Gender Equity for Students
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Experiencing Diversity through Children's Multicultural Literature
Teacher educators are being challenged to prepare teacher candidates for work with diverse students. For teacher candidates to work effectively with students from diverse cultures in all grade levels, they need to become familiar with some of the major issues that students confront in today's society. The study of children's literature from multiple perspectives can be a vehicle for developing an understanding of complex concepts related to multicultural issues. This article suggests books for building teacher candidates' background knowledge so that they can reflect on their life experience related to multicultural issues. Four categories of multicultural literature are presented: racism, poverty, gender equity, and religious beliefs. For each category, selections of children's multicultural literature are summarized, followed by a series of questions. The questions are designed to inspire teacher candidates to reflect on their personal diversity beliefs.
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Sexual Harassment: It's Not Academic
Sexual harassment of students is illegal. A federal law, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment, in education programs and activities. All public and private education institutions that receive any federal funds must comply with Title IX. Title IX protects students from harassment connected to any of the academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic, and other programs or activities of schools, regardless of the location. Title IX protects both male and female students from sexual harassment by any school employee, another student, or a non-employee third party.
Education Programs and Activities Covered by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 covers state and local agencies that receive ED funds. These agencies include approximately 16,000 local school districts, 3,200 colleges and universities, and 5,000 for-profit schools as well as libraries and museums. Also included are vocational rehabilitation agencies and education agencies of 50 states, the District of Columbia, and territories and possessions of the United States.
