Teacher incompetence and the identification of incompetent teachers have become major educational issues. With the implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), every student is expected to be taught by a "highly qualified" teacher. Although "highly qualified" does not guarantee competent teaching, the two often go…

In this article, the author makes the point that social studies teachers have a "professional responsibility" to educate students, no matter what protections might or might not be provided by the law, and that "as professionals, their expertise about content, pedagogy, and their students makes it not just acceptable, but mandatory,…

How can teachers make sound pedagogical decisions and advocate for educational policies that best serve the needs of students in today's diverse classrooms? What is the pedagogical value of providing culturally and linguistically diverse students greater access to their own language and cultural orientations? This landmark volume responds to the…