Since its conception, the "Harry Potter" franchise has become a cultural phenomenon which transgresses national borders. As many "Potter" fans struggle with how to manage their fandom in the face of author J.K. Rowling's transphobic stance, the book series may ironically and more specifically be used to improve attitudes toward…

When novice music educators abandon their expressed dedication to forward-looking ideas like equity, epistemological distinctions between belief and knowledge, or lack of such distinctions, may influence such action. Political philosopher Russell Hardin argued that it makes sense for people to hold false, conflicting, and even extreme beliefs.…

Acceleration is an effective approach for many high ability students, and it can be especially beneficial for Black students. Upstander teachers are those who recognize educational crises and the problem of overlooked and underdeveloped gifts and talents of Black students in regular and gifted education programs. They proactively identify Black…

This paper presents an overview of critical policy scholarship (CPS) in education. Historically, policy research has been dominated by what is commonly referred to as the policy science tradition, which is positivist in its philosophical stance and instrumentalist in its purpose--it focuses on producing knowledge relevant for policy decisions.…

We begin the last article of this special issue by contextualizing the current landscape of higher education, in 2024. Then, employing a kitchen table dialogue approach, we summarize the diverse articles featured throughout this edition, shedding light on insights that stir both our spirits and intellect. Further, we delve into three key themes…

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court brought to a close the country's decades-long experiment in affirmative action in a pair of closely watched cases--"Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College" and "Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina"--and overturned the use of racial…

Physical educators, including adapted physical educators, are often called upon to advocate for their students with disabilities, their physical education programs, or themselves to affect change in practice or a student's Individualized Education Program. These advocacy efforts are most effective when physical educators are knowledgeable about…

The article begins with South Africa as a false metaphor for racial progress, clarifying how the removal of apartheid policies ultimately justifies ongoing anti-Black structures that reinforce societal segregation. While educational sectors appropriate movements to decolonise racially disparate systems, minor educational reforms proliferate across…

This article chronicles CAPEA's efforts to collectively advocate for equity-centered leadership preparation. The 2013 CAPEA journal featured an article by members' describing the organization's commitment to equity and cultural competency in leadership preparation. This article reports on efforts since 2013, a time of substantial changes in…

In this reflective essay, a BlackCrit lens is used to explore new and evolving possibilities for Black teachers, families, leaders, and students in ways that highlight and honor parents' agency, expand notions of digital equity in mathematics, and preview new and re-prioritized approaches which aid liberatory mathematics, teaching, and learning…

Despite several decades of international initiatives designed to promote human rights education (HRE) at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary level and the more recent trend of emergent human rights programs in colleges and universities in the United States (Advocates for Human Rights, 2016; Cargas, 2019), there is little evidence that…

In this article, researchers from the Community College Research Center reflect on what they have learned from their study of Guided Pathways reforms at over 100 colleges nationally since the publication in 2015 of "Redesigning America's Community Colleges." They examine five areas of practice: (1) program design; (2) new student…

The author, Learning Forward's retiring executive director, has always been driven by a fundamental principle: the concept of "tikkun olam," which means to repair the world or leave it better than you found it. She has found her pathway in professional learning. Given her long tenure in education -- and particularly in professional…

In "The Privateers," Josh Cowen lays bare the surprising history of tax-funded school choice programs in the United States and warns of the dangers of education privatization. A former evaluator of state and local school voucher programs, Cowen demonstrates how, as such programs have expanded in the United States, so too has the…

This paper explores the characteristics of learning festivals and Adult Learners' Weeks and their use as tools of advocacy in seeking policy change on behalf of under-represented groups, and it considers their impact on public policy affecting adult learners. In addition, it reflects on the role of the week in celebrating a culture of adult…