Table Of ContentThey’re Called the “Throwaways”
They’re Called the
“Throwaways”
Children in Special Education Using Artmaking
for Social Change
Edited by
Christa Boske
leiden | boston
The editor and publisher have done everything in their power to protect the privacy of the students and
teachers who contributed to this book.
All chapters in this book have undergone peer review.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Boske, Christa, editor.
Title: They’re called the “throwaways” : children in special education using
artmaking for social change / edited by Christa Boske.
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill Sense, [2019] | Includes bibliographical
references
Identifiers: LCCN 2018039912 (print) | LCCN 2018044886 (ebook) | ISBN
9789004383890 (E-book) | ISBN 9789004383876 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN
9789004383883 (hardback : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Special education--United States--Art. | Children with
disabilities--Education--United States. | Children with social
disabilities--Education--United States. | Art--Study and teaching--United
States. | Art and society--United States. | Art therapy for youth. |
Social justice.
Classification: LCC LC3970 (ebook) | LCC LC3970 .T54 2019 (print) | DDC
371.9--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018039912
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/brill-typeface.
isbn 978-90-04-38387-6 (paperback)
isbn 978-90-04-38387-6 (hardback)
isbn 978-90-04-38389-0 (e-book)
Copyright 2019 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Hes & De Graaf, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Rodopi,
Brill Sense, Hotei Publishing, mentis Verlag, Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh and Wilhelm Fink Verlag.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without prior written permission from the publisher.
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910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change.
This book is printed on acid-free paper and produced in a sustainable manner.
Advance Praise for
They’re Called the “Throwaways”
“This is an inspiring book which re-establishes the primacy of the arts in
enabling learners to understand their own identities and begin the long
journey to self-hood. It is long overdue and will go a long way(cid:4)to creating a
more balanced curriculum than the sole concentration on math and science.”
– Fenwick W. English, R. Wendell Eaves Senior Distinguished Professor of
Educational Leadership, School of Education, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
(cid:4)
“Could this book be the WAKE-UP call that the field of educational administration
has so desperately needed?(cid:4)In these inspirational, though often heartbreaking
‘first-telling’ stories by ‘throwaway’ children and their caring teachers and school
leaders, we see the answers to leadership for social justice, if only we ourselves
had the courage to stand up and shout. Intellectually, to see giants such as Elliot
Eisner, Howard Gardner and especially Maxine Greene brought together by the
author, Christa Boske, once again brings hope that we will find our way out from
the quantitative prison of management theories which hold public education
hostage under the guise of productivity and school improvement.”
– Ira Bogotch, Professor of Educational Leadership, Florida Atlantic
University and co-editor (with Carolyn Shields) of the new International
Handbook on Social (In)Justice and Educational Leadership
“A phenomenal book for a time such as this and for students, teachers, staff,
administrators, parents, professors, and community such as us. If we subscribe
to the ‘all children can learn’ philosophy, then we must acknowledge that
arts-based education is vital for children to succeed. This should be required
reading in Schools and Colleges of Education across this country.”
– Judy A. Alston, Professor in the Department Doctoral Studies and
Advanced Programs, Ashland University and author of School Leadership
and Administration(cid:4)(9th(cid:4)edition)
“In this beautifully crafted book, Christa Boske concludes that ‘artmaking actively
engag[es] children in developing a critical consciousness, and stronger sense of self.’
All school leaders need to read this research and understand how to encourage and
support teachers and community members in capturing the power of first-tellings.”
– Margaret Grogan, Professor, Dean of the College of Educational Studies,
Chapman University and Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award from the
American Association of School Superintendents (AASA)
“This text courageously affords children who have been marginalized to have
not only voice but a demand that their humanity cannot be disregarded
simply because of their learning differences. The alignment of leadership,
social justice, the call for policy and practice reform and art making as sense
making opens notions of educational leadership to new frontiers that have
long needed to have men explored. Christa Boske dares to combine authors
who challenge educators to transform their thinking regarding students with
learning differences. Additionally, Boske requires readers to advocate for ways
to diminish the minimizing of students’ humanity because of intellectual
challenges that have historically cast students in a negative light. The book
demands that we search deeply to unearth ways to welcome the creativity of
children as a means to give voice to their very being. It is a call and challenge
for policy transformation through a critical leadership that is grounded in
social justice, equity, and celebrating difference.”
– Michael Dantley, Professor, Dean of the College of Education, Health and
Society, Miami University and Master Professor Award from the University
Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)
“Boske and her contributors have created a volume that is a poignant chorus
of first-tellings of resilience and oppression. This is an excellent read for those
engaged in the work of improving society through service to learners and
their families, teachers, and school leaders. Aspiring educators and leaders in
both educational policy and school administration would do well to absorb
the jaw dropping and profound stories offered by some of the most vulnerable
in our society. As readers we are given us no choice but to catch our breath
mid-chapter to consider simultaneously the power of art beyond traditional
understandings, and our responsibility to the everyday experiences of learners
and educators. The magic of this effort is rooted in the elegant examination of
the overlooked and obscured truths about the power of self-expression in the
face of strife. I simply could not put it down.”
– Autumn Tooms Cyprès, Dean, University of Alabama-Birmingham and
Graduate Studies, St. John’s University and President, International Council
of Professors of Educational Leadership(cid:4)
(cid:4)
“This book provides tangible evidence of the power of providing students on
the margins with the tools to make their voices heard. We need to take the
education of students with disabilities seriously in a wholistic, inclusive and
enriching fashion and this work provides key insights into this essential work.”
– George Theoharis, Professor, Syracuse University and author of The School
Leaders Our Children Deserve: Seven Keys to Equity, Social Justice, and School
Reform
Many of us may skip past dedications(cid:4)in a book, because we are eager
to(cid:4)get to the heart of what we are reading. I ask those who read this
book to honor the inspirational voices of the children, teachers, and
leaders who call upon us to live the imaginative possibilities that exist
within each(cid:4)of us, to respond to our moral responsibility to create
places in which all children may call home, and to see the beauty within
all of our(cid:4)children. They are our hope, make us want to be our very
best selves,(cid:4)and remind us of how much we still have to learn. No one,
I(cid:4)mean(cid:4)no one, should ever be deemed a “throwaway.”
∵
Contents
List of Figures xiii
1 Introduction: Artmaking as Sensemaking as a(cid:4)Portrait of Resilience
for(cid:4)Children with Learning(cid:4)Differences 1
Christa Boske
PART 1
Youth Voices
2 You Can’t Get in My Shoe 41
S
3 The Cage 55
N
4 One of the Best (Because I Worked so Hard on This) 62
C
5 “Acception” 69
T
6 Princess 80
A
7 The Flame of Anger 87
L
8 I Want People to Listen 98
J
9 Animal Land 106
L
10 Helping Hands 111
M
x Contents
11 Treat Women Like Flowers – They Are Gentle 116
J
12 Magna Shoe 121
P
13 Deep Blue 128
L
14 Barricade 133
A
15 My Story 141
S
16 Freedom 149
V
17 The Cycle #Dark Side 159
W
18 I Look Fabulous 168
A
19 Life Is Strange 171
M
PART 2
Adult Voices
20 Born for Bred 179
A
21 The Tension of Duality 183
B
22 Diversity Is My Degree 188
C
23 Adversity 193
D
Contents xi
24 The Sky Is the Limit 195
E
25 They Lived Their Art 198
F
26 The Children Touch My Heart 200
G
27 Raw: The Thread That Connects Us 203
H
28 Confronting Anxieties on a Small Scale 206
I
29 Leading through Artmaking: Recognizing the Power of Arts-Based
Approaches 211
J
30 Developing My Approach to Working with Children 218
K
31 The “Red R” Kid: Disrupting My Deficit-Laden Label 221
B
32 Living the Dream 238
M
33 Afterword: The Power of the Artmaking as Sensemaking 248
Christa Boske
Figures
1.1 Social justice museum exhibit 28
2.1 My fortress 41
2.2 Thinking about my art 43
2.3 Hard as a rock 48
2.4 Symbolic of my life 49
2.5 I can see you for who you really are 51
2.6 It’s hard for me to get close 51
3.1 Walk in my shoe 58
3.2 The cell 59
4.1 Art and comics 62
4.2 I am deadpool 63
4.3 I can relate to deadpool’s life 64
4.4 The candle symbolizes hope for me 65
4.5 How could you leave me behind? 66
5.1 All should be welcome: Kids like me 70
5.2 Reflecting and understanding me 71
5.3 Learning and growing in my art 72
5.4 What does it mean to be different? 74
5.5 People actually cared about my art 74
5.6 Looking through the window of my door and what do you see? 75
5.7 The door, the lock, and the key 76
6.1 My life and school time line 80
6.2 All my feelings 81
6.3 Love 82
6.4 K’s face is made of hearts 83
6.5 Show me you love me 84
6.6 K, my princess 84
6.7 I need to feel safe and loved to learn 85
7.1 This girl is on fire 88
7.2 This girl is still on fire 89
7.3 What I need and want to learn and grow 90
7.4 Looking deep inside the flame 92
7.5 My heart wants this 93
7.6 People who love me give me advice 95
8.1 I put it all out there for people to see 99
8.2 I want people to listen 101
8.3 I am angry and I am loved 102
8.4 Don’t hurt me 103
