A few more of the engaging, thought-provoking articles in this issue:

In "Standing Up for Tocarra," Tina Owen describes her dilemma when a homophobic minister preaches about the "sin" of a transgender student at the student's funeral.

Bill Bigelow uses a classroom mixer to introduce students to Bill McKibben's important article on "Global Warming's Terrifying New Math." Check out "The Mystery of the 3 Scary Numbers."

In "Rethinking Shit: Excrement and Equity," social studies teacher Noah Zeichner and his students explore the worldwide sanitation crisis.

"Charter Schools and the Future of Public Education," by Rethinking Schools editor Stan Karp, puts the history of charter schools in context, then analyzes their current role and impact.

You won't want to miss our editorial on school closings, "Clear-Cutting Our Schools," and much, much more!