Public schools are an ideal and vital mechanism for achieving a thriving democracy. This is the first of three articles on public schools as a common good, which explore the possibilities and threats to public education.
As an eighth-grade writing teacher, I routinely focus on reading student writing and utilizing it for several purposes. I am designing effective lessons, creating sound rubrics for assessment, developing peer conferences and monitoring their ability to meet standards and benchmarks. However, I often forget about one of our most important, frequently overlooked roles as writing teachers: our role as listeners.
No student is too young to participate in conversations about equality and social justice, but words are not the only means through which students can imagine a better future.
In the United States in 2014, we take our freedom of movement for granted. We can drink from any water fountain, shop in any store and stay in any hotel we can afford. Prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, these simple activities were not so simple.
Students can learn about local struggles for justice through primary sources. This toolkit will help you collaborate with staff at a local library or archive to locate primary sources that teach your students about their community’s history.
In this essay, the author describes the ways in which the Civil War and 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments guaranteed African Americans certain rights, but how those rights were quickly reversed due to intimidation and the Jim Crow system.