A Thoughtful Introduction to my book, Subtractive Schooling—Through Becky Morales’ Lens, by Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

A Thoughtful Introduction to my book, Subtractive Schooling—Through Becky Morales’ Lens, by Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

Every now and then, someone comes along who is able to take a body of work and make it newly accessible—clear, grounded, and meaningful in ways that reach beyond the academy. I want to share one such example with you. In this YouTube video, educator and global learning advocate Becky Morales offers a thoughtful and generous reading of my book, Subtractive Schooling: U.S.-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring. What I appreciate most about her interpretation is not simply that she engages the core ideas, but that she does so with care, clarity, and a deep respect for the lived experiences at the heart of the work.

Becky brings into focus what “subtractive schooling” really means—not as an abstract concept, but as something that shapes students’ identities, language, and sense of belonging. As she notes, the book examines how schooling processes can strip away students’ cultural and linguistic resources even as they claim to educate them . At the same time, she highlights the importance of what I have called “authentic caring”—a form of relational, humanizing practice that stands in contrast to these subtractive forces.

What is especially meaningful to me is how Becky translates these ideas for educators, parents, and community members. She reminds us that this work is not only about critique, but about possibility—about how we might do schooling differently, in ways that affirm rather than erase who students are.

I share this not to revisit my own work, but to lift up hers. In a moment when conversations about education are often flattened into soundbites or politicized narratives, Becky Morales offers something else: a careful, accessible, and deeply humane engagement with what is at stake for young people in our schools.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch. It’s a beautiful example of what it means to read with care—and to teach with purpose. You may follow her YouTube @BeckyMorales

 

Becky Morales, creator of KidWorldCitizen.org and author of GlobalEdToolkit.com, shares activities to enhance global learning. Topics include: geography, world culture, empathy, service learning, cultural exchange, family travel, world recipes/music/films for kids, multicultural crafts, multicultural children's literature, educational technology, adoption, and multicultural families.