Beyond Crises

Overcoming Linguistic and Cultural Inequities in Communities, Schools, and Classrooms
Debbie Zacarian
Margarita Espino Calderon
Margo Gottlieb
Beyond Crises
January 2021 | 256 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781071844663
Available from January 0001
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ISBN: 9781071844649
Available from January 0001

Description

What are some lessons learned from the pandemic?

We learned that, in times of crises, the humanitarian needs of students, families, and ourselves must be a top priority. 

We learned that forming effective partnerships with families and communities is essential to the health and well-being of our children.

We were offered a blunt reminder that a system designed to serve the interests of a privileged few was destined to fail our historically underserved students, especially our millions of multilingual learners.

Above all, we learned that the “normal” many of us have yearned for was never good enough—that we must envision a “better world,” where we build on our multilingual students’ unique assets and cultivate their inner brilliance. Only then will we deliver on their promise.

It’s this “better world,” a world in which communities, schools, and classrooms work together as a “whole-child ecosystem,” Beyond Crises: Overcoming Linguistic and Cultural Inequities in Communities, Schools, and Classrooms sets out to create. Taking a look from the outside in, Debbie Zacarian, Margarita Calderón, and Margo Gottlieb address three critical arenas:

1.       Imagining Communities describes how to design and enact strengths-based family and community partnerships, including the critical importance of identifying, valuing, and acknowledging each member’s assets and competencies, and the ways recent crises have amplified their struggles.

2.       Imagining Schools takes an up-close look at policies, structures, and now irrelevant ways of schooling that call for change and how we might reconfigure professional development to ensure every teacher and administrator is dedicated to the well-being and success of our multilingual learners.

3.       Imagining Classrooms demonstrates how to optimize learning opportunities—both virtual and face-to-face—so our diverse students grow cognitively, linguistically, and social-emotionally, and accentuate their talents in knowing and using multiple languages in linguistically and culturally sustainable environments.

“Student and family, classroom, school, and local community are not silos unto themselves,” Debbie, Margarita, and Margo insist. “They are part of a larger whole that is interrelated and interconnected and, even, interdependent on each other. By forming stronger alliances, we can realize the power of truly working, socializing, and flourishing together.” Beyond Crises is the first critical step forward.

Contents

Dedication

Dedication

Author's Acknowledgements

Author's Acknowledgements

Foreword by Dan Alpert

Foreword by Dan Alpert

Introduction

Introduction

Part I: Imagining Communities

  • Chapter 1: Designing and Enacting Strengths-Based Communities
  • Chapter 2: Sustaining a Whole Child 'Ecosystem'
  • Chapter 3: Striving for Interdependent, Interconnected Communities

Part II: Imagining Schools

  • Chapter 4: Imagining Schools Beyond the Crises
  • Chapter 5: Sustaining Growth and Momentum
  • Chapter 6: Striving for Interdependence and Interconnections

Part III: Imagining Classrooms

  • Chapter 7: Designing and Enacting Classroom Change
  • Chapter 8: Sustaining Momentum and Growth in Classrooms
  • Chapter 9: Striving for Interconnections
  • References
  • Index

Resources

Description

What are some lessons learned from the pandemic?

We learned that, in times of crises, the humanitarian needs of students, families, and ourselves must be a top priority. 

We learned that forming effective partnerships with families and communities is essential to the health and well-being of our children.

We were offered a blunt reminder that a system designed to serve the interests of a privileged few was destined to fail our historically underserved students, especially our millions of multilingual learners.

Above all, we learned that the “normal” many of us have yearned for was never good enough—that we must envision a “better world,” where we build on our multilingual students’ unique assets and cultivate their inner brilliance. Only then will we deliver on their promise.

It’s this “better world,” a world in which communities, schools, and classrooms work together as a “whole-child ecosystem,” Beyond Crises: Overcoming Linguistic and Cultural Inequities in Communities, Schools, and Classrooms sets out to create. Taking a look from the outside in, Debbie Zacarian, Margarita Calderón, and Margo Gottlieb address three critical arenas:

1.       Imagining Communities describes how to design and enact strengths-based family and community partnerships, including the critical importance of identifying, valuing, and acknowledging each member’s assets and competencies, and the ways recent crises have amplified their struggles.

2.       Imagining Schools takes an up-close look at policies, structures, and now irrelevant ways of schooling that call for change and how we might reconfigure professional development to ensure every teacher and administrator is dedicated to the well-being and success of our multilingual learners.

3.       Imagining Classrooms demonstrates how to optimize learning opportunities—both virtual and face-to-face—so our diverse students grow cognitively, linguistically, and social-emotionally, and accentuate their talents in knowing and using multiple languages in linguistically and culturally sustainable environments.

“Student and family, classroom, school, and local community are not silos unto themselves,” Debbie, Margarita, and Margo insist. “They are part of a larger whole that is interrelated and interconnected and, even, interdependent on each other. By forming stronger alliances, we can realize the power of truly working, socializing, and flourishing together.” Beyond Crises is the first critical step forward.

Contents

Dedication

Dedication

Author's Acknowledgements

Author's Acknowledgements

Foreword by Dan Alpert

Foreword by Dan Alpert

Introduction

Introduction

Part I: Imagining Communities

  • Chapter 1: Designing and Enacting Strengths-Based Communities
  • Chapter 2: Sustaining a Whole Child 'Ecosystem'
  • Chapter 3: Striving for Interdependent, Interconnected Communities

Part II: Imagining Schools

  • Chapter 4: Imagining Schools Beyond the Crises
  • Chapter 5: Sustaining Growth and Momentum
  • Chapter 6: Striving for Interdependence and Interconnections

Part III: Imagining Classrooms

  • Chapter 7: Designing and Enacting Classroom Change
  • Chapter 8: Sustaining Momentum and Growth in Classrooms
  • Chapter 9: Striving for Interconnections
  • References
  • Index

Resources

SAGE Publishing Logo

Beyond Crises

Overcoming Linguistic and Cultural Inequities in Communities, Schools, and Classrooms

Debbie Zacarian , Margarita Espino Calderon , Margo Gottlieb
Cancel Print

January 2021 | 256 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Spiral 01/02/2026 9781071844649 $40.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781071844663 $37.00

What are some lessons learned from the pandemic?

We learned that, in times of crises, the humanitarian needs of students, families, and ourselves must be a top priority. 

We learned that forming effective partnerships with families and communities is essential to the health and well-being of our children.

We were offered a blunt reminder that a system designed to serve the interests of a privileged few was destined to fail our historically underserved students, especially our millions of multilingual learners.

Above all, we learned that the “normal” many of us have yearned for was never good enough—that we must envision a “better world,” where we build on our multilingual students’ unique assets and cultivate their inner brilliance. Only then will we deliver on their promise.

It’s this “better world,” a world in which communities, schools, and classrooms work together as a “whole-child ecosystem,” Beyond Crises: Overcoming Linguistic and Cultural Inequities in Communities, Schools, and Classrooms sets out to create. Taking a look from the outside in, Debbie Zacarian, Margarita Calderón, and Margo Gottlieb address three critical arenas:

1.       Imagining Communities describes how to design and enact strengths-based family and community partnerships, including the critical importance of identifying, valuing, and acknowledging each member’s assets and competencies, and the ways recent crises have amplified their struggles.

2.       Imagining Schools takes an up-close look at policies, structures, and now irrelevant ways of schooling that call for change and how we might reconfigure professional development to ensure every teacher and administrator is dedicated to the well-being and success of our multilingual learners.

3.       Imagining Classrooms demonstrates how to optimize learning opportunities—both virtual and face-to-face—so our diverse students grow cognitively, linguistically, and social-emotionally, and accentuate their talents in knowing and using multiple languages in linguistically and culturally sustainable environments.

“Student and family, classroom, school, and local community are not silos unto themselves,” Debbie, Margarita, and Margo insist. “They are part of a larger whole that is interrelated and interconnected and, even, interdependent on each other. By forming stronger alliances, we can realize the power of truly working, socializing, and flourishing together.” Beyond Crises is the first critical step forward.


Table Of Contents:

  • Dedication
  • Author's Acknowledgements
  • Foreword by Dan Alpert
  • Introduction
  • Part I: Imagining Communities
  • Chapter 1: Designing and Enacting Strengths-Based Communities
  • Chapter 2: Sustaining a Whole Child 'Ecosystem'
  • Chapter 3: Striving for Interdependent, Interconnected Communities
  • Part II: Imagining Schools
  • Chapter 4: Imagining Schools Beyond the Crises
  • Chapter 5: Sustaining Growth and Momentum
  • Chapter 6: Striving for Interdependence and Interconnections
  • Part III: Imagining Classrooms
  • Chapter 7: Designing and Enacting Classroom Change
  • Chapter 8: Sustaining Momentum and Growth in Classrooms
  • Chapter 9: Striving for Interconnections
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

"This timely and unique volume from Zacarian, Calderón, and Gottlieb, three of the most renowned masters in the field of teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students, spotlights the critical need for collaborative relationships between communities, schools, and classrooms to engage in advocacy for equitable educational opportunities for all learners. It guides the reader through a journey of reflection by making connections to one’s own experiences with relationship building as well as identifying action steps to strengthen partnerships. It also invites the reader to imagine ways to be open to change and make things happen! This book is a must read for anyone who works with this special student population.”
Maria Dove, Professor, School of Education and Human Services, Molloy College and Author of “Collaborating for English Learners, Second Edition”
"What a superb and relevant discussion of how we as educators and servants can take our colleagues, our students and their families to the next level. Debbie, Margarita, and Margo have done a great job combining practical, critical practices, and partnerships with perfect examples of why we as educators do what we do. You’ll want to buy two, one for yourself and one to share."
Shawn Slakk, CEO and Educational Consultant, ABCDSS Consulting Consortium
"Through witnessing the pandemic’s detrimental effects on English learners, I’m left grasping for a silver lining. I need to know how to make sense of what has happened, to learn from the challenges and heartbreak, and to thoughtfully move forward. Beyond Crises comes at just the right time. Through compelling student stories, anecdotes from fierce advocates, and spot-on reflection questions and tools, the authors guide us to reimagine education for ELs."
Diane Fenner, President of SupportEd Consulting and author of "Unlocking English Learners' Potential"
"Beyond Crises: Overcoming Linguistic and Cultural Inequities in Communities, Schools, and Classrooms is just the resource administrators, instructional leaders, and educators in all walks of life need! This timely book by the powerful trio--Debbie Zacarian, Margarita Calderón, and Margo Gottlieb--is destined to pave the way for imagining and re-imagining our communities, schools, and classrooms in a post-crisis world. Their unapologetic call-for-action is to overturn racial, cultural and linguistic inequities—this book will show you how!"
Andrea Honigsfeld, Associate Dean and Ed.D. Program Director, Molloy College and Author of “Collaborating for English Learners, Second Edition”
"By using voices from communities, schools, and classrooms, Beyond Crisis re-envisions how systems can move away from deficit-based paradigms. The practical and new ways of re-imagining presented in this book highlight and inspire a call to action that encourages strengths-based partnerships to acknowledge assets and competencies within systems. Beyond Crisis is a relevant and responsive book that motivates hope and empathy to address polarizing and chaotic times in our nation."
Ivannia Soto, Professor of Education, Whittier College and Author of "Shadowing Multilingual Learners"

Recommendations