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A Teaching Tolerance Advisory Board member reflects on a recent gathering in Montgomery, Ala.

It’s one thing to learn about voting rights and civic responsibilities; it’s another to engage in action to make positive change in our communities.

Scripted curricula can limit teachers and hurt morale. But living social justice ideals in the classroom still imparts valuable lessons to students.

Banning a book can go like this: An outraged parent complains about a book to the school librarian or principal. After a noisy debate, the school administrators decide that the book should be removed from circulation. Or, banning a book can go like this: A librarian receives a new book. Perhaps it shows LGBT issues or atheism in a sympathetic light. Perhaps it portrays civil rights struggles in a way that might offend some local sensibilities. Whatever the reason, she quietly puts the book in a back room. Then she politely discourages questions about it.

Educators have a role in ending discipline that criminalizes youth. Reforms, including trauma-informed and restorative practices, can disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.