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Resistance: Student Activism, SEED Alternative School, and the Struggle Against Streaming

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Abstract

This chapter uses my experiences as a high school student activist at SEED Alternative school to unpack the role of alternative schools as catalysts for broader education reform efforts within the Toronto Board of Education. In the late 1980s, Toronto alternative schools acted as sites of resistance for student- and community-led campaigns for human rights, student rights, and de-streamed schooling. However, the success of these campaigns was circumscribed by both widespread middle class resistance and failure to mobilize support for educational justice within poverty-class neighborhoods.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to the activists who shared their insights, Melinda Vandenbeld Giles, Tim McCaskell, and the editors of this book for their support. Any errors are my responsibility.

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Schulz A., K. (2017). Resistance: Student Activism, SEED Alternative School, and the Struggle Against Streaming. In: Bascia, N., Fine, E., Levin, M. (eds) Alternative Schooling and Student Engagement. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54259-1_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54259-1_18

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-54258-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-54259-1

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