Teachers, Schools, and Society

David Sadker has taught in middle and senior high schools, as well as at the college level, and has been a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and American University (Washington, DC) for more than three decades. He and his late wife Myra Sadker, gained a national reputation for research and publications concerning the impact of gender in schools. (To learn more about Myra’s life and work, visit www.sadker.org). Dr. Sadker has degrees from CCNY, Harvard University, and the University of Massachusetts. He has written several books and numerous articles in both professional and popular journals. He co-authored Failing at Fairness: How Our Schools Cheat Girls, (Touchstone…  More Press in 1995), and his research has been reported in hundreds of newspapers and magazines including USA Today, USA Weekend, Parade Magazine, Business Week, The Washington Post, The London Times, The New York Times, Time, and Newsweek. He has appeared on local and national television and radio shows such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Phil Donahue’s The Human Animal, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and Talk of the Nation, and twice on Dateline: NBC with Jane Pauley. The Sadkers received the American Educational Research Association’s award for the best review of research published in the United States (1991), their professional service award in 1995, and their Willystine Goodsell award in 2004. The Sadkers were recognized with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award from The American Association of University Women in 1995, and the Gender Architect Award from the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education in 2001. David Sadker has received two honorary doctorates.  Less

Myra Pollack Sadker (1943-1995) pioneered much of the research documenting gender bias in America's schools. She was Professor of Education and Dean of the School of Education at American University. She died while undergoing treatment for breast cancer in 1995. Through her writings and lectures, Myra Sadker alerted Americans to the academic, physical, psychological and career costs of sexism. She wrote the first book for teachers on the issue of sexism in 1973. Over twenty years later, in 1994, she coauthored the first popular book on this topic: Failing at Fairness: How America's Schools Cheat Girls. Between these two publications, Myra Sadker brought her cause for educational equity to a…  More national audience. Along with her husband David, Myra Sadker spoke in more than forty states and overseas, giving hundreds of presentations and workshops for teachers and parents concerned with the negative impact of sexist behaviors. She wrote scores of articles on how to raise and teach children free from the debilitating impact of sexism. In her name, Myra Sadker Advocates was established to continue her efforts and create more equitable and effective schools. You are invited to learn more about Myra’s contributions and the work of Myra Sadker Advocates, including Myra Sadker Day – March 5th, by visiting the website established in her name: www.sadker.org.  Less

Karen R. Zittleman came to American University as a graduate student, worked with Dr. Sadker on gender equity research, then began researching teacher education issues, and now has graduated to co-author of this text. Karen brings both energy and insights to this textbook. Karen attended the University of Wisconsin for her bachelor’s degree, and American University for her master’s and doctorate. She teaches at American University’s School of Education, and has been a virtual teacher for several courses offered online through the Women’s Educational Equity Act. Her articles about gender, Title IX, and teacher education appear in the Journal of Teacher Education,…  More Educational Leadership, Phi Delta Kappan, Principal and other professional journals. She is a contributing author to Teaching and Gender Equity: Foundations, Skills, Methods and Strategies (Lawrence Erlbaum publishers), and has created several equity websites. Karen has also authored Making Public Schools Great for Every Girl and Boy, an instructional guide on promoting equity in math and science instruction (National Educational Association), and educational film guides for A Hero for Daisy and Apple Pie: Raising Champions. She is project manager for Myra Sadker Advocates. Karen’s research interests have focused on educational equity, foundations of education, teacher preparation, and spirituality in education.  Less