"These Kids Are Out of Control": Why We Must Reimagine "Classroom Management" for Equity

Today’s classrooms reimagined If you’re looking for a book on how to "control" your students, this isn’t it! Instead, this is a book on what classroom learning could be if we aspire to co-create more culturally responsive and equitable environments—environments that are safe, affirming, learner-centered, intellectually challenging, and engaging. If we create the kind of places where our students want to be . . .  A critically important resource for teachers and administrators alike, "These Kids Are Out of Control" details the specific practices, tools, beliefs, dispositions, and mindsets that are essential to better serving the complex needs of our diverse learners, especially our marginalized students. Gain expert insight on:  What it means to be culturally responsive in today’s classroom environments, even in schools at large How to decide what to teach, understand the curriculum, build relationships in and outside of school, and assess student development and learning The four best practices for building a classroom culture that is both nurturing and rigorous, and where all students are seen, heard, and respected Alternatives to punitive disciplinary action that too often sustains the cradle-to-prison pipeline Classroom "management" takes care of itself when you engage students, help them see links and alignment of the curriculum to their lives, build on and from student identity and culture, and recognize the many ways instructional practices can shift. "These Kids Are Out of Control" is your opportunity to get started right away!

Table of Contents:
About the Authors Introduction Chapter 1. Understanding the Landscape of Classroom Management: A Look at Research, Theory, and Practice Referral Practices, Congruence and Dissonance, and Systemic Barriers Classroom Management Is About Being Culturally Responsive Culturally Responsive Classroom Management References Chapter 2. Connecting Classroom Management and the Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline The Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline in the United States The Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline and Schools Root Causes and Contributors to the CTPP Connecting the Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline to Classroom Management References Chapter 3. Classroom Management Is About Effective Instruction Critical Reflective Practices High Student Engagement in Course Content Positive Framing Building a Classroom Community Final Thoughts: Effective Instruction Improves Classroom Management References Chapter 4. Classroom Management Is About Creating a Caring Environment Student-Centered Belief, Expectations, and Rigor Persistent Practices Partnership With Families and Communities Conclusion References Chapter 5. Classroom Management Is About Restorative Discipline Restorative Discipline Is Rooted in Restorative Justice Methods of Restorative Discipline Implementing Restorative Discipline Restorative Discipline Improves Classroom Management References Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations A Charge to Teacher Education A Charge to Researchers A Charge to Reformers A Charge to Teachers and Other Educators A Charge to Professional Development Facilitators Final Insights References Index

About the Author :
H. Richard Milner IV (also known as Rich) is Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Education and the Joseph A. Johnson, Jr. Distinguished Leadership Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University. He has courtesy appointments in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations and the Department of Sociology. Professor Milner is the founding Director of the Initiative for Race Research and Justice at Vanderbilt. A researcher, scholar, and teacher, Dr. Milner is President of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the largest educational research organization in the world. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and a Fellow of AERA. Dr. Milner has published more than 100 scholarly journal articles and book chapters, and he has published seven books, two of which are bestsellers. His work has been cited or featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Atlantic. Dr. Milner has taught high school Language Arts, Developmental Reading in community college, and on the faculty at several universities.  Heather B. Cunningham is Assistant Professor of Education at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  There, she teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in teacher education, and shares her passion for helping new teachers understand how their cultural beliefs and values shape both teaching practices and student experiences.  A classroom teacher for thirteen years, she is licensed in the areas of Social Studies and English as a Second Language (ESL) / Bilingual Education. Her first teaching position was serving as an ESL teacher with kindergarten and middle school students at the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos home for children in rural Honduras.  After that, she taught bilingual Social Studies to immigrant students at Roosevelt Senior High School in Washington, DC and then joined the founding team of City Charter High School, a nationally-ranked school in downtown Pittsburgh, PA.  At City High, Heather team-taught social studies as part of a two-person “Cultural Literacy” team. After her promotion to the position of master teacher, she continued to teach and also served as a coach for other teachers at the school.    Heather’s research and writing focus on preparing teachers to support students in urban spaces.  This includes studying the roles that race, ethnicity, poverty, and language play in the K-12 classroom, and investigating what constitutes “effective teaching” in urban spaces.  She enjoys designing and delivering professional development for both in-service teachers as well as university faculty on these topics.  Heather also has a strong interest in the relationship between education, culture, and context on a global scale. In addition to her Ph.D. in Instruction and Learning from the University of Pittsburgh, she holds a Master of Arts degree in International Training and Education from American University and has worked on education projects in the countries of Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Malawi.  Dr. Lori Delale-O’Connor is an assistant professor of urban education at the University of Pittsburgh. She received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern University where she was a certificate fellow in the Multidisciplinary Program in Education Sciences—a pre-doctoral training program funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. Dr. Delale-O′Connor also holds an M.Ed. in secondary education from Boston College where she was a Donovan Urban Scholar and taught secondary social studies in the Boston Public Schools. Dr. Delale-O′Connor′s work has received support from the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Her scholarly research has appeared in publications including Teachers College Record, Equity and Excellence in Education, Education and Urban Society, and Theory into Practice. Dr. Delale-O’Connor teaches courses to undergraduate and graduate students planning to become teachers in urban schools, as well as to students who want to work in and with urban schools in other ways, including out-of-school time and policy. In addition, she has taught courses on the social contexts of education, as well as the history of and current practice in education reform. Her current teaching, research, and policy interests focus on the social contexts of education with a focus on caregiver and community engagement. Dr. Delale-O’Connor previously worked as an evaluator to both in and out-of-school time programs. Dr. Erika Gold Kestenberg is the Associate Director of Educator Development and Practice for the Center for Urban Education and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Urban Education at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Kestenberg’s degrees include a PhD in Education with a multidisciplinary self-designed focus on Social Justice, a Master’s and Teaching Certificate in Secondary Education Social Studies and a dual Bachelor’s in Political Science and History with a minor in Psychology. She also has a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion as well as extensive training in Transformative Intergroup Dialogues and Conflict Mediation, which inform her work. Dr. Kestenberg received a Program Innovation Award and has been recognized twice by the city of Pittsburgh’s City-Council for her service learning work with youth across the city.   Dr. Kestenberg designed a Certificate in Urban Education program as well as develops and manages the Urban Scholars Program at the University of Pittsburgh. She also teaches undergraduate and graduate students interested in becoming teachers in urban schools and in higher education. Her courses include Identity, Power and Privilege, Culturally Relevant and Responsive Teaching, Relationship Building with Students, Families and Communities, Social Foundations of Education, Urban Scholars Seminars, and Becoming a Change Agent, all with a focus on urban contexts grounded in equity and justice. She also trains and coaches in-service educators and leaders around a variety of equity based issues through multiple methods and approaches. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Kestenberg was a teacher, trainer, advocate, and administrator in traditional and non-traditional urban educational and non-profit spaces in the United States and Israel. In those spaces, she taught social studies, English Language Arts, English as a Second Language, Service Learning and Cross-Cultural Communication.   At the core, Dr. Kestenberg is a critically conscious, compassionate and passionate, social justice educator advocate who honors our humanity and strives to embrace courageous imperfection, all anchored in love.  

Review :
These Kids are Out of Control shines light on the importance of classroom management in urban schools while appropriately placing it in the full context of urban education. The authors expertly provide a firm research base upon which they offer evidence-based and practical strategies that can be incorporated by urban educators. They go into detail on how, why, and what these strategies look like to better prepare and support urban teachers in classroom management. As a teacher educator, I know I will definitely incorporate the strategies listed in this book to help my pre-service teachers understand how to better manage urban classrooms. Researchers and teacher educators alike will find this book useful for pushing forward the field of classroom management in urban schools while equipping teachers and administrators with the day-to-day skills needed to succeed."   "If you are an educator who wants to resist and dismantle the cradle-to-prison pipeline, this is your manifesto. Deeply researched, accessibly written, and powerfully applied, this book demonstrates not just why we need to make justice the goal of our classroom management practices; it also shows us how we get it done. Read this and you’ll know what to do to make our schools and classrooms more hopeful, critical, responsive, and equitable." "Today’s educators must meet the daily challenge of providing quality teaching for students from wide, diverse backgrounds, and personal histories.  While research on managing classrooms has provided some guidance, significant gaps in our understanding remain, such as the lack of in depth theoretical and foundational knowledge about issues of race, culture, and inequity as they impact schooling.  The authors have given us vital insights about these important factors.  I believe this book is one of the most significant contributions to research on classroom management in years.  It is a MUST read and belongs in every educator’s library." "These Kids are Out of Control prepares educators, like no other text in the field, to engage in justice-oriented classroom management utilizing restorative, culturally responsive approaches to discipline. The authors’ use of practical, yet, powerful, vignettes provide real world illustrations of multi-context classroom scenarios that shift our mindsets about effective classroom management practices; moving away from ‘what is,’ to ‘what could be!’ This book is a timely and relevant contribution to the field of education and a must- read for anyone who currently teaches, or aspires to teach, in a diverse school setting." "Children live in a more dynamic society than ever before, and their experiences are very complex. This book is a must read for educators in urban schools across the country because it addresses the social and emotional needs of students and provides practical – real solutions – to help build climates that positively  support students’ learning.  The book helps educators understand how to restore rather than punish students." "Important, timely, and necessary!  Harsh discipline practices and oppressive classroom conditions continue to harm countless students; something different is needed. Milner and his team provide a powerful work that exemplifies theory-to practice at its best. Schools can be transformed by this work. This essential book challenges control and punishment in classroom management and offers culturally caring and sustaining ways to create supportive learning classrooms for all students."