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Who Among Us May Be Literate? Closing the Gap Between Literacy and Diversity

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International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Social (In)Justice

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE,volume 29))

Abstract

Who may be literate? The disparities in literacy rates for a number of children are untenable. For years, many students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds have been systematically denied access to education, resulting in unacceptable illiteracy rates. Additionally, students with disabilities have been assumed incompetent and not worthy of receiving literacy instruction. If social justice includes respect for human rights and dignity, then it must be the case that denying anyone access to adequate education or assuming incompetence is unacceptable. In this chapter, social justice leadership is considered in the context of an expanded agenda that includes literacy as a basic human right and necessary component to school programming. School leaders have always shouldered a great deal of the responsibility to articulate the mission and vision for school-wide programming, and as such, this chapter includes a discussion about considerations for school leaders when creating an informed social justice agenda that specifically includes literacy. The discussion concludes with a description of several recommendations for school leaders who wish to move toward an informed practice, including school-wide efforts that promote literacy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Exceptional Student Education, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA

    Charles Dukes

  2. Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC, USA

    Kavin Ming

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  1. Charles Dukes
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  2. Kavin Ming
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Correspondence to Charles Dukes .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Ira Bogotch

  2. Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA

    Carolyn M. Shields

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Dukes, C., Ming, K. (2014). Who Among Us May Be Literate? Closing the Gap Between Literacy and Diversity. In: Bogotch, I., Shields, C. (eds) International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Social (In)Justice. Springer International Handbooks of Education, vol 29. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6555-9_8

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