2008 October English Leadership Quarterly, v31.2

Words have the power to promote peace or advance hatred and intolerance. As K–16 literacy educators, we recognize this perhaps more than any other content area professionals. With this understanding, though, comes responsibility and questions. This issue contains two articles we hope will provide readers with talking points specifically related to the negative impact of words: “How does that hurt?: Encouraging Teacher Leadership That Confronts Linguistic Violence in a Popular Culture Media” (Jeanine Staples) and “Rescuing LGBT Issues from ‘No Child Left Behind,’ Standardization, and ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’” (Howard Miller). The latter is accompanied by a commentary by key members of the Gay, Straight Educators Alliance (CSEA) of NCTE. Also included is Charles H. Golden’s review of Cultural Practices of Literacy: Case Studies of Language, Literacy, Social Practice, and Power, edited by Victoria Purcell-Gates.