The corruption of the social work enterprise is not simply episodic but systemic and long-standing including education, research, governance, and practice. Reform is unlikely since the constituency within the field and outside of it that wishes to change the situation is small and ineffective. The corruption of social work reflects the unfortunate…

The authors of this memo to President-elect Barack Obama state that many in Congress are now proposing that the federal government intervene to address a range of problems in education by creating new programs and federal subsidies, including public school infrastructure and construction, funding for runaway college tuition costs, and the costs of…

The Memphis Restructuring Initiative (MRI) was an attempt at comprehensive school reform in Tennessee that ended with a whimper. Its downfall seems to involve some sort of "schismogenesis" or "inversion," in which many teachers violently reacted against being overworked and overwhelmed, culminating in the easy discarding of 8…

The dean of the faculty of arts and sciences at Washington University (Missouri) contends that they are committed to a strong liberal education and that the closing of the sociology department will enhance that commitment by releasing moneys for other programs and educational resources. Outlines what will be done with the money, and addresses…

An outdoor educator whose teaching position and field center were eliminated reflects on the importance of publicizing the value of outdoor education in developing ecological understanding and promoting student connection with the natural world, both of which are essential to learning to live a sustainable lifestyle. (LP)

The results of a study of five midwestern school districts suggest that the abandonment of program innovations or revisions may be related to a lack of understanding of how schools work as social systems and how political processes influence change efforts, as well as a failure to appreciate the many dilemmas facing those who attempt to facilitate…

It is argued that, when a university's resources are insufficient to undertake serious, responsible change in education, the institution should close its school of education and put its resources into high-quality programs elsewhere. Perpetuating low-quality education programs is seen as an insupportable alternative. (MSE)

Developed by the Academic Senate Educational Policies Committee, this document focuses on program discontinuance issues faced by local academic senates. Addressed foremost is the need to identify key factors for developing a fair, equitable, and faculty-driven program discontinuance process. Although college districts are required by current…