Veronica McDermott

It takes more than good intentions to make meaningful changeThe "spirit slashing" of injustice: that's what Veronica McDermott calls the psychic toll that marginalized students face every day. Students can be marginalized because of race, economic status, language, sexual orientation, ability, or other factors. So how can you make a difference? McDermott, a longtime educator, gives you the tools to become a powerful ally. You'll learn how to:Better understand the depth and breadth of injustice so you can pierce the fog of privilege and embrace ally-hoodFill the gap between your desire to eliminate injustice and the attitudes and skills required to be effectiveLeverage your natural strengths, including your disposition, educational training, and professional positionChallenge the structural barriers, practices and beliefs that diminish opportunities for many studentsWorking for social justice is a journey, and it's one that you-and your students- can take together." Educators will find in this book a heart-felt, honest, uncompromising tour de force."-Yvette Jackson, Senior ScholarNational Urban Alliance for Effective Education"This book illuminates a clear pathway for transforming our consciousness and our practice in the service of equity and social justice."-Gary Howard, Author of We Can't Lead Where We Won't Go

What if your next faculty meeting began with this question: What are the strengths of our underachieving students? When teachers recognize and focus on student strengths, they transform the learning environment into one of positivity and potential. Students begin to believe in themselves as capable, valued, and respected and show more willingness to invest and engage in school. They perform better. They crave and enjoy academic challenge, and they delight in outdoing themselves. Focusing on strengths is a no-cost, highly effective, nontraditional way of addressing persistent underachievement. Drawing on authors Yvette Jackson and Veronica McDermott's experiences supporting the transformations of schools repeatedly labeled as underachieving, this book offers concrete ways to identify student strengths and then build on them in your classroom or school throughout the year. These field-tested strategies will help awaken students' belief in their own potential and put them on the path to lasting success.

Many urban educators live in fear: of their schools being labeled failures, of increasingly punitive sanctions, of loss of respect and livelihood. This fear pervades the entire school community, affecting the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of its members. The authors of this guide to transformation in urban schools are convinced that the key ingredient for school renewal is fearless leadership. Fearless leaders work in schools under-resourced and overburdened and serve disproportionately large numbers of children who live in poverty and face racism daily. They are ordinary educators committed to proving that demographics need not be destiny. This inspirational yet practical book will help you bridge the divide that separates urban students from their birthright of a high-quality education. You will learn how to:Adopt a leadership approach, consisting of affirmation, inspiration, and mediation (AIM), that will transform your school into a flourishing learning community. Build a leadership team of important stakeholders--including students--that is committed to improvement. Tap into the resources that already exist in your school and jettison institutional arrangements that prevent your school from becoming an enriching and creative community. Create supports that enable teachers to nurture their students' potential to meet high standards and become self-actualized learners. Each chapter closes with reflections and activities that will help your leadership team produce its own roadmap for change. Succeeding in the tough landscape of urban schools requires more than just passion and a sense of urgency; it requires real skills. Aim High, Achieve More provides insights gleaned from real-world experiences that will enable you to create a successful, vibrant learning environment.

Explores the origins of Ireland's anti-nuclear stance; how it became a defining issue in Irish politics and British-Irish relations and served as an allegory for the debate on nuclear power in the West. This book coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Windscale Fire of October 1957, the worst major nuclear accident before Chernobyl.

Explores the origins of Ireland's anti-nuclear stance; how it became a defining issue in Irish politics and British-Irish relations and served as an allegory for the debate on nuclear power in the West. This book coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Windscale Fire of October 1957, the worst major nuclear accident before Chernobyl.