Some see the George W. Bush administration's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) as the perfect complement to the No Child Left Behind Act's (NCLB) equity focus. The authors believe, however, that the prospects for synergy of these two agendas are not bright. In this essay, the authors discuss the history behind NCLB and the ACI, and argue…

Depicts the current state of teacher certification, asserting that state laws giving teacher education programs a monopoly are the core problem. Advocates a competitive certification model. (Contains 23 endnotes.) (SK)

The author forthrightly declares in this book of essays on school reform that teachers are no more saintly than anyone else, that poor schools should be closed and lousy teachers should be fired, that philanthropy may sometimes do more harm than good, that teaching experience is not essential to being a school principal, that schools should be…

Examines how the introduction of the Cleveland voucher experiment in 1995 affected the administration and leadership of Cleveland's public schools. As of summer 2001, the program has produced virtually no visible effects. Results suggest that choice-based reform may not spur improvement in urban school systems, at least in the short term or when…

This paper examines how the introduction of the Cleveland, Ohio, voucher experiment in 1995 affected the administration and leadership of the city's public schools. The paper focuses on the nature of political and bureaucratic responses to competition and describes the short-term consequences of competition and how such consequences might…

This paper describes the United States' first public voucher program, which was launched in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1990. It discusses the three phases that school competition has undergone in the Milwaukee Public School (MPS) district. These phases are a period of minimal competition from 1990-95, the passage of new charter-school legislation…

This book examines the impact of school vouchers and charter schools on three urban school districts, exploring the causes of behaviors observed and explaining how the structure of competition will likely shape the future of public education. The book draws on case studies from three districts at the center of the school choice debate: Milwaukee,…

Argues that public schools must change their underlying culture and rules to benefit from competition from charter schools and voucher programs. Discusses differences between educational marketplace and traditional economic models, finding schools less responsive to competitive pressures. Analyzes factors constraining competition and offers…

The central premise underlying teacher certification is that--no matter what their qualifications are--anyone who has not completed the specified training is unsuited to enter a classroom and must be prohibited from applying for a job. Presumably, the danger is that, in a moment of weakness, a school official otherwise will mistakenly hire such an…

Surveys conducted in 50 urban school systems nationwide investigated the impact of perceived school performance, race, and religion on private school enrollment. Results show some evidence that perceived public school quality may affect enrollment, consistent with claims that competition spurs improvement. Results also suggest that religion and…

In this paper, the authors argue that at a time when disappointing student performance, stark achievement gaps, and an ever-"flattening" world call for retooling American schools for the 21st century, the most daunting impediments to doing so are the teacher collective bargaining agreements that regulate virtually all aspects of school district…