Connecting Equity, Literacy, and Language

Althier M. Lazar is a professor of education at Saint Joseph's University. Her books include Culturally Sustaining Literacy Pedagogies, Schools of Promise for Multilingual Students, Bridging Literacy and Equity, and Practicing What We Teach. Kaitlin K. Moran is an assistant professor of teacher education at Saint Joseph's University. Shoshanna Edwards-Alexander is a clinical assistant professor of social work for the School of Education and Human Development at Saint Joseph's University.

“Lazar, Moran, and Edwards-Alexander manage to convey a lot of information in a very short, very readable book that is full of enlightening details and examples. Connecting Equity, Literacy, and Language is a welcome addition to the growing treasure trove of books that will help teachers teach toward a more just, equitable society.”—Illinois Reading Council Journal

• ContentsForeword Delicia Tiera Greene  ixAcknowledgments  xiIntroduction  1Our Purpose  1Structure of the Book  3Who We Are  41.  A Need for Advocacy-Focused Literacy Educators  7A Reckoning  7The Teacher Education Gap  11Teacher Development: Building Commitments and Competencies  13Connecting Equity, Literacy, and Language in a Landscape of Practice  17Conclusion  202.  Understanding Ourselves and Others  21Developing a Critical Awareness of Race  21A Pathway to Understanding  25Stumbling and Getting Back Up Again  27Developing a Critical Awareness of Culture  29Developing a Critical Awareness of Intersectionality  33Conclusion  353.  Inequities in Schools and Classrooms  36Pushing Kids Out of School  37Limitations of Literacy Curricula and Assessment  40Literacy Teaching Routines and Structures  44Deficit Descriptions and Approaches  46Conclusion  494.  Racism in Schools and Society  51The Invention of Race: A Brief History  51The Impact of Racial Categorizations  53Misinterpreting Critical Race Theory and the Need to Address Racism in School  57Literacy Educator Activism: Noticing, Questioning, Challenging  61Conclusion  635.  Many Literacies and Languages  65Rethinking Perspectives About Literacy and Language  65Autonomous and Ideological Conceptions of Literacy Revisited  67A Bit of History: The Heath Study  68Critiquing the "Word Gap" Research  70Englishes, Raciolinguistics, and Code-Meshing  71Multilingualism, Dynamic Bilingualism, and Translanguaging  75Conclusion  776.  Toward Culturally Centered Teaching  79Meet Cecilia  80Meet Andrea  84Examining Teachers and Teaching Through Advocacy-Focused Frameworks  88Seeing Teachers Within and Beyond Frameworks  93Conclusion  947.  Toward Critical Teaching  95Critical Literacy: Questioning Texts and the World  96Meet Jennifer  99Revisiting Andrea  101Youth and Educator Activism  103Revisiting Cecilia  103Meet Burton  104Connecting With Established Organizations  106Conclusion  1088.  Pathways Toward Advocacy-Focused Teaching  110Noticing Inequities and Envisioning Change  110Noticing Inequities and Forging Change  113Meet Kristin  114Next Steps  118Your Path Begins With You  118Envision and Forge Change  120Putting It All Together  124References  127Index  139About the Authors  145