Condition critical: Key principles for equitable and inclusive education Diana Lawrence-Brown and Mara Sapon-Shevin New York: Teachers College Press, 2013

Abstract

Often, current research in teacher education identifies the increasing linguistic, racial, gender, socio-economic, or (dis)ability diversity of student populations as the impetus of their investigation. While it is critical to research the experiences of traditionally marginalized
populations, especially as they pertain to training and supporting new or veteran teachers in the field, there are some concerns with this approach. The primary issue stems from the need to label, or a desire to identify, the norm (whether or not the researcher agrees with it) and the behavior or characteristic that deviates from that norm. In addition, much of this research concerns the importance of opening the perspectives of educators to the various assets and opportunities related to diversity, but not necessarily to the need for educators to strive to be allies to the students, families, and communities they work with, regardless of the various identities or labels those groups may possess. To respond to these questions, Lawrence-Brown and Sapon-Shevin, in their book Condition Critical: Key Principles for Equitable and Inclusive Education (2013), address how educators can develop an understanding of concepts of difference or diversity as well as how to enact powerful changes in classroom practice—in other words, act as allies.