Alexandra Freidus is a doctoral candidate in Urban Education at New York University. Her research uses qualitative methods to explore how community stakeholders conceptualize student diversity, how school and district administrators enact educational policy, and how these local contexts relate to schools’ central work—teaching and learning. Alex’s work is informed by more than 15 years of professional experience teaching high school social studies and leading professional development in K–12 schools.
Delvin Davis (he/him) is a senior policy analyst with the Southern Poverty Law Center. While at SPLC, he has conducted research to promote progressive public policy in the area of criminal legal reform. His most recent work includes the five-part series Only Young Once, which details the dynamics of youth incarceration in the Deep South. Delvin earned both his B.A. in Public Policy Analysis and M.A. in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
We know cliques are common in the middle grades, but don’t forget how prevalent they are in the elementary years. Here’s how one educator helped her young students understand that inclusion isn’t just “nice”—it’s fun, too!