Talking Back and Looking Forward: An Educational Revolution in Poetry and Prose

As schools grow more and more vulnerable to the whims of profiteers and, as a result, become less and less a sacred public space of learning and justice, the voices of everyday educators and students are increasingly marginalized. This is the tyranny of neoliberal school reform: silence the people who know education, the people committed to equity and justice, and elevate the voices and desires of the privileged few whose knowledge of education is peripheral and profit-driven. Talking Back and Moving Forward: An Education Revolution in Poetry and Prose is a collective response to this tyranny, a collecting rallying cry for reclaiming our schools. It is a chorus of voices from teachers, educators, and educational justice advocates who refuse to be silenced--who are standing up and responding to the imposition of damaging school reform initiatives. Unconfined by the conventions of the traditional scholarly voice, the contributors use poetry, memoir, short stories, and photography, choosing the expressions that most effectively capture their experiences and their demands for educational and social justice.

Paul C. Gorski is an activist, author, and educator whose life revolves around social justice, environmental justice, and animal rights causes. He teaches in the Social Justice and Human Rights program at George Mason University. He lives in Falls Church, Virginia, with his two cats, Unity and Buster. Rosanna María Salcedo is a Latina artist, writer, educator, parent, and activist. She teaches Spanish and currently holds the position of Dean of Multicultural Affairs at Phillips Exeter Academy, a preparatory school in New England. Julie Landsman is a retired teacher, writer and teacher trainer. Her book A White Teacher Talks About Race is in its third printing. She enjoys working in schools and teaching creative writing to all age groups. Her latest book is Growing Up White: A Veteran Teacher Reflects On Racism. She believes student voices can drive educational change.