Rethinking Schools

Black History Is for Everyone Jesse Hagopian interviews author Brian Jones about his new book Black History Is for Everyone.

Black History Is for Everyone

Check out this conversation between @brianjoneseducator.bsky.social and @jessehagopian.bsky.social, from the new issue of @rethinkingschools.bsky.social

The Power of Plants A middle school teacher in Laos attempts to restore her and her students’ connections to the land through gardening together and learning about Indigenous medicine.

The Power of Plants: Learning About Herbs and Indigenous Wisdom in Laos

In this article for @rethinkingschools.bsky.social, I attempt to restore my and my students’ connections to the land through gardening together and learning about Indigenous medicine.

rethinkingschools.org/articles/the...

Don’t Stop Teaching About Gaza As this issue of Rethinking Schools went online, Israel and Hamas reached the first stage of a ceasefire agreement. Although it is still unclear whether this ceasefire will last beyond the first […]

Our latest issue of @rethinkingschools.bsky.social is out now.

"Whether in the classroom or in the community, educators around the country are refusing to stop teaching about the genocide in Gaza and challenging the false accusations of antisemitism leveled against them for doing so."

Rethinking Schools Job Openings The Marketing Manager leads the development and execution of strategic marketing initiatives to expand the reach and impact of Rethinking Schools’ magazine, books, and digital presence.

We're hiring a Marketing Director!

rethinkingschools.org/job-openings/

Burning Tulsa: The Legacy of Black Dispossession By Linda Christensen The author describes teaching about racist patterns of murder, land theft, displacement, and wealth inequality through the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. The term “race riot” does not adeq...

Teach about impact of 1919 #ElaineMassacre (and so many more) on economic rights & the legacy today of Black dispossession (of land, right to organize, businesses, schools). #Reparations

Article & lesson ⬇️ by Linda Christensen of @rethinkingschools.bsky.social
www.zinnedproject.org/if-we-knew-o...

“The articles add a richness to my personal knowledge. Having information from other educators feels like a warm hug. It’s powerful to see the work of other educators and be inspired how to replicate what they’re doing.” — Kallie, High school english teacher, Silver Spring, Maryland

“The articles add a richness to my personal knowledge. Having information from other educators feels like a warm hug. It’s powerful to see the work of other educators and be inspired how to replicate what they’re doing.”

— Kallie, HS teacher, Silver Spring, MD

rethinkingschools.org/magazine

Fighting Forward: Why Teachers Need Collective Action More Than Ever Individual solutions can’t mitigate burnout, but organized teachers are looking for solutions to widespread dissatisfaction.

RS ED Cierra Kaler-Jones quoted in @theprogressivemag.bsky.social about the power of social justice unionism and teacher study groups:

Article by Eleanor Bader

progressive.org/public-schoo...

Congratulations to RS editor @jessehagopian.bsky.social on being awarded the 2025 William Sloane Coffin Jr. Peacemaker Award alongside @jamaalbowmanny.bsky.social.

You continue to inspire us! ✊🏾

Teacher plan books laid out on a desk from 2011-2025

I’ve been missing the teacher community online! Looking forward to supporting each other and our students together this year.
To celebrate, here’s my teaching career, measured in @rethinkingschools.bsky.social plan books:

Whose "Terrorism"? This lesson helps students examine the definition of terrorism and the use of the term terrorism in the media and U.S. foreign policy.

Shortly after 9/11/2001, Pres. Bush proclaimed a “war on terrorism.”

We need to engage students in a deep critical reading of terms such as “terrorism,” “freedom,” “patriotism,” & “our way of life.”

See @rethinkingschools.bsky.social lesson ⬇️ by Bill Bigelow.
www.zinnedproject.org/materials/wh...

A graphic in two parts: On the left, an illustrated portrait of old white bald man Ben Franklin in a blue coat, accompanied by his quote “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” On the right, a collage of photographs and historical documents with the label Teach Truth on Constitution Day, September 17.

@zinnedproject.bsky.social and @rethinkingschools.bsky.social are coordinating "Teach Truth on Constitution Day," Sept. 17 (when many schools are mandated to cover the topic). They've compiled resources for teachers & ideas for community actions. Check it out: www.zinnedproject.org/news/teach-t...

Taking the Fight Against White Supremacy into Schools By Adam Sanchez As a history teacher, there are times when the past reasserts itself with such force that you have to put aside your plans and address the moment. Charlottesville is one of those times...

"We need a history that honors the Takiyah Thompsons & Heather Heyers, not the Robert E. Lees. But more than that, we need a history that helps us learn how . . . tear down the racist system that those statues represent." --Adam Sanchez, @rethinkingschools.bsky.social ⬇️

Who Gets to Vote? Teaching About the Struggle for Voting Rights in the United States Unit with three lessons on voting rights, including the history of the struggle against voter suppression in the United States.

Teach a free 3-lesson unit about long & ongoing history of voter suppression & the struggle for voting rights in the U.S. #TeachOutsideTextbook #TeachVotingRights

For grades 7+, by high school teacher & @rethinkingschools.bsky.social editor Ursula Wolfe-Rocca ⬇️
www.zinnedproject.org/materials/te...

Are you a public school teacher? Would you like one of these planners? I'll give them away to the first two teachers who message me!

Planning to Change the World 2021-2022 This is a plan book for school-based, home-based, and community-based educators who believe that young people can, will, and already do change the world.

Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Educators is BACK!

Pre-order your copy today: rethinkingschools.org/books/planni...

My comrades at @rethinkingschools.bsky.social worked tirelessly on this project. It is a labor of love & solidarity.

Volume 38, No. 3

Social studies teachers: Are you planning for fall? Do you want support in teaching about Palestine? Here is an excellent past issue from @rethinkingschools.bsky.social to check out. #sschat #edusky

rethinkingschools.org/issue/volume...

Read & share @rethinkingschools.bsky.social's open letter to the NEA on the leadership’s decision to overturn the democratic vote of the members to drop the ADL.

👀Check out this piece from @rethinkingschools.bsky.social on @ctulocal1.bsky.social's fight for strong schools & strong communities, and how we can strengthen our democracy through our unions.
✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻
📰 https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/the-chicago-teachers-union-is-showing-us-how-to-fight-trump/

Writing for Publication: D.C. Writing Workshop Writing can be a transformative tool for community-building and activism. Join Rethinking Schools and D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice for a three-day, in-person writers’ workshop in Washington,...

Educators in (or able to visit) the DC area.

Apply to Rethinking Schools @rethinkingschools.bsky.social for a 3-day, in-person writers’ workshop, July 29–31.

It is time to share your voice and experiences. Write for publication.

Read more & apply by 7/14 ⬇️
rethinkingschools.org/2025/07/11/w...

Transgender Justice in Schools Transgender Justice in Schools provides inspirational stories from trans students and educators and resources for teachers, students, and parents seeking to build communities where everyone flourishes...

And consider getting "Transgender Justice in Schools" via @rethinkingschools.bsky.social for educators, libraries . . .

"Fueled by courage and love, it provides the support LGBTQ youth require in these challenging times.” – Bettina L. Love rethinkingschools.org/books/transg...

Rethinking Schools Job Openings The Operations Associate plays a key role in ensuring smooth day-to-day operations and customer service for Rethinking Schools.

We're hiring a part-time Operations Associate at our Milwaukee office!

Learn more: rethinkingschools.org/job-openings/

@rethinkingschools.bsky.social excited to have Dr. Kaler-Jones at #D4PG

Elites Want to Turn Schools Into Factories of Hopelessness. We Can’t Let Them. “End times schooling” risks turning schools into graveyards for hope — but they can also be greenhouses for resistance.

“The antidote is defiant hope and collective action. ‘To step into a classroom is to express confidence in young people’s capacity to learn, to grow, to change, to make a difference—to do good in the world.” @jessehagopian.bsky.social @rethinkingschools.bsky.social truthout.org/articles/eli...

p. 32 from Teaching Palestine. But I Heard the Drops by Sharif S. Elmusa. My father had a reservoir of tears. They trickled down unseen. But I heard the drops drip from his voice like drops from a loosened tap. For 30 years I heard them. Sharif S. Elmusa is a scholar, poet, and translator. He was the fifth in a family of 12 children, made refugees within a year of his birth in 1947. His father grew figs, grapes, and oranges outside Jaffa until the family moved to the Nuweimeh refugee camp in Jericho. Art by Safia Latif of a crying man sitting against a rock in the ocean.

Doing some lesson planning this afternoon and am reminded of how beautiful Teaching Palestine is — from @rethinkingschools.bsky.social.

Join us for the launch of our newest book, Teaching Palestine: Lessons, Stories, Voices, with special guest Macklemore.

www.classy.org/event/teachi...

U.S. Mexico War: "We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God" Interactive activity introduces students to the history and often untold story of the U.S.-Mexico War. Roles available in Spanish.

U.S.-Mexico War lesson (from @rethinkingschools.bsky.social book) has roles for Cochise, Col. Ethan Allen Hitchcock, Frederick Douglass, Gen. Mariano Vallejo, Henry David Thoreau, María Josefa Martínez, Padre A. José Martínez, St Patrick’s Battalion, & more.
www.zinnedproject.org/materials/us...

‘If There Is No Struggle...’: Teaching a People’s History of the Abolition Movement In this lesson, students explore the challenges faced by abolitionists with a focus on the American Anti-Slavery Society.

Teach about people's history of abolition movement with
@rethinkingschools.bsky.social lesson for grades 7+ ⬇️ by Bill Bigelow. (All lessons at ZEP are free thanks to your donations.)

More in RS book: "Teaching a People’s History of Abolition & the Civil War."
www.zinnedproject.org/materials/if...

Featured Books All Books

Find teaching guides at @rethinkingschools.bsky.social with titles such as "Rethinking Early Childhood Education," "Teaching for Joy and Justice," "Teaching for Black Lives," "A People’s Curriculum for the Earth," "Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality," and more.

rethinkingschools.org/books/

Transgender Justice in Schools: It’s a Life-or-Death Thing The death of Nex Benedict, a 10th-grade student and member of the Choctaw Nation, underscores the life-or-death consequences for nonbinary students when lawmakers play politics with their lives. Nex’s...

Rethinking Schools is a leading grassroots magazine focused on teaching social and racial justice in all classrooms. My parents did a great job, but how cool would this subscription have been? Archives available on the website. Just an amazing resource. ❤️
@rethinkingschools.bsky.social