Richard Ayers

Rick Ayers is an associate professor of education focusing on English language arts and secondary education, and a faculty member of the urban education and social justice cohort. Professor Ayers focuses on curriculum and pedagogy, with particular emphasis on equity, social justice, and decolonial approaches to education. His writing, in blogs as well as publications, is on community-engaged scholarship and community organizing.

Professor Ayers is the author or co-author of five books, including Teaching the Taboo: Courage and Imagination in the Classroom; An Empty Seat in Class: Teaching and Learning after the Death of a Student; Great Books for High School Kids; A Teaching Guide to Studs Terkel’s Working; and You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones: And 18 Other Myths about Teachers, Teachers Unions, and Public Education; as well as numerous chapters and journal articles.

• PhD, Language, Literacy, and Culture, UC Berkeley, CA
• MA, Education, Mills College, CA

• Ayers W., Laura C., Ayers, R. (2018) You can’t fire the bad ones: And 18 other myths about teachers, teachers unions, and public education. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
• Ayers, Rick (2015) An Empty Seat in Class: Teaching and Learning after the Death of a Student. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
• Nuñez, I., Laura, C. L., Ayers, R. (Eds.). (2014). Diving In: Bill Ayers and the Art of Teaching into the Contradiction. New York, NY: Teachers College Press
• Ayers, Rick. (2013). “Creative Writing: The Long and Winding Road” Donahue, David and Marshall, Julia, ed. The Resource Book for Integrated Learning through Contemporary Art. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
• Ayers, R. & Ayers, W. (2010). Teaching the Taboo: Courage and Imagination in the Classroom. New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press.
• Huffington Post (2007 - present). Publishing blog on educational and social issues. Featured blogger in Education section. Contact editors: blogteam@huffingtonpost.com
• Ayers, R. & Crawford, A. (2004). Great Books for High School Kids: A Teacher’s Guide to Books That Can Change Teens’ Lives. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
• Ayers, R. (Ed.). (2003). Berkeley High Slang Dictionary. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic books.
• Ayers, W., Dohrn, B. and Ayers, R. (2001). Zero Tolerance: Resisting the drive for punishment. A handbook for parents, students, educators and citizens. New York, NY: New Press.
• Ayers, R. (2000). Studs Terkel’s Working, a Teaching Guide. New York, NY: New Press.