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Book: Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality

Join our campaign to publish the book we wish our own teachers—and our children's teachers—had well-thumbed copies of in their classrooms.

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Book: Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality

Book: Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality

Book: Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality

Book: Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality

Book: Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality

Join our campaign to publish the book we wish our own teachers—and our children's teachers—had well-thumbed copies of in their classrooms.

Join our campaign to publish the book we wish our own teachers—and our children's teachers—had well-thumbed copies of in their classrooms.

Join our campaign to publish the book we wish our own teachers—and our children's teachers—had well-thumbed copies of in their classrooms.

Join our campaign to publish the book we wish our own teachers—and our children's teachers—had well-thumbed copies of in their classrooms.

Rethinking Schools
Rethinking Schools
Rethinking Schools
Rethinking Schools
2 Campaigns |
Milwaukee, United States
$23,507 USD 340 backers
117% of $20,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Choose your Perk

Public thanks

$15 USD
18 claimed

Sticker

$25 USD
37 claimed

PDF Subscription

$35 USD
59 claimed

Print Subscription + sticker

$50 USD
29 claimed

A copy of the book

$100 USD
Est. Shipping
December 2014
77 claimed

Recognition in the book

$250 USD
12 claimed

Autographed copy of the book

$500 USD
4 claimed
Highlights
Mountain Filled 2 Projects Mountain Filled 2 Projects

Help us publish this awesome book!

Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality was born a few summers ago when Jody Sokolower, Rethinking Schools’ managing editor, and RS editor Melissa Bollow Tempel sat down in Jody’s kitchen to discuss an article Melissa was writing. “It's OK to Be Neither” is the story of Melissa’s growth as a teacher when Allie, a student who is gender nonconforming, joined her class. Until then, Melissa had not realized how customs like lining up by girls and boys could create problems for students who do not fit neatly into the female/male binary.

“It's OK to Be Neither” really struck a chord. As Melissa tells it, “We never dreamed it would be shared more than 45,000 times on one blog alone.” Allie is not unique. Gender nonconforming kids are in schools everywhere, and teachers want to know how to support them.

Gender identity is just one of many issues addressed in Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality. The book includes sections on:

  • creating safe and nurturing classrooms
  • coming out at school as a teacher or student
  • integrating feminist and LGBTQ content into curriculum
  • moving beyond the classroom to school and community
  • teacher education

Want to check out a sample article or two?

Download these article PDFs for a sneak peek. 

Jam-packed with thought-provoking articles by teachers, parents, and students

Jody and Melissa are working with three other wonderful editors—Kim Cosier in Milwaukee, Jeff Sapp in Los Angeles, and Rachel Harper in Chicago—and dozens of inspiring, dedicated teacher/writers. 

We know that Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality will be an amazing resource for everyone working to change attitudes and strengthen communities so our schools will be safe and supportive places where all kids can learn. 

Support students, teachers, and families

Won’t it make you feel good to know that your dollars empowered a teacher to speak up in defense of a lesbian student at a staff meeting? Or supported a teacher as he decides whether to come out to his students? Or helped a big sister who pretends she doesn't know her gender nonconforming little brother? 

Your contributions will fund the production for this amazing book. That means copyediting, proofreading, and indexing; art direction and layout; printing and distribution.

Join our campaign today! Tell your friends!

Besides feeling good about making the world a better place, you can also earn some cool perks for donating: 

  • A sticker depicting our beautiful book cover
  • Subscriptions to our award-winning magazine
  • Copies of the book
  • Acknowledgement in the book of your generosity

See the sidebar for more details!

Meet Our Editors

Melissa Bollow Tempel (above) has taught in bilingual, dual language, foreign language, and university classrooms. Currently, she is the culturally responsive teacher leader for Milwaukee Public Schools. Melissa is also an editor and writer for Rethinking Schools. As an organizer with the Educators' Network for Social Justice, Melissa serves on the steering committee and planning team for the annual Anti-Racist/Anti-Bias Teaching Conference. Melissa and her husband live in Milwaukee and their mini-activist daughters attend La Escuela Fratney. Melissa spends her limited spare time sewing, knitting, cooking, eating, binge Netflixing, doing Crossfit, lifting heavy weights, and annoying her friends by incessantly muttering about the paleo lifestyle. 

Kim Cosier is a professor of art education and associate dean of the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She believes in the power of art to create change in communities, and sees works of the imagination as central to building a better world. She is a member of Educator’s Network for Social Justice and enjoys stirring up trouble with Melissa Bollow Tempel and other activist teachers. She founded the Milwaukee Visionaries Project (MVP), an award-winning afterschool program for middle and high school students that teaches media literacy through production of video and animation. Kim lives in Milwaukee with her wife Josie and their dogs, Roger and Evie Mae.

Rachel Harper is an artist and educator in Chicago. Her work with pre-service and experienced teachers focuses on contemporary art as a vehicle for critically examining the social world, and for nourishing each teacher's creative practice. She is an activist with Teachers for Social Justice in Chicago and organizes community events about queer issues in education. Rachel teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she is a doctoral candidate in curriculum studies, and explores art with people of all ages in the galleries of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art, where she leads the Teacher Institute. She also reviews family life and sexual health curricula for the Chicago Public Schools.

Jeff Sapp (above, right) is a professor of education at California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. His research, focused on queer theory in regards to teacher education, has looked at how coming out as a teacher can be a transformative act in the learning community, at how queer teacher educators can guide queer pre-service teachers, as well as other teacher-related topics like an analysis of early childhood children's literature with queer themes.  To see his work, go to www.jeffsapp.com. Jeff lives in Long Beach, California, with his husband, Sino Donato, and their 5-year-old daughter Helena. An avid gardener, Jeff enjoys his hands full of dirt in the work of growing things. Daddy, Papa, and Helena are currently engaged in their first large vegetable garden.

Jody Sokolower is currently managing editor of Rethinking Schools. Before that, she developed curriculum for HIV test counselors, and taught middle and high school in Oakland, San Francisco, and Berkeley, California—most recently as a social studies teacher at Berkeley High. Jody has been working with teachers, parents, and kids on LGBTQ issues since her daughter Ericka was 10 months old, and has a long history as a political activist. She and her partner Karen have been together for 41 years.


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