Join Shameem Rakha and Steven Morrison as they discuss censorship in schools.
With increased scrutiny of library and classroom books and of authors and their identities, there are increased calls for censorship by people who feel empowered to target schools as places of harm to their children and their families' beliefs and norms. What students can be taught and how they are taught are also under attack. What can teachers, school librarians and students do to stem this tide of censorship?
Shameem Rakha is an associate professor in the College of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning, at WSU Vancouver. Prior to earning her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the College of Education, Department of Education, Policy, and Leadership in 2013, Rakha was a K-12 teacher for 17 years. Along with instructing classes, she presently serves as the coordinator of the B.A. in Elementary Education Program and serves as the campus director for Faculty Equity and Belonging. Rakha is a founding member of the Building a Community of Equity Program and serves as a core member of its team, providing workshops to campus faculty and staff on topics related to anti-racism, equity and inclusion.
Steven Morrison, Ph.D., is a lecturer in Teaching and Learning at WSU Vancouver. His research outlines the intersection of multilingual, cross-cultural teacher identity, the wealth of student cultural knowledge and classroom practice.