We Must Say No to the Status Quo: Educators as Allies in the Battle for Social Justice - Softcover

McDermott, Veronica

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1506345344 ISBN 13: 9781506345345

Publisher: Corwin, 2017

Synopsis

It takes more than good intentions to make meaningful change

The "spirit slashing" of injustice: that is how McDermott describes the psychic toll that marginalized students face every day. So how can you make a difference? McDermott gives you the tools to become a powerful ally, showing you how to:

• Better understand injustice so you can pierce the fog of privilege and embrace ally-hood
• Fill the gap between your desire to eliminate injustice and the attitudes and skills required to be effective
• Leverage your natural strengths, including your disposition, educational training, and professional position
• Challenge the structural barriers, practices, and beliefs that diminish opportunities for many students

About this title

About the Author

Veronica McDermott, Ph.D., is a retired school superintendent who continues to focus her efforts on school transformation, social justice, and equity. She is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader at national and international conferences devoted to issues of leadership and learning for equity and social justice. She is the author of many articles, chapters and opinion pieces, as well as co-author of two books designed to change the way educators think about, talk about and interact with our students who are not thriving.
Dr. McDermott received her Ph.D. from New York University, a professional diploma from Long Island University, and her Masters and Bachelor degrees from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. In addition to being superintendent of schools, she has served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction; principal; district director of English Language Arts, Reading, Second Language and ESL; and English teacher. She was also a regional director with a national professional development organization that provided high-quality, embedded learning experiences for urban educators.

Her legacy project is to eradicate the crime of squandered potential.

Review

"Reading this book brought me back to an oft forgotten section of Martin Luther King’s 1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech: ‘We have come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now.’ McDermott reignites this urgency in a powerful, passionate, and compelling way. We Must Say No to the Status Quo is a wake-up call for 21st century educators, a must read for all of us. It illuminates a clear pathway for transforming our consciousness and our practice in the service of equity and social justice." Author: Gary R. Howard, Author of We Can’t Lead Where We Won’t Go Published On: 2016-11-18

"We Must Say No to the Status Quo is a great resource for those who are working for social justice in our schools.  McDermott provides us with not only stories and encouragement, but a plethora of links, activities, and resources to move this important and essential work forward."

Author: Jennifer Abrams, Educational Consultant and Author Published On: 2016-05-02

"We Must Say No to the Status Quo is a sincere and authentic book with many very concrete examples for both beginning and experienced social justice educators, with excellent tools and resources offered."

Author: Becki Cohn-Vargas, Author Published On: 2016-05-02

Veronica McDermott has gifted the field with an indispensable book for those educators, who earnestly want to defy the systematic intellectual and social marginalization of millions of students, including, but not limited to students of color, but who have felt ill-equipped to demonstrate their earnestness, paralyzed by their uncertainty or fearfulness of how to cross the racial and other divides (linguistic, religious, class, etc.) that pervade the United States and Canada. These educators will find in this book a heart-felt, honest, uncompromising tour de force; a path replete with the introspections, considerations and responses with which to buoy their resolve and fortify their confidence to be strategic, competent allies in the battle for social justice for our students of color - and all other marginalized students - waiting to excel! Author: Yvette Jackson, Ed.D, Senior Scholar Published On: 2016-11-08

About this edition

• Publisher: Corwin
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1506345344
• ISBN 13: 9781506345345
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264