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:
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creating safe and nurturing
classrooms
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coming out at school as a teacher
or student
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integrating feminist and LGBTQ
content into curriculum
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moving beyond the classroom to
school and community
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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:
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A sticker depicting our beautiful book cover
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Subscriptions to our award-winning magazine
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Copies of the book
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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.