Teachers can demonstrate their school pride in the classroom, build-ing a college-tinged environment while also serving as an ambassador of higher education in general.

Yet we fail to put in the detailed t t· c o , a 1mes uncom1ort-able and difficult work to answer those questions in ways to which stu-dents can full: relate and that enable them to see the relevance of what they are learnmg now to ~~o-they are

S tudents of color access higher education opportunities at rates far lower than their White and Asian peers, largely because they face restricted access to the resources at the K-12 level that support college preparation and college going.

tudies show that these environmental conditions disproportionately affect people of color and the poor.

Districts need to examine the specific needs inherent to these various neighborhoods and strive to provide equitable

Reduce class size for school-dependent student

My point is that, though teachers can have a huge impact on student learning and development,

I have concluded that some district leaders and even some principals are not really committed to reforming their policies and practices for the sake of students

Critical pedagogy

Their potential has been grossly underestimated. They have the ability to change the world”

“Ahigh percentage of drop-outs have high intelligence and in many cases high reading abilities,” Carpenter explained, adding that “many have extraordinary leadership capabilities” which are rarely engaged

“There’s a Lot to Know, and We’ll Learn It Together”Emancipatory Teaching and Learning at Harlem Preparatory School, 1967–1974Barry M. Goldenberg

Although housed in a traditional school building, the school has been transformed into a place where all children feel safe and are encouraged to learn to the highest levels of learning. While there are typical classrooms

Many White students on university campuses are forming coalitions with students of color to demand that the university curricu-lum be reformed to include content about people of color and women. Students who demanded ethnic studies requirements on university cam-puses have experienced

but also with White main-stream students. It is also not widely acknowledged that many of the reforms designed to increase the academic achieve

cause their cultural characteristics are more consistent with the culture, norms, and expectations of the school than are those of other groups of students-have greater opportunities

Many teachers are uneasy with these topics, and therefore fruitful classroom discussions about discrimination rarely happen.

However, highly culturally assimilated members of ethnic groups of color are often denied full participation in mainstream institutions because of their skin color

Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, and Chinese Americans often deny their ethnic identity, ethnic heritage, and family in order to assimilate and participate more fully in mainstream institutions

Goals and Misconceptions 3 Social Class Gender Ethnic Identity Sexual Orientation lntersectionality Racial Group Religion Language Abilities and Disabilities

and religion influence student learning and behavior.

T.J. was just being passed through the system, she recalled thinking. “He isn’t where he’s supposed tobe, and everyone is ignoring it.

And as his years in school fall away, T.J. is being left behind

At 12, He Reads at a First-Grade Level: How New YorkFailed T.J.

Living in poverty is associated with conditions that make academic success difficult. For example, low-income children suffer from vision impairment at twice the normal rate. They endure this condition as a result of the poor prenatal development that occurs whenlow-income pregnant mothers do not get adequate care and nutrition (Morgan, 2019). Unfortunately, Black, Hispanic, and Native American students live in poverty at much higher rates than White families (Morgan, 2018a; Sauter,2018).Researchers have hypothesized that living in poverty contributes to the disproportionate rate of students of color in special education since these students are more likely to be exposed to risk factors that increase academic underachievement and behavioral problems. In additionto vision impairment, low-income students suffer more from the effects of exposure to lead, high blood pressure, and low birth weight (Morgan & Farkas, 2018).Teacher PerceptionOne of the most important factors within the school system that can contribute to racial disparities in referrals for special education is the teacher’s role in the process of identifying students. Indeed, the identification of students for special education starts with a teacher’s belief concerning whether or not a student has a disability (Cooc, 2017). Unfortunately, teachers sometimes hold biased views toward students from cultural minority groups. Although teachers of the same race as their students are more likely to be aware of the cultural characteristics of their pupils, there is a lack of teachers of color in public schools (Morgan, 2019). Scholars have therefore hypothesized that many students of color are perceived to have disorders as a result of not understanding aspects of students’ cultures(Bean, 2013). For instance, Rudd (2014) mentioned a study that revealed that teachers perceived students who displayed a walking style more commonly used by Black adolescents as in more need of special education services.

As do others in her position, she wants to be known by her name, not her label, and appreciated for her personality, interests, and abilities — that is, who she is. Her disability is only one of many characteristics of her whole persona. She is not her diagnosis or "category." Her potential cannot be defined by her disability label. I want her to have teachers who reflect on and actualize a posture that brings full acceptance to the humanity of her person.

Until schools provide support groups that educate parents about such issues, LGBTQ+ students must navigate their way through a heteronormative, and possibly homophobic, school environment

She believed that being successful in school, to some degree, also meant becoming cisgender and heterosexual. She believes that being LGBTQ would be ‘distracting.’ [...]The implication was that, if you liked someone who was the same gender as you, then that is even moreas a distraction. Because not only are you liking another person who derails you from school, you’re being ‘abnormal.’

. I would say that perception comes out as this huge shocking thing

Ngoexplains how his coming-out experience was never a one-time thing

ikely to report experiencing more harassment, but they also expressed a higher sense of self-esteem.

The 2019 GLSEN survey found that 60% of LGBTQ students surveyed had been sexually harassed in the past year

Does homophobia indicate anxi-ety about the fragility of the heterosexual norm? When even slight gender nonconforming behavior or friendship with someone of the same sex can begin rumors and harassment, or when people feel compelled to assert their heterosexuality should doubt arise,

oung men who understand cultural messages about masculinity as encouraging their dem-onstration of superiority show their power through aggressive taunting. Whether because of pressure to conform to this problematic notion of male power or out of concern that they will be thoug

While Thorne (1993) argues that young people's play opens the pos-sibilities of ambiguities in meanings of gender and sexuality, giving space for young girls to be athletic or boys to sit at the "girls"' table or play in the "girls'" area of the playground, she also shows that such occasions of playful attempts to cross the gender divide can be met with hostility and that teasing can cross over the line of play and into harassment.

e so as not to raise any suspicions

Transgen<ler stu<lents, too, un<lersta11J how difficult it is to negotiate the dynamics of gender difference and confor-mity, having to strategize their own gender identity in the context of social expectations unused to their innovative approaches to enacting gcn<ler or refusing their birth gender. In some situations,

One way to think about the roots of homophobia is to think about how gender normativity-what counts as a "normal" male or female-gets taught and learned.

Heterosexism and heteronormativity, the beliefs and social practices that maintain the dominance of heterosexuality over other forms of sexu-ality, rely on a stable conception of binary genders. Men have to act in accordance with norms regulating masculinity, and women nee<l to be femi-nine, not only in order for their genders to be legible in exp

Practices like having elementary students line up by gender or organizing teams of boys against girls, she argues, highlight the importance of gender differences to young students

Teachers say males are brighter, better at science and math, and more likely to become the nation's future leaders. When students are asked to choose outstanding

Male students frequently control classroom conversa-tion. They ask and answer more questions. They receive more praise for the intellectual quality of their ideas. They get criticized more publicly and harshly when they break a rule. They get help when they are con-fused. They are the heart and center of interaction.

Maybe you were new to the country and to the language, embar-rassed to show that you did not always understand what was being said, or how best to formulate your sentences.

And if some students do not want to talk, put-ting them in the spotlight can lead to a whole new set of woes.

Female Bodies as “Distractions

m game where attention is directed at young men and away from women of color. It also ignores how groups are defi ned in relationship to one another and the ways race, gender, sexuality, and class intersect to differentially infl uence experiences and life chance

“like a prison”. Wrought iron gates enclose it, several security guards patrol it, and occasionally drug-sniffi ng dogs scour it. Such security and punis

Nearly half a million boys are taking steroids, and risking their lives. 3

They exercise for hours, devise rigid rituals surrounding food, obses-sively monitor their weight, and yearn to resemble the taut-bodied celebrities whose images grace magazine covers. Most of us probably saw vigilant, model-thin young women in this scenario. Or maybe we envisioned elite athletes competing in gymnastics, cycling, track, or wrestling. But we need to think again.

Girls described smoking and drugs as "convenient" ways to lose weight.2

"When you look good, people are envious and give you respect." "Social status is based a lot on looks." "Nothing hurts more than being criticized about your style or hair, weight and height."

Wear just the right things," they said. "Money, clothes, a flashy appearance. Date older boys, get fairly good grades, but don't be too smart. Flirt with boys. Be cooperative on dates.

nalities, they look to parents, teachers, classmates, and friends for reactions.

Today's teenagers, both girls and boys, report that although they have many friends, they lack intimate, close friends. Teenagers say that there is no one that they can really confide in, no one with whom to share their deepest thoughts. In the midst of a crowd, they feel alone. It is a disturbing admission.