Steven Zemelman

Steven Zemelman has worked in many capacities to promote the sustainability of innovative schools in Chicago. He is a founding director of the Illinois Writing Project, based at Northeastern Illinois University, and for eight years directed the Center for City Schools at National-Louis University. Steve spearheaded the start of a number of innovative small high schools in Chicago, and has helped establish and guided student restorative justice programs there. After writing and co-authoring numerous books for teachers on literacy and teacher leadership, his latest book, written with co-authors Tonya Perry and Katy Smith, is "Teaching for Racial Equity: Becoming Interrupters."

Written in a very accessible and personal style, this new book guides educators to reflect on their own cultural perspectives, understand how these influence their teaching, discuss equity issues thoughtfully with colleagues, and support their students' diverse learning needs and identities. Their book is filled with practical strategies but also shares the authors' and six contributing teachers' own learning efforts and hard, honest conversations, as they follow the same learning path they encourage for their readers.

Steve has also long been a collaborator with Harvey "Smokey" Daniels. The professional books for teachers that he has written with Daniels and others include acclaimed and widely read titles such as

• Best Practice: Bringing Standards to in America’s Schools, to Life in America's Classrooms (fourth Edition)

• Content-Area Writing

• Subjects Matter: Every Teacher’s Guide to Content-Area Reading

• From Inquiry to Action: Civic Engagement with Project-Based Learning in All Classrooms

• 13 Steps to Teacher Empowerment: Taking a More Active Role in Your School Community.