For too long, the middle grades have been racked by a mistaken narrative that this age group is simply too difficult, or that it's a time in life when one must simply endure rather than thrive. The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) rejects that narrative. It is time for a unified policy agenda in support of the middle grades. This…

In this article, the authors share their experience using microphones in whole-class discussions, which took place in an integrated co-teaching global history class in a diverse working-class neighborhood in New York City. They consider how advocacy was weaved into the fabric of the classroom through the use of microphones, which helped the…

Policies in education increasingly face ideological conflicts, with political operatives influencing radical legislative directions. While it may be more important than ever for teachers to make their voices heard, how teachers perceive themselves as advocates is unclear. This study, employing self-determination theory, analyzes teachers'…

LGBTQ+ youth make up a significant portion of the United States student population (Conron, 2020). A sense of belonging for middle school students is an essential indicator for academic achievement and positive motivational and health outcomes (Kosciw et al., 2020; Steiner et al., 2019), yet LGBTQ+ students experience less belonging than their…

Communities have their own set of cultural values that make their way into their classrooms and serve as criteria for the labeling of "insider" or "outsider." This article describes how critical empathy can allow the barriers between these constructs to be broken down as students are given the chance not only to listen but to…

This three-article dissertation presents a perspective of K-12 educator advocacy for the education profession within the context of the United States. Each article involves educators' perceptions of advocacy for the education profession. The first article is a systematic scoping review. This article analyzes the literature written on educator…

School counselors are being called to reestablish their roles as leaders, advocates, collaborators, and change agents. Unfortunately, several barriers hinder school counselors' advocacy, including limited instruction and training on advocacy during preparation programs, lack of knowledge or awareness of resources and policies, limited access to…

By centering students' experiences, youth-led participatory action research can serve as a powerful mechanism for student advocacy and social justice in English classrooms, as demonstrated by the work of Milo Palmer, a transyouth and researcher.

This paper explores the educational possibilities and limitations of Deakin University's CHASE (Centre for Health through Action on Social Exclusion) trans and gender diverse Research-based Theatre project, Being Frank, in Victoria, Australia, 2016-2020. Adopting the perspective of the playwright/researcher, this paper documents the tensions…

Protecting children and investing in their education and wellbeing can often feel like a battle. The seat that the author now holds at the proverbial education table is crucial in not only developing a well-rounded and well-equipped student body, but it is also in seeing herself as a role model to future leaders--both women and future leaders of…

In this article, the author argues that living literacies--relational, embodied forms of literacy engagement--are an integral component of literacy engagement and hold the potential to disrupt and reconfigure the power structures embedded within schooled literacy. Drawing on affect theory and rhizomatic theory, the author analyzes youths' literacy…

A host of challenges have been associated with providing work-based learning experiences (WBLEs) for students with disabilities; however, little is known about how special education teachers navigate or overcome these challenges. The purpose of this qualitative study therefore was to understand how special education teachers respond to the…

"Stories are a powerful structure for organizing and transmitting information and for creating meaning in our lives and environments" (Green, 2004, p. 1). Storytelling, as a tool, is used within every organization, business, school, etc., to make sense of the past, bring context to the present, and create a vision for the future. This…

The current case demonstrates the complexities of utilizing Youth Court as a restorative practice in an urban high school, by focusing on the complexities it presents for one student in particular. In this case, there are reasons why Youth Court clearly is not working at this particular school site as intended. However, more importantly for…

School-based Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs have well-documented benefits for sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth and their allies. However, little is known about what constitutes usual practice in these clubs, nor is much known about the adult advisors who serve as important safe adult relationships for SGM youth in schools. As…