It is time to educate corporate America on the need to finance higher education by using a need-based giving standard. Corporations need to realize that two-year colleges significantly affect their work force and economy. Only 25 percent of the jobs in the United States require a degree from a four-year college, yet up to 75 percent of the jobs…

Examines why teachers have responded unenthusiastically, if not negatively, to socialist criticism of education in the United States. Points out shortcomings of the critique and the areas it has not explored. (JOW)

Education as the cure-all for any adverse economic condition is everywhere. But this contention exaggerates the role of schools in the economy, and it conflates two issues: First, how can American firms increase productivity to improve their ability to compete? Education can help in the first area, although it is far from a silver bullet. As to…

Discussion of the value of knowledge clarifies issues related to the distinction between the process of information and the knowledge transmitted. Topics addressed include practical and intellectual knowledge, the value of education, the private and social value of scientific journals, and benefit-and-cost analysis. (eight references) (MES)

This paper critiques the 1973 Spence-Arrow model of employer decision-making based on using the job applicant's educational credentials as a screening device to identify pre-existing differences in the abilities of prospective workers. The first section of the paper develops a model similar to the Spence-Arrow model, dropping the assumption that…

U.S. Labor Secretary Reich argues that training for high-skill work is the key to high-paying jobs. The New Republic's contributing editor, John Judis, attributes wage decline to decline of unions and proposes a compromise between business and labor. (JOW)

To better "internationalize" their curriculum, community colleges should: (1) require one academic year of foreign language study; (2) design foreign language curriculum to develop students' functional language proficiency; (3) develop language courses to serve the community's and students' unique foreign language needs and interests; and (4)…

As job skill levels increase, high school dropout has consequences for unemployment, the nation's economy, and the economic future of dropouts. More than ever, vocational education must investigate ways to tap the potential of dropout-prone students. (SK)

Explores some of the meanings of professionalization for early childhood educators, especially in relation to pedagogic authority and the knowledge base which determines teaching practice. (AS)

While the social scientific study of education has advanced impressively in recent years, little progress has been made in a number of areas. Energies should be directed to the study of the education of the rich and privileged as well as the education of minorities and the poor. (Author/EB)

Compares the European style of teaching with the U.S. approach to science education in terms of the level of science instruction, educational systems, school curriculums, and scientific and economic status. (KHR)

Lessons designed to prepare students for standardized tests are replacing lessons designed to help children think. Instead of national standardized test scores, schools should use local criterion-referenced tests; take a baseline measurement; compare test scores with districts having similar demographics; compare students, not grade levels; and…

In this article, the author discusses the "high-skills hoax"--the notion that everyone must have high skills to be employable. While he recognizes the civil rights issue in the debate--everyone should have the opportunity to develop the skills to land a high-paying job--the law of supply and demand dictates that more high-skilled workers would…

This article discusses the close links that have traditionally existed between schooling, occupation, and place in society. It argues that community expectations of schooling assume this close relationship as a primary purpose of schooling. Questions are raised about the purposes of schooling and whether its design is adequate to meet changing…

The past few years have seen a 'deflation' in the value of the French baccalaureate degree, partially due to the development of mass education. More stringent selection/admission procedures are suggested. (MLW)