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.