Forcing the left-wing educational extremists' agenda upon innocent school children is unacceptable. Parents' legitimate curriculum complaints have been largely ignored. Christianity is the majority U.S. religion. Citizens for Excellence in Education boasts 1,350 chapters and 185,000 active parents. CEE's agenda is returning academic excellence,…

A Texas superintendent debunks six legislative advocacy myths. Actually, superintendents have more political clout than board members. They should work with legislators even when the state legislature is not in session, communicate effectively by telephone, work with "noninfluential" legislators, influence the state education…

"Then and now" studies of student performance cannot honestly assess public education today. Student achievement is the product of many socializing institutions--especially the family, whose influence is affected by parents' socioeconomic status and ethnic/cultural values. David Grissmer's analysis of National Assessment of Educational…

The past several decades have seen a full-scale assault on American public education. On the 200th anniversary of Horace Mann's birth, AASA's (American Association of School Administrators)executive director introduces several "contrarians" whose writings celebrate public education's success in this special issue. In Jack McKay's…

The radical left has disseminated considerable disinformation concerning religious conservatives' supposed "agenda" for America's public schools. Rather than seeking to ban books, impose mandatory prayer, and eliminate school breakfast programs, the Christian Coalition has a mainstream agenda favoring parental rights, drug- and…

A 1997 report by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan public-opinion research firm, confirmed that educators deplore the quality of press coverage of public education. While questioning journalistic effectiveness and credibility, the study offers objective insights about citizens' expectations. Superintendents must communicate concerns to editors and…