Reclaiming the Teaching Profession gives educators (especially teachers and future teachers) and their allies a clear overview of the massive effort to dismantle public education in the United States, which includes a direct attack on teachers. The book details, and provides a systematic critique of, the shaky assumptions at the foundation of the market-based reform initiatives that dominate the contemporary education scene. It names and exposes the motives and methods of the powerful philanthropists, politicians, business moguls, and education entrepreneurs who are behind the reform movement. It provides counter narratives that public school advocates can use to talk back to those who would destroy the teaching profession and public education. It includes examples of successful acts of resistance and identifies resources for challenging reformers’ taken for granted primacy in the education debate. It concludes with strategies educators can use to “speak truth to power,” reclaim their professional status, and reshape the education landscape in ways that serve all of America’s children and preserve our democracy.

Drawing from a wealth of research and experience, this book shows educators how to use the transformative power of professional learning in community to raise the professional stature of educators. The authors, experts in their field, provide clear steps and real-school examples with a focus on collaborative adult learning for student gains, community respect, professional satisfaction, and collegial support. They examine pitfalls and distractions, and show clear images of what empowered Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) look like for teachers, administrators, and leaders at the school and district level. The authors also provide practical tools for advancing and measuring progress. This resource will help educators move from a climate of sanctions to one of mutual trust and support informed by a commitment to students and a dedication to working and learning together. Book features: A rubric for PLCs to measure their progress on a continuum. Organizational structures, human resources, and protocols required to empower PLCs. Stories from schools of PLC breakthroughs and best PLC practices. An “Innovation Configuration Map,” or master plan, for moving a PLC to progressively higher levels. A framework for developing a teaching profession that is more self-regulating and more highly valued by society.

"1. The book offers teacher educators and stakeholders an overview of accountability in the era of education reform and embraces teacher education accountability as a lever for reconstructing its targets, purposes, and consequences in keeping with the larger democratic project. 2. The book introduces a framework, eight dimensions of accountability, for interrogating dimensions of accountability policy and practice by revealing an accountability initiative's operation but also exposing underlying values and principles, theory of change, and relationship to larger political and policy agendas. 3. Using the authors' framework, eight dimensions of accountability, the book deconstructs four of the most visible education reform initiatives relevant to teacher educators and education stakeholders. The book proposes a rallying call to teacher educators and stakeholders to reclaim accountability using a new approach: democratic accountability in teacher education" --

Annotation Goldstein (education, U. of Texas, Austin) offers this text in an effort to reestablish "caring" in teaching and in teacher education, with an urge to move away from the "gentle smiles and warm hugs" view toward one that sees caring as an integral part of the teacher- learning process and teacher education programs. Coverage includes conceptual, theoretical and empirical interpretations of caring which provide a framework for a moral and intellectual relation view of caring; educating teachers to understand and be committed to this concept of caring teaching; and possibilities for developing teacher education programs which demonstrate for preservice teachers the pedagogical power of the moral and intellectual relation view of caring. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Are you overwhelmed by unruly students, difficult parents, and never-ending classroom distractions? Are you tired of scavenging and pleading for basic school supplies? Do you wonder if anyone notices or cares how much effort you put into teaching every day? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this book is for you. When Teaching Gets Tough offers practical strategies you can use to make things better right away. Veteran educator Allen Mendler organizes the discussion around four core challenges: * Managing difficult students * Working with unappreciative and irritating adults * Making the best of an imperfect environment * Finding time to take top-notch care of yourself When Teaching Gets Tough is there when you need help to reclaim and sustain your energy and enthusiasm for teaching. Written with a deep understanding of the issues that teachers face every day, the book also includes sections for administrators who want to help teachers stay at the top of their game. Allen Mendler is an educator and school psychologist and the author of Connecting with Students and co-author of Discipline with Dignity, 3rd edition .

Teachers of Color describes how racism serves as a continuous barrier against diversifying the teaching force and offers tools to support educators who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of Color on both a systemic and interpersonal level. Based on in-depth interviews, digital narratives, and questionnaires, the book analyzes the toll of racism on their professional experiences and personal wellbeing, as well as their resistance and reimagination of schools. Teacher educator and educational researcher Rita Kohli documents the hostile racial climate that teachers of color experience over the course of their academic and professional lives--first as students and preservice teachers and later in their classrooms and schools. She also highlights the tools of resistance these teachers employ to challenge institutionalized oppression and the kinds of professional development and support they need to thrive. Analyzed through the lens of critical race theory, Teachers of Color exposes the ongoing racialization via counter-stories from thirty racially, geographically, and professionally diverse educators. The book concludes with recommendations that various education stakeholders can employ to improve the racial climates of schools and support the growing diversity of the teaching force. At this critical moment, Kohli offers readers an opportunity to strengthen their racial literacies and better understand the strengths, struggles, and power of teachers of color.

Over a decade ago, the first edition of City Schools and the American Dream debuted just as reformers were gearing up to make sweeping changes in urban education. Despite the rhetoric and many reform initiatives, urban schools continue to struggle under the weight of serious challenges. What went wrong and is there hope for future change? More than a new edition, this sequel to the original bestseller has been substantially revised to include insights from new research, recent demographic trends, and emerging political realities. In addition to surveying the various limitations that urban schools face, the book also highlights programs, communities, and schools that are making good on public education’s promise of equity. With renewed commitment and sense of urgency, this new edition provides a clear-eyed vision of what it will take to ensure the success of city schools and their students. “City schools continue to play one of the most important roles in our quest to restore democracy. This is a must-read . . . again!” —Gloria Ladson-Billings, University of Wisconsin–Madison “The authors provide concrete examples of innovative strategies and practices employed by urban schools that are succeeding against all odds.” —Betty A. Rosa, chancellor, New York State Board of Regents “This is the book every teacher, parent, policymaker, and engaged citizen should read.” —Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco, UCLA

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This rich collection of readings is in effect an assertion that all English teachers can and should be engaged in classroom research.

As a principal, your days are filled with decisions. How do you keep student learning central to your work and the school's mission while managing all of the mandates and administrative work? With Reclaiming the Principalship as your road map, you will discover how to let learning guide the many decisions you make each day. Experienced administrator Tom Marshall shows you that, by establishing a learning mindset, you can rekindle the spirit of learning in your school and create an environment in which learning is simply a way of life for students, teachers, and even yourself. An environment of engaged learning, not simply compliance. In Reclaiming the Principalship, Tom targets some of the biggest current issues principals face, including scheduling, teacher evaluations, isolation, improving academic achievement, and school climate. He includes questions, checklists, templates, and examples to help you: build a professional network with other principals take on the role of instructional leader evaluate teachers honestly, constructively, and supportively build and lead the school community connect with and nurture your own learning life. Schools need leaders who have just as much love for teaching and learning as they had when they started their careers. You don't have to give up your commitment to learning, or students, or your dedication to teachers. With Tom's guidance, you can make decisions that will have a long-lasting, positive effect on the lives of the students and teachers in your school.