PRODUCTS

Learning to See School Systems: Power, Practice, and Improvement in Public Education is a volume dedicated to the goal of improving school systems. In 1513, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince to help rulers understand the realities of power. Five hundred years later, Dr. Michael R. L. Odell — educator, researcher, and amused observer of Texas school systems — offers a modern reflection for those who lead the nation’s classrooms and districts. Learning to See School Systems is both satire and system map: a handbook for anyone attempting to lead improvement in institutions designed to resist it gracefully. Across twelve chapters, it reveals how public education mirrors the politics of Florence—ambition, reform, accountability, and fortune disguised as data. Each chapter blends humor with hard truth: board relations as diplomacy, improvement plans as rituals, dashboards as illusion, crises as curriculum. Beneath the wit lies a serious purpose—to help educators see their districts as living systems, governed by patterns that Improvement Science now names but Machiavelli already understood. For teachers, principals, superintendents, and school board members alike, Learning to See School Systems is a mirror of modern schooling—ironic, affectionate, and uncomfortably accurate. Read it for laughter. Keep it for survival. Share it with anyone about to lead their first staff meeting. “He who governs schools must learn to rule hearts that believe themselves ungoverned.” — from Learning to See School SystemsPerfect for courses such as: School Improvement and Reform; School Policy; Organizational Leadership and Change

Hidden in Plain Sight: Women Leaders in the Academy is an essential resource that examines the experiences, challenges, and achievements of women leading in higher education. Written for current and aspiring women academic leaders, it provides the tools, insights, and support needed to navigate this complex terrain successfully. Hidden in Plain Sight addresses a striking paradox: while many accomplished women hold academic leadership positions, they often remain invisible within their own institutions. Despite occupying roles of authority, women leaders frequently find themselves overlooked, unrecognized, and unheard. This contradiction exposes the gap between institutional claims that leadership is gender-neutral and the reality women face daily in academic settings. Drawing on demographic data, statistical trends, and evidence-based practices, this textbook offers practical guidance grounded in real experience. Readers will find case studies, personal anecdotes, and actionable strategies for advancing in academic leadership while maintaining personal integrity and well-being. The book explores various leadership approaches and identifies common pitfalls, equipping readers with knowledge to navigate challenges effectively. Hidden in Plain Sight serves as both mirror and map—reflecting the realities women leaders experience while charting pathways forward. It empowers current leaders to advocate for themselves and their institutions while inspiring the next generation to pursue academic leadership with eyes wide open and strategies firmly in hand. This is the guidebook for women determined to lead authentically, effectively, and sustainably in higher education. The book is written about and for women in leadership positions, and for women interested in educational leadership within the academy. It will also be of interest to college, university and public libraries; individuals including scholars in the discipline; and it can serve as a critical textbook in a variety of Leadership classes in undergraduate and graduate programs.Perfect for courses such as: Women and Leadership; Higher Education Administration; Gender Studies in Education; Educational Leadership and Policy; Sociology of Higher Education; Feminist Theory and Practice; Women's Studies Capstone Seminar; Organizational Behavior in Education; Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education; Professional Development for Graduate Students

Teaching that aims to be inclusive of marginalized communities is under attack in the United States, evidenced, for example, in widespread school book banning efforts, prohibition of Advanced Placement African American history, and a general tenor of fear among educators across the K-12 and higher education spectrum. This fear originates from a variety of pedagogical attempts at teaching content or utilizing practices that do anything other than valorize the dominant narrative and status quo in the United States. Classroom teachers and college instructors ask what can be done to uphold the practices they know to support students from all backgrounds to experience educational success and inclusion that won’t capture the ire of parent groups, school boards, or educational commissions bent on squelching such critical efforts. Against the Current: Inclusive Multicultural Education Practices for Contentious Times addresses these issues by providing examples from K-12 and higher education classrooms where educators’ practices offer a path forward. Each chapter in the book presents an example of ways educators practice multicultural inclusivity and offers insights on how to do so even in hostile environments. Chapters in Part 1 of the book offer re-framings of flashpoint issues, including such topics as anti-Muslim racism and fugitive pedagogical practices. While the chapters in Part 1 offer a grounding in ways educators might rethink the work at hand, the chapters in Part 2 offer innovative tools or practices that educators across grade levels--including higher education--can use, including frameworks for cultivating deep listening when confronting emotionally charged topics in the classroom and curriculum materials for family and community engagement. Finally, Part 3 of the book offers case studies of this work in action, including examples at the individual teacher or instructor level, the classroom level, and the schoolwide level. The volume includes a guide for readers with discussion and reflection questions, extension activities, and additional resources for each chapter. Against the Current is critical reading in a variety of settings. It can be used in professional development programs to better equip teachers. College and university libraries will want it in their collections. As a teaching textbook, its content will apply to a large number of classes in multicultural education, inclusive teaching and learning, and other courses, thus equipping preservice teachers with valuable tools as they prepare to enter schools.Perfect for courses such as: Introduction to Education; Educational Equity; Foundations of Education; Multicultural Education; Social Justice and Education; Teacher Education; Teaching Methods; Educational Practice; Educational Studies

Recipes of Motherhood: Families, Communities, and the Power of Food Narratives delves into the powerful connections between food, culture, and motherhood within the demanding context of higher education. This thought-provoking volume, edited by Mila Zhu and Sarah Morrison, brings together diverse voices of academic mothers who share how food practices shape, sustain, and empower their lives as they navigate the complex terrain of career, family, and cultural identity. Drawing from personal narratives, case studies, and interdisciplinary research, Recipes of Motherhood illuminates the ways in which food serves as more than sustenance; it becomes a source of resilience, a tool for community-building, and a means of preserving cultural heritage. The academic mothers in this volume reveal how food acts as a metaphor and medium for navigating life’s challenges, allowing them to bridge their personal and professional identities. From adapting family recipes to sharing meals that create community, each story uncovers the unique strategies academic mothers use to sustain themselves and those around them in an environment that can often feel isolating. Grounded in feminist theory, food studies, and cultural memory, this book highlights how food stories are deeply intertwined with questions of gender, tradition, and self-identity. Chapters explore themes such as the symbolic role of food in cultural heritage, food as a form of resistance to institutional expectations, and culinary traditions as a way to build solidarity among women in academia. Through these narratives, Recipes of Motherhood provides a nuanced understanding of how food can act as both a grounding force and a form of empowerment in academic mothers’ lives. With its interdisciplinary approach, the book appeals not only to scholars in cultural studies, food studies, and gender studies but also to students, educators, and anyone interested in the transformative power of food. Readers will find in these pages a rich tapestry of stories that inspire, educate, and challenge traditional ideas about motherhood and academia. Perfect for academic courses and personal reading alike, the volume offers insight into how food serves as a vital element in the journey of academic mothers, helping them navigate the intersections of personal identity, professional resilience, and cultural expression. This volume invites readers to savor the complexities of academic motherhood through the lens of food and to consider how everyday acts of cooking and sharing meals can hold deep significance in our lives and our communities. Whether you are a mother, an educator, or simply someone interested in the stories that food can tell, Recipes of Motherhood is a captivating exploration of how culinary practices shape our relationships, our work, and our sense of self. Join us in celebrating the resilience, creativity, and heritage of academic mothers whose food stories nourish not only their families but also the broader academic community.Perfect for courses such as: Gender Studies / Women’s Studies – Motherhood and Identity; Food Studies – Cultural Narratives in Food Practices; Education Studies – Women in Academia: Challenges and Resilience; Sociology – Family and Society: Gender Roles and Cultural Heritage; Anthropology – Food, Culture, and Identity; Cultural Studies – Folklore, Tradition, and Modern Identities; Parenting and Family Studies – Motherhood and Work-Life Balance; Interdisciplinary Studies – Food as Narrative and Social Practice; Feminist Theory – Intersectionality of Motherhood, Career, and Culture; Psychology of Women – Resilience and Identity in Motherhood

John Dewey (1859–1952), one of the most prominent American intellectuals for the first half of the twentieth century, is considered by many to be the father of public education, advocating for the concept that the purpose of public education was to develop an informed citizenry that prepared them for active participation in public life. He was highly regarded for his lectures on the power of pedagogy, best documented in his seminal volume, Democracy and Education, a book that remains as relevant today as when it first published more than 100 years ago. He was famous for other lectures as well. Among them are the Bridgewater Lectures of 1922, represented here for the first time as a freestanding volume. Dewey gave these lectures at the Bridgewater Normal School in Bridgewater, MA, an institution founded by Horace Mann. The lectures touch on three themes: Social Purposes in Education Individuality in Education The Classroom Teacher They appear as full-length speeches, unaltered from their original form. Additionally, the volume contains three interpretive essays by recognized experts in the philosophy and pedagogy of Dewey: The Course and Its Occurrences Individuality, Sociality, and Temporality: Reflections on Dewey’s Bridgewater Lectures of 1922 Dewey’s Bridgewater Lectures and the Emergence of the Aesthetic in His Later Works This is a book that all Dewey scholars will want to have in their library. In addition, the themes in the volume make it an appropriate adoption for such classes as History of Education, Philosophy of Education and other foundation courses.

How do we create lasting systemic change in institutions designed to reproduce the status quo? Some might answer this question with responses related to mission, vision, resource allocation and investment, and talent. However, the path to creating sustainable changes in educational institutions is often obstructed by policy, institutional inertia, and ingrained systemic barriers. Work is sometimes reduced to a checkbox exercise aimed at compliance, rather than genuine transformation, leading to benefits only for groups traditionally supported by the established structures. For those striving for change, a sense of powerlessness can dominate, as structural constraints limit their agency and dilute their impact. Recognizing these realities, there can be no simple recipe or single formula that guarantees lasting change, particularly transformational change that shifts paradigms in ways that advance equity and inclusion. Instead of a formula, Systems Transformation for Equity in Education: Principles for Organizational Change introduces 6 key principles of organizational change. In order to engage in complex systems transformation for equity, we must: 1. know the contexts that surround systems change; 2. develop cohesive project plans and find appropriate funding for these plans; 3. understand the centrality of leadership; 4. work collectively towards equity through relationality, respect, and mutuality; 5. reflect upon success and challenges; and 6. ensure the institutionalization of systems transformation. The book is structured first to provide a broad overview of each principle, then to illustrate each using a case study of program change. Chapter One focuses on the principle of knowing the complex contexts that surround systems change. In this chapter, the book introduces the origins, objectives, complexities, diverse stakeholders and outcomes of the case study as well as contextual factors that should be considered in launching systems transformation. Chapter Two focuses on ensuring alignment in the design, development and enactment of transformative projects, including establishing an initial vision, using data to inform decision making and finding appropriate funding sources. Chapter Three focuses on the principle that Leadership matters in systems transformation for equity. This chapter highlights the importance of identifying a leadership team, providing clear team members’ roles, and dividing tasks wisely. Chapter Four focuses on cultivating consensus and moving forward collectively in diverse stakeholder groups with competing priorities. Chapter Five focuses on the importance of reflecting upon success to expand the impact of systems transformation, adapting programs to stay responsive to changing contexts, and on navigating unanticipated challenges to initiative-based work. Chapter Six focuses on expanding impact and identifying ways to ensure the institutionalization of systems transformation. It addresses some key factors such as documenting and communicating the successes and challenges of the project, disseminating evaluation findings; creating a plan for when the grant funding ends, accessing new funding; identifying continuing and new stakeholders; developing ongoing products; developing collective language; and ensuring institutional buy-in. The final chapter tells the story of lessons learned from this process and what has happened to the focal program in the 2 years following the end of the grant funding, particularly given changing socio-political contexts.Perfect for courses such as: Principles of Organizational Change; Equity and Organizational Change; Foundations of Organization Change; Educational Leadership; Race, Equity, and Leading Educational Change; Education Policy Implementation

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is an important addition to a long list of initiatives designed to ensure educational equity for all students. Veteran educators will recognize many MTSS strategies as practices they already use, while others may feel uncertain or overwhelmed by yet another framework. This book bridges that gap—grounding MTSS in authentic classroom experience and practical wisdom.Through vivid, real-life stories, the authors illuminate both the complexity and the humanity of school-based work. Drawing on decades of experience—as a classroom teacher and as a school counselor/psychologist—their narratives span from 1982 to the present day, including insights from K–12 settings and university teaching. Each chapter presents a compelling case study highlighting student and classroom engagement across grade levels. These stories invite reflection and dialogue around research-based best practices and educational theory, with each chapter concluding in a transparent explanation of the authors’ professional thinking.Readers will trace the evolution of educational practice over time—from an era when Culturally Responsive Pedagogy was rarely discussed to today’s emphasis on inclusive, socially-constructed learning environments. The book chronicles the profession’s broader shift from behaviorism to social constructivism and demonstrates how that journey informs effective MTSS implementation.The case studies illustrate how culturally responsive practices, data-informed decision making, and authentic relationships with students create the conditions where academic growth, positive behavior, and social-emotional wellness intersect. Universal (Tier I), Targeted (Tier II), and Intensive (Tier III) supports—across academics, behavior, and social-emotional learning—are woven seamlessly throughout.Ideal as an introduction to both the theory and practical application of MTSS, this book offers clarity, compassion, and hard-earned insight. It is designed to spark meaningful discussion in teacher preparation programs, professional learning communities, school buildings, and district leadership teams.Perfect for courses such as: Positive Behavior Supports; Role and Function of a School Psychologist: Positive Behavior Supports (Practicum); Crisis, Trauma Response, and Interventions; Academic Assessment & Intervention; Community, Family, and School Collaboration; Curriculum and Inquiry in Public Schools; Fundamentals of Teaching; Access to Learning in a Pluralistic Society; Teaching Emergent Bilingual Students and Students with Disabilities

In today’s troubling times, we frequently find ourselves in conversations with educational scholars, educators, and university students about feeling overwhelmed with the attacks on and challenges facing education, and unsure of how to act in this moment. What does it mean to leverage scholarship for public impact? What impact on public debate, awareness, or policy can collective action as large groups of scholars and leaders make that more traditional scholarship cannot or simply does not aspire to make? That is, when scholars and leaders speak in a collective and public-facing way, what interventions can we make in movement building for public education and for the public commons more broadly? Collectives and the Commons: The Role of Educational Scholars in Movement Building for Justice grapples with such questions by diving into the years-long journeys of four scholar collectives working toward justice in and through education. Each emerged in different times, places, and circumstances, but in recent years have connected under a “collective of collectives” umbrella that allowed them to share resources and support one another in their work: CReATE (Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education), CARE-ED (California Alliance of Researchers for Equity in Education), HSESJD (Hawai‘i Scholars for Education, Social Justice and Diversity), and EDJE (Education Deans for Justice and Equity). The result of this effort is this volume, which serves as a resource for scholars who are interested in working collectively for movement building and advocacy. With that goal in mind, each chapter consists of two key components: a narrative essay (how the collective formed, how they were organized and operated, their theory of change, the initiatives they undertook, how they pushed scholarship into the public space, challenges faced, and lessons learned or take-aways for others interested in educational advocacy) and a range of selected artifacts (research briefs and fact sheets; statements, petitions, testimonies; media and art work; and public events and symposiums).Collectives and the Commons is needed today more than ever. The current assault on education is an assault on teachers and students, and on the welfare of everyone. This book should be read by every scholar interested in seeing social justice applied to schools, classrooms and students. It can also be adopted in a variety of courses in Colleges of Education.Perfect for courses such as: Introduction to Education, Educational Equity, Educational Leadership, Educational Policy, Foundations of Education, Multicultural Education, Race and Education, Research Methods, Social Justice and Education, Teacher Education

The Critical Importance of Teacher Advocacy: Empowered Educators on the Front Lines is a powerful and timely anthology that amplifies the voices of education activists from across the United States who are committed to reimagining what it means to be an educator in today's challenging climate. At its heart, this book is a testament to the unwavering spirit of those who enter the classroom not just to teach, but to make a lasting impact on the lives of their students and the future of our society. In these pages, readers will find stories of courage, resilience, and resistance—narratives that highlight the importance of holding onto one’s core values amid increasing political, social, and institutional pressures. The educators featured in this compilation don’t just teach curriculum—they build authentic relationships with their students, create inclusive learning environments, and refuse to accept the status quo when it harms the very children they serve. More than a celebration of individual triumphs, The Critical Importance of Teacher Advocacy serves as a call to view education through a broader societal lens. It urges educators and readers alike to acknowledge how systemic inequities, policy decisions, and cultural narratives shape our schools and the experiences within them. Without this context, burnout is inevitable and attrition becomes a painful norm. This book also challenges its audience to think beyond immediate outcomes. The fight for justice and equity in education is a long game—one that may not yield tangible change within a single career or even a single lifetime. But these stories affirm that the work must continue. Educators must rise, speak out, organize, and even disrupt unjust systems to protect the very soul of our democracy. For new teachers, seasoned educators, and anyone invested in the future of public education, The Critical Importance of Teacher Advocacy is both a rallying cry and a source of deep inspiration. The work is hard—but these stories prove that it is always worth it. The book is a valuable teaching tool and textbook in a variety of classes for preservice teachers. It also is a great research tool for scholars working in teacher advocacy.

More than a century after William James published his provocative critique The PhD Octopus in 1903, his warnings about the corrupting entanglements between institutions and graduate students remain strikingly relevant. Doctoral Studies as Educational Industrial Complex revisits James’ concerns through a contemporary lens, offering a critical examination of doctoral education in the field of education in what feels like perennial crisis. Throughout the volume, contributors grapple with the tensions James identified: the obsession with credentials over genuine intellectual work, the “tyrannical machine” of institutional demands, and the misalignment between doctoral preparation and actual career paths. These tensions are particularly acute in practitioner-oriented EdD programs designed to produce scholar-practitioners who often remain in their local communities rather than entering the academy. Yet research-oriented PhD programs face their own crisis, as they continue to prepare scholars for a tenure-track job market that has dramatically contracted. With only 32% of faculty holding tenured or tenure-track positions in 2023—down from 53% in 1987—the traditional pathway to academic careers has fundamentally eroded. The book speaks to multiple audiences: faculty who supervise doctoral students and seek to understand the challenges they face; doctoral students navigating alternative program formats and uncertain career prospects; administrators responsible for program design and accreditation; and scholars interested in the future of higher education and professional preparation. By centering faculty expertise and critical analysis rather than external market demands, this volume offers a necessary counter-narrative to prevailing trends in doctoral education reform. Ultimately, this book argues for a reconsideration of what doctoral education should accomplish and for whom, grounding these questions in both historical perspective and contemporary realities.