Minnesota is known for its large concentrations of Hmong, Somali and Karen refugee-background students (RBSs). Drawing on an equity/heritage framework that centres educational equity and the sustaining of the cultural and linguistic practices of minoritized communities, this study examined how district/school websites with the highest enrolment of…

Charter schools have emerged as the most prominent manifestation of educational reform in the United States. As an alternative to traditional public schools, charter schools have been the schools of choice for Somalis. Through in-depth interviews, this phenomenological study explored the experiences of a dozen Somali parents of children who…

Classroom behavior management has been identified as an issue for some educators of refugee children who do not feel adequately prepared to support their students. While most of the research has been conducted on refugee-background students in secondary school settings, there is growing awareness that early childhood educators need support in…

Somali girls who veil are often misrepresented as being oppressed by a patriarchal culture. Research gathered from a critical ethnographic study with sixth grade Somali girls sheds light on their understanding of the hijab and their experiences with anti-Muslim discrimination. Findings reveal that the hijab provided a source of strength from which…

Teaching in a democracy is challenging and filled with dilemmas that have no easy answers. For example, how do educators meet their responsibilities of teaching civic norms and dispositions while remaining nonpartisan? "Democratic Discord in Schools" features eight normative cases of complex dilemmas drawn from real events designed to…

When first conceived, charter schools were envisioned as local projects initiated by parents and/or groups of teachers seeking to improve the educational performance of students. In the past two decades, the phenomenon has expanded to more than 5% of all U.S. public schools and almost 3% of all students (Center for Education Reform [CER], 2009).…

We examine whether the "acting white" labeling practice and subsequent peer isolation exist (or do not exist) within Somali immigrant adolescents, one of the most underresearched black immigrant student groups, and what school contexts are associated with their presence (or absence). Using a case study, we found that high-achieving…

In 2005, a group of concerned parents who had arrived in the United States as refugees from war-torn Somalia received approval from their local school district to establish the Iftin Charter School (ICS). The K-8 school continues to engender hope and intellectual strength in its students and parents. ICS finds itself uniquely equipped to meet the…

Using data from a 2-year qualitative study, the author examines how East African Muslim immigrant youth experience and become shaped by the environments of U.S. mainstream schools compared with a culturally specific charter high school. Results from this study reveal that East African Muslim immigrant youth are affected by religious and cultural…