Mark R. Warren

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.*

This is an inspiring collection of essays recounting for successful social justice movements within the education system. It gives a good overview of how such movements can be successful and what, overall, people are fighting for within schools and communities. As someone who is tied to education, I appreciated hearing these people’s stories. It helped me reflect what is being done in schools in my communities, what I would like to change, and gave me a sense for how such a thing could be organized. I think some of these stories would be great shared with students and parents who feel as if they’re not being heard or they’re needs aren’t being addressed, because it shows just how powerful students and parents are within their educational communities.

I loved the diversity of stories represented; this collection not only has stories about addressing racism, but also about addressing students from low-income families and students within the LGBTQ+ community. Most importantly, these stories come straight from parents and concerned community organizers. It is so powerful to hear parents advocating for their children to ensure they have a fair and productive education.

I believe this to be a must-read for any teacher, just so they have a sense of the current situation in education and the pitfalls of zero-tolerance policies, charter schools, and other more blatant forms of racism and oppression. Anyone interested on being involved in their child’s education by community organizing, and anyone involved in education will get a lot of these stories. It provides a decent history of what has been done, talks about what is currently being done, and even briefly mentions dreams people have for the future of education. I highly recommend it.

Also posted on Purple People Readers.… (meer)