Resources for Teaching About Love
It’s Valentine’s Day–a day filled with joy and surprises, but also angst and disappointments–and sometimes all of the above! Let’s help children climb out of the emotionally wrought Valentine’s Day […]
Updates
“The Agitator” at Rethinking Schools
Helen Gym is a member of the Rethinking Schools editorial board, but that is only one of many hats she wears in her life as a mom, spouse, educator, and […]
What’s wrong with the Common Core: Winter issue is out
by Jody Sokolower Hailed as the next great reform, the Common Core State Standards are being implemented at breakneck speed in districts across the United States. But behind the spin, […]
Rethinking Schools on Facebook: 10 Most Popular Stories of 2013
Those of you who follow us on Facebook know that we regularly post articles, stories, and resources that we think would be of interest to Rethinking Schools readers. At the risk […]
“Why We Banned Legos” and other resources for teaching about markets and capitalism
This holiday season, teach a lesson that helps your students question our society’s focus on material goods, and pushes back against the relentless messages to find happiness through consumption. Here […]
What’s good for Bill Gates is bad for public schools… and Microsoft, too
by David Morris Editor’s note: This news has been making the rounds in education activist circles, and we wanted to further amplify this important message. Turns out corporate style reform isn’t […]
Getting to Know Grace
Grace Cornell Gonzales joined the Rethinking Schools editorial board last spring, and has been an active, enthusiastic, and thoughtful participant ever since. Grace teaches at Daniel Webster Elementary School in […]
“What Do You Mean When You Say Urban?” and other resources for multicultural teaching
Earlier this month, we set up shop at the annual meeting of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME). It’s always a joy to see old friends and meet folks […]
Call for submissions: A People’s Curriculum for the Earth
Rethinking Schools is in the final stages of producing a book on teaching about the environmental crisis, called A People’s Curriculum for the Earth. If you’re a subscriber or regular visitor […]
7 resources you can use to educate and engage students
In every issue of our magazine, our editors and contributors hand-pick a variety of books, films, websites, and other media for all ages. Here are seven resources we recommended in our […]
Get to know your history
If you’re not yet familiar with the Zinn Education Project–a collaboration of Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change in Washington, D.C.–and the “If We Knew Our History” column–today is a […]
What’s in a name
Perhaps you’ve followed the controversy around the name of the NFL team Washington “Redskins.” They have faced a lot of pressure, and rightly so, to ditch the offensive name. Sadly, […]
Of Mice and Marginalization
We “soft-launched” our fall issue on our website over the weekend. Perhaps you already checked it out, or if you’re a subscriber, you have the magazine in hand already. If […]
Schools That Change Communities
The fall issue of Rethinking Schools magazine, which will appear online and in your mailbox (if you’re a subscriber!) before you know it, includes a review of Bob Gliner’s 2012 […]
The Trouble with Common Core
On Friday, Rethinking Schools editor Stan Karp delivered a speech “The Trouble with Common Core” to Portland area parents, educators, administrators, elected officials, among others. (See our summer editorial with […]
“Sharing the Movement” and other resources for teaching the Civil Rights Movement
Today is the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. A time when hundreds of thousands of people stood up for justice and a better life. […]
Army Teaches Wrong Lesson in Nation’s High Schools
Today is the 68th anniversary of bombing of Nagasaki. Our friend and ally Pat Elder describes in his op-ed below how high school text books get the history wrong. See […]
Teaching about whistleblowers
With Pfc. Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden in the news this week, have you thought about if and how you will teach about these individuals and other whistleblowers in your classroom […]
At the Movies with Rethinking Schools
Summer is the season of Hollywood “blockbusters.” Unfortunately, most films that come out during summer are duds, so here we propose some alternatives that will both entertain and educate. These articles are […]
Indiana’s Anti-Howard Zinn Witch Hunt
by Bill Bigelow Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States, one of the country’s most widely read history books, died on January 27, 2010. Shortly after, then-Governor of […]
Teaching About Trayvon
People of conscience are outraged and saddened over the acquittal of George Zimmerman last Saturday—and the conviction of Trayvon Martin. We need to find ways to engage our students in […]
Join the critical conversation on edTPA
We’re pleased to announce that the summer issue of Rethinking Schools magazine features a special forum with three perspectives on edTPA, the high-stakes test for new teachers that is being […]
Layoffs and School Closures in Philadelphia
Below we preview our Action Education column from our Summer issue, about the massive school closings in Philadelphia. Helen Gym, a Rethinking Schools editor, is a parent and long-time activist […]
Mexican American Studies Lives On
If you have seen the remarkable film Precious Knowledge, about the Mexican American Studies (MAS) program in Tucson, you’ll remember Curtis Acosta, the caring and charismatic high school language arts teacher. […]
‘Queer Matters’ and other LGBTQ resources
June is Gay and Lesbian Pride month. At Rethinking Schools, we’ve been writing about gender and sexuality for a long time, including issues affecting the LGBTQ community. We’re pleased to […]