Public Agenda's recent study debunks five myths: only parents support the public schools; people think their community schools are performing well; those criticizing schools are clinging to an idealized past; people care little about poor, minority students' academic success; and most Americans distrust academic standards and standardized testing.…

Summarizes key findings from "Time to Move On: African-American and White Parents Set an Agenda for Public Schools," which reports the aspirations and concerns of black and white parents according to telephone surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews of parents and public educational professionals. (CMK)

In the past decade, schools nationwide have been caught up in a whirlwind of change. No Child Left Behind is the law of the land. Every state in the nation is wrestling with academic standards and school funding. In this article, the authors outline three areas regarding public engagement that are worrisome: (1) Parents may not be ready for…