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Elevating Equity and Justice: 10 U.S. Supreme Court Cases Every Teacher Should Know
Elevating Equity and Justice is just what the civic-minded activist in you is looking for-an accessible and engaging guide to connect your teaching to the times we live in, providing insight into ten United States Supreme Court cases that impact schools and teaching. Some of the cases will be familiar to you and some will not. Why these cases? They cover the landscape of both civil rights and civil liberties, exploring topics and situations teachers and administrators face every day. Plus they're interesting-they involve real problems of real people who are raising legal and policy issues thorny and weighty enough to have reached the highest court in the country. To read them is to take a mini course in the history of education in our nation and in the civil rights and civil liberties issues that educators and students encounter on a daily basis.
Robert Kim, an education policy expert and former civil rights lawyer, has spent much of the last two decades focused on the rights of students, as well as the legal rights and obligations of schools and educators. In Elevating Equity and Justice, Bob takes a deep dive into ten cases of historical impact, providing background and information on each as well as an explanation of why it is important to know them. He brings the source material to life without overwhelming you with legalese and dos and don'ts.
For each case, Bob provides a summary of the judicial opinion; some interesting history or perspective about the case, including more recent legal developments; the implications for educators and schools; classroom and community voices that provide insight from real teachers dealing with these topics; tips for how to be proactive; and a short list of resources to further your knowledge about the case or the topics covered in it.
Reading these ten cases certainly won't address every situation educators encounter. Chances are you'll be drawn to reflect on what these cases mean for your teaching practice or your school. How can they help you address the needs of a particular student? What civic lessons do they teach? What values do they impart? Elevating Equity and Justice helps educators consider the needs of all of their students and elevates the discussion, teaching, and practice of equity at school.
Robert Kim, an education policy expert and former civil rights lawyer, has spent much of the last two decades focused on the rights of students, as well as the legal rights and obligations of schools and educators. In Elevating Equity and Justice, Bob takes a deep dive into ten cases of historical impact, providing background and information on each as well as an explanation of why it is important to know them. He brings the source material to life without overwhelming you with legalese and dos and don'ts.
For each case, Bob provides a summary of the judicial opinion; some interesting history or perspective about the case, including more recent legal developments; the implications for educators and schools; classroom and community voices that provide insight from real teachers dealing with these topics; tips for how to be proactive; and a short list of resources to further your knowledge about the case or the topics covered in it.
Reading these ten cases certainly won't address every situation educators encounter. Chances are you'll be drawn to reflect on what these cases mean for your teaching practice or your school. How can they help you address the needs of a particular student? What civic lessons do they teach? What values do they impart? Elevating Equity and Justice helps educators consider the needs of all of their students and elevates the discussion, teaching, and practice of equity at school.
160 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2019
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92 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 29, 2021
Short and very well explained explanations of Supreme Court cases relevant to students, schools, and teachers on topics like student searches, bilingual education, and freedom of speech. the author does a good job of explaining the issues at hand, discussing what the court found, explaining the plain meaning of the legal jargon, and (importantly) what teachers and schools should do in light of the cases. Interesting and well written.
March 17, 2020
"You, the educator, are the LEGAL role model for kids--whether you see yourselves as such or not. Students watch how you interact not only with them but with other students and adults at school. They pick up on what behavior is permissible and what's out of bounds through you. That's what the law is, in essence: a system for mapping out and enforcing the norms of human behavior." p. xv-xvi
Wow. You've heard of Brown v. Board of Education, but have you heard of Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education or Plyler v. Doe or...? Kim explains ten U.S. Supreme Court Cases (1969-2017) that impact our everyday school lives. Want to know why we educate undocumented children? Want to know why the onus is on schools to stop student to student bullying? Want to know why we can't copy last year's IEP for a student and put a new date on it? It's not just about ethics...it's also about the law. Kim makes clear how the Constitution (1st, 4th and 14th amendments), Title IX, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act do (and sometimes do not) protect our students.
The colorful LAYOUT and DESIGN of this book make the content easier to understand. Each chapter (per case) is limited to about ten pages; there are several sections (digestible bites of info) in each chapter --
an intro that draws your interest,
a short description of the case,
the decision,
implications for educators,
recent developments,
sidebars by educator in the field,
and more.
Highly recommend.
Wow. You've heard of Brown v. Board of Education, but have you heard of Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education or Plyler v. Doe or...? Kim explains ten U.S. Supreme Court Cases (1969-2017) that impact our everyday school lives. Want to know why we educate undocumented children? Want to know why the onus is on schools to stop student to student bullying? Want to know why we can't copy last year's IEP for a student and put a new date on it? It's not just about ethics...it's also about the law. Kim makes clear how the Constitution (1st, 4th and 14th amendments), Title IX, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act do (and sometimes do not) protect our students.
The colorful LAYOUT and DESIGN of this book make the content easier to understand. Each chapter (per case) is limited to about ten pages; there are several sections (digestible bites of info) in each chapter --
an intro that draws your interest,
a short description of the case,
the decision,
implications for educators,
recent developments,
sidebars by educator in the field,
and more.
Highly recommend.
November 29, 2019
Author Robert Kim has done a terrific job of explaining the high-falutin' and often obfuscating language of 10 key U.S. Supreme Court decisions to illustrate how they impact students, educators, administrators and parents inside the schoolyard gates. The cases he highlights deeply affect the lives of undocumented students, children with disabilities, religious minorities as well as those who face disciplinary action or dare to speak out on political topics. Kim draws on his vast experience as a policy-maker in the Civil Rights Division of President Obama's Department of Education, a policy analyst with the NEA, and a civil rights litigator for the ACLU. Every school should have this book!
December 20, 2019
A must read for teachers.
December 24, 2021
Overview:
Educators are extremely influential not just for academic outcomes, but also in life’s outcomes. Educators set up many expectations for students as to what the student is capable of, and how to treat one another. This book is about the cases that have changed how schools operate. Elucidating what educators can and cannot do. Informing who is to be taught and how. Each case is a product of the changing time. Each case is a product of parents wanting what is best for their children, and educators wanting what is best for their students. Every case is presented with what happened to lead up to the problem, how the problem got resolved by the supreme court, who is impacted by the case, and practical stories of the impact that the case had on academic life. Education is a very important factor in social life and the presented cases show how education has been modified to improve outcomes, but there are still many ways that education can be improved.
Caveats?
This is a short book directed at busy teachers, who will be able to find more resources on how to handle certain situations at the end of each case. Although the book’s efforts are for the betterment of school life, it has a slight political bias which can undermine understanding the issues from different perspectives.
Educators are extremely influential not just for academic outcomes, but also in life’s outcomes. Educators set up many expectations for students as to what the student is capable of, and how to treat one another. This book is about the cases that have changed how schools operate. Elucidating what educators can and cannot do. Informing who is to be taught and how. Each case is a product of the changing time. Each case is a product of parents wanting what is best for their children, and educators wanting what is best for their students. Every case is presented with what happened to lead up to the problem, how the problem got resolved by the supreme court, who is impacted by the case, and practical stories of the impact that the case had on academic life. Education is a very important factor in social life and the presented cases show how education has been modified to improve outcomes, but there are still many ways that education can be improved.
Caveats?
This is a short book directed at busy teachers, who will be able to find more resources on how to handle certain situations at the end of each case. Although the book’s efforts are for the betterment of school life, it has a slight political bias which can undermine understanding the issues from different perspectives.
November 4, 2021
Okay, this one is very technical and discusses very specific laws and cases. If you know that going in you will enjoy it. This book should be a requirement for teachers as well as parents with children (especially if those kids attend public school).
Some of the topics covered in this book include: students with disabilities, laws related to breaking down racial segregation, rights of undocumented students, as well as gender identity in schools and more!
A special thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read/listen and review this audiobook.
Some of the topics covered in this book include: students with disabilities, laws related to breaking down racial segregation, rights of undocumented students, as well as gender identity in schools and more!
A special thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read/listen and review this audiobook.
November 30, 2024
Easy, informative, and interesting. Definitely written for teachers or those learning to be teachers but as a member of society, I feel it was important for me to read. How I vote can drastically impact kids and how they succeed in the world so I feel it's important to be educated on precedent and law.
August 31, 2020
This is an excellent overview of important Supreme Court cases that impact schools and how they function. I appreciated the structure of each case - background, ruling, important concepts, voices from the field, any litigation updates, and resources. It made something rather esoteric into a bit more practical for educators.
I took off one star because a book about equity and justice needs to be extremely careful about word choice. Twice in the book students were "suffering" with disabilities and there was a potentially gendered expression ("pocketbook") used. There are other ways to express those concepts that are far more in line with social justice work.
Fortunately, the "suffers" language was not in the chapter on Endrew F, which is a case I was particularly interested in due to my work.
I took off one star because a book about equity and justice needs to be extremely careful about word choice. Twice in the book students were "suffering" with disabilities and there was a potentially gendered expression ("pocketbook") used. There are other ways to express those concepts that are far more in line with social justice work.
Fortunately, the "suffers" language was not in the chapter on Endrew F, which is a case I was particularly interested in due to my work.
July 29, 2020
Very insightful. This books breaks down each case without going overboard with legalese and is able to explain the implications of each case in the classroom. Important for educators to read in order to understand legal standings in the classroom. I will definitely often refer back to this book.
August 29, 2021
It makes sense this is recommended for teachers, but how about parents? I think every parent would benefit greatly from this book. Every school age child (or close friend) experiences some sort of challenges in the school system, often not knowing where to turn. The 10 cases discussed here are a great launching point for parents seeking solutions. Knowing what has been decided in the past, can help guide the resolutions needed for parents and students to have safe, healthy interactions with all those they come in contact with, while in the school system (public and private).
I worked in the school system for 14 years, a LOT happens that you question and struggle to get clear guidance and resolutions from the administration-- too often it is brushed off and ignored. Students have rights, as do teachers and staff. They all need protections to successfully maneuver through the complicated system. There can be solutions and justice, if only people know where to turn.
Robert Kim has done a great service creating this book. I hope it reaches a wide audience.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I worked in the school system for 14 years, a LOT happens that you question and struggle to get clear guidance and resolutions from the administration-- too often it is brushed off and ignored. Students have rights, as do teachers and staff. They all need protections to successfully maneuver through the complicated system. There can be solutions and justice, if only people know where to turn.
Robert Kim has done a great service creating this book. I hope it reaches a wide audience.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2022
Elevating Equity and Justice: 10 U.S. Supreme Court Cases every teacher should know by Robert Kim (– audio book with extra material )
Kim identifies 10 key Supreme Court cases, gives a brief summary of the issue that brought the case to the legal system and then an explanation of the Supreme Court’s decision. After each summary Kim adds context such as the impact on students, teachers and school districts, then brings in the voice of an impacted teacher or student and a brief list of resources to expand your knowledge if you are looking for more.
In the audio book at the end of the 10 cases there is a bonus podcast discussion about 3 additional cases and developments since he wrote the book.
He describes the book as “a mini course in the history of education in our nation.” His discussion of each case is not overly legalistic. He explains things in terms any teacher – or junior high school student – would understand. The material was interesting and approachable.
Thank you Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to review this book for free in return for an unbiased rereview.
Kim identifies 10 key Supreme Court cases, gives a brief summary of the issue that brought the case to the legal system and then an explanation of the Supreme Court’s decision. After each summary Kim adds context such as the impact on students, teachers and school districts, then brings in the voice of an impacted teacher or student and a brief list of resources to expand your knowledge if you are looking for more.
In the audio book at the end of the 10 cases there is a bonus podcast discussion about 3 additional cases and developments since he wrote the book.
He describes the book as “a mini course in the history of education in our nation.” His discussion of each case is not overly legalistic. He explains things in terms any teacher – or junior high school student – would understand. The material was interesting and approachable.
Thank you Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to review this book for free in return for an unbiased rereview.
September 8, 2021
Elevating Equity and Justice> details ten Supreme Court cases related to education. For each case, Robert Kim explains the details of the case and the ruling by the Supreme Court. From there, he pulls out key terms teachers need to know from this case and mentions any more recent cases that might adjust this ruling. He talks about how these rulings may affect a teacher's classroom/school. Then, he reads letters written from teachers or parents related to these cases. Finally, he provides links for further study of these issues. At the end of the book, there is an interview with the author talking about some big cases the Supreme Court ruled on in June 2020.
Kim did an excellent job of laying out the cases and what it means for schools these days. At under 6 hours, the audiobook is a reasonable length for busy teachers. Kim did a fantastic job narrating the audiobook himself. I highly recommend this book to teachers.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
Kim did an excellent job of laying out the cases and what it means for schools these days. At under 6 hours, the audiobook is a reasonable length for busy teachers. Kim did a fantastic job narrating the audiobook himself. I highly recommend this book to teachers.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
November 24, 2021
Thank you for letting me read this advanced readers copy through NetGalley! This is an excellent resource for educators and anyone interested in important laws in education. I think all schools should have at least one copy and hopefully professors will begin using this as an aid/college reading resource.
The book is clearly written and organized. I appreciate the inclusion of so much information and resources for each case. Not only do readers learn about the initial background of the case, but also what it means today, related cases that were impacted by the rulings, how you can learn more, and so much more to create a complete picture of each case and why everyone should know about them.
The book is clearly written and organized. I appreciate the inclusion of so much information and resources for each case. Not only do readers learn about the initial background of the case, but also what it means today, related cases that were impacted by the rulings, how you can learn more, and so much more to create a complete picture of each case and why everyone should know about them.
September 8, 2021
I appreciated the opportunity to review this title via Netgalley (audiobook) and then purchased the paperback. This is an excellent text for a person interested in pursuing education or a wide range of social sciences. Civil rights activists will also find this an accessible entryway into understanding federal policy through a judicial branch lens. I really liked the layout of explaining the case, the ruling, and its application. The audiobook was intriguing and helped me read it quicker but I needed the paperback to access the many rich resources/links shared at the end of each chapter.
September 2, 2021
this is a simplistic, easy to understand, overview of 10 supreme court cases that have impacted education in the U.S. the author also provides additional resources related to each case for further information. most of the laws were already familiar to me, but it was interesting to hear the evolution of the case. and these are key reminders for anyone working in K-12 public education in the U.S. thanks for the ARC @netgalley and @HeinemannPublishing
September 5, 2021
I’m always looking for resources to help gain a deeper understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, how to be an ally, and how to raise my kids to be loving and accepting of people.
The author shares an excellent selection of Supreme Court cases and shared understandable explanation for the readers. Seeing how these cases still effect us today and have shaped our current culture. Another great resource I will recommend again and again.
The author shares an excellent selection of Supreme Court cases and shared understandable explanation for the readers. Seeing how these cases still effect us today and have shaped our current culture. Another great resource I will recommend again and again.
December 6, 2021
This book worked hard to make the cases feel accessible, and I think it was successful at that. It was still pretty boring to me, but it's something that I'm going to keep on hand for reference! It will help with my regular work, but also with classes i teach for educators about educational equity.
January 6, 2022
I received an advanced copy of this text by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be life-changing for teachers! Equity is an important topic in today's culture so I hope others will look at this text for their own professional learning.
October 24, 2021
*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really great, informative read! would recommend and read again and im not even a teacher lol
January 8, 2022
Fantastic - great review of legal cases affecting the rights of teachers and students. Highly recommend for teachers, students, parents and administrators!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews