David E. Kirkland is assistant professor of English education at New York University�s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development in the Department of Teaching and Learning. His research focuses on urban youth popular culture, language and literacy, teacher research, and urban teacher education. For five years, Kirkland taught secondary reading and English language arts in Detroit and Lansing, Michigan. He received his master's in philosophy from the University of Michigan, and a PhD in language, literacy, and urban education from Michigan State. His professional memberships include American Educational Research Association (AERA), Conference on College Composition and… Communication (CCCC), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Detroit Branch, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE)-NCTE Affiliate Organization.