Using richly textured case studies of two very different schools, Betty Achinstein shows when teachers enact reforms in the name of community, what often emerges is conflict. Whether dealing with issues of teacher collaboration or how to meet the needs of a diverse student population, conflicts within professional communities reflect important differences of beliefs and practices. This book reframes conflict as constructive in building educational communities that learn and promote democratic values in schools.

Drawing on empirical research, practitioner action inquiry, and field-tested practices from induction programs, this book explores effective mentoring in diverse educational contexts.

This book examines both the promises and complexities of racially and culturally diversifying todays teaching profession. Drawing from a 5-year study of the lives of 21 new teachers of color working in urban, hard-to-staff schools, this book documents the tensions these teachers experience between serving as role models and fulfilling district and state mandates.