. Jennings

An early childhood educator shows how far-ranging discussions can open children’s eyes to a broader understanding of relationships, including same-sex marriage and not getting married at all.

Nos empezamos a conocer unos a otros

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.

Boys in Dresses

Melissa Bollow Tempel

One of a Kind, Like Me/Unico como yo by Larin Mayeno // Illustrated by Robert Liu-Trujillo // Blood Orange Press, 2016 Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman // […]

What Students Are Capable Of

Sexual Harassment and the Collateral Beauty of Resistance

Camila Arze Torres Goitia

“We have something to tell you but we’re worried about getting you too involved. We don’t want to get you in trouble,” Baylee and Zaida whispered excitedly as they wiggled through the crack in my classroom door on my prep. I was confused to see them in such high spirits because earlier in the day they had been crushed by news from our administration. For more than two months they had been part of our Restorative Justice club that had been planning two half-day workshops around women empowerment for female-identifying students and toxic masculinity for male-identifying students. The club of 11 demographically diverse students had been urging adults in our building to do something about sexual harassment since October, when they made sexual assault and harassment their Restorative Justice club theme of the month and visited 9th grade classes to lead circles on the topic. This opened up a door for 9th graders to continue to reach out to upperclassmen about the harassment they were facing.