Howard L. Smith – författare

Academia is in trouble. Taxpayers are fed up with the enormous expenses associated with public universities, as well as administrators whose strategies and goals are fuzzy at best and destructive at worst. Parents worry about how they will find the wherewithal to send their offspring to college. Employers question the ability of new graduates and degree holders to write or reason lucidly. And everyone (except entrenched faculty members) questions the practice of tenure, which generally creates an incentive for mediocrity. Meanwhile, academic authorities responsible for managing our august institutions of higher education pontificate about the problems without delivering meaningful solutions. But meaningful solutions do exist, and this book explains them in depth. Taking Back the Tower, a compendium of no-nonsense, management-oriented lessons and prescriptions for the academy, will go a long way toward restoring the respect our colleges and universities deserve.Taking Back the Tower focuses squarely on bringing common sense to higher education by urging creative thinking, especially out-of-the-box approaches, in promoting change. It offers numerous solutions, many of which will be seen as quite controversial by the establishment. Smith outlines how to overcome resistance to change, lead more effectively, demand accountability for performance, manage resources for the highest return, remain firm with tuition payers and donors when warranted, manage costs to help keep the price of an education contained, and much more. The secret is in managing the few key variables that will have the biggest impact on overall results. The ideas are wholly practical and much less philosophical than those in most books on the subject. Following them will help schools improve results across the board. Smith's decades of experience as both a teacher and administrator in academia, as well as a consultant for many public and private-sector organizations, make him the perfect author for this book. Moreover, his insights, coupled with the many enlightening and entertaining examples (all true) will capture the attention of readers and help them understand why change must come—and why it must be radical.

While there are volumes that fall into the category of children’s literature, there appears to be relatively few that explore the needs of bilingual learners and the linguistic and sociocultural context of Latino children’s literature. This volume makes a needed contribution by addressing the social, cultural, academic, and linguistic needs of Latino bilingual learners who are still underserved through current school practices. We aim to conceptualize different forms of social knowledge so that they can serve as cultural resources for learning, acquiring knowledge, and transforming self and identity. This volume presents a balance of theory, research, and practice that speak to authentic multicultural Latino literature and helps ensure its availability for all students. The intended outcome of this volume then is to create a heightened awareness of the cultural and linguistic capital held by the Latino community, to increase Latino students’ social capital through the design of critical pedagogical practices, and for the formulation of a new perspective, that of Latino multicultural literature for children.

While there are volumes that fall into the category of children’s literature, there appears to be relatively few that explore the needs of bilingual learners and the linguistic and sociocultural context of Latino children’s literature. This volume makes a needed contribution by addressing the social, cultural, academic, and linguistic needs of Latino bilingual learners who are still underserved through current school practices. We aim to conceptualize different forms of social knowledge so that they can serve as cultural resources for learning, acquiring knowledge, and transforming self and identity. This volume presents a balance of theory, research, and practice that speak to authentic multicultural Latino literature and helps ensure its availability for all students. The intended outcome of this volume then is to create a heightened awareness of the cultural and linguistic capital held by the Latino community, to increase Latino students’ social capital through the design of critical pedagogical practices, and for the formulation of a new perspective, that of Latino multicultural literature for children.

Diversity in Society and Schools, edited by experts across the disciplines, provides vital, engaging readings that reposition the multiple perspectives and experiences that exist within the classroom. It supports educators in creating learning environments that scaffold learning to maximize student achievement. The goal is to clarify, demystify, and increase understandings of important aspects of culture. As educators increase in their capacity to be respectful and culturally inclusive, they contribute to the learners' construction of a healthy ethnic identity and a more productive home-school partnership.The chapters honor the epistemologies and skills that exist within marginalized communities, while proposing the inclusion of multiple perspectives in the curriculum. The 12 sections discuss polemical communities (e.g., African American, Asian, Latinx, LGBTQ+, women and gender) with suggested activities. Essays by cultural experts begin each section, followed by curated articles that stimulate discussion. Pre- and post-reading questions are designed to promote critical thinking, topic engagement, and respectful dialogue. Diversity in Society and Schools is an essential resource for inclusive educational programs.