Public and higher education have fallen prey to forces of commercialization, privatization, and market considerations that undermine civic and critical learning while devaluing young people as a referent for a democratic and just future. This article criticizes this position and makes a case for reclaiming such vital institutions as fundamental to…

Education research experts Eduventures released a report in February 2007 on where U.S. districts are headed with large system management. "Trends in K-12 Enterprise Management: Are Districts Ready to Cross the Chasm?" provides a detailed assessment of the themes and the trends that are driving the market for K-12 enterprise management systems.…

Critiques use of postmodernism in educational sociology. Analyzes the foundations of postmodern thought, differentiating among its aesthetic, philosophical, and sociological aspects. Examines contributions of Nietzsche and other nineteenth-century romantic conservatives. Postmodern educational thought misreads global educational trends and…

Calls for the continued privatization of public schools and the application of business solutions to school management problems are nothing new. Successful small-scale experiments at privatization will continue to have an incremental effect on educational reform. Even failed experiments offer opportunities about how to manage public education.…

Analyzes differences in the availability of school choice in the Netherlands, England, and Scotland, focusing on trends in 10 choice-related variables. Concludes that all three countries are moving toward an increased market mechanism but exhibit extensive differences, with the Netherlands approaching the market mechanism most closely. Contains 61…

This booklet examines the forces that power education today and asks whether parents and educators might wish to alter these forces. It states that schools, being conservative institutions, retain many of their 19th-century characteristics. The text notes that although innovations such as textbooks and electrification transformed the nature of…

Discusses the influence of Japan on educational reform in the United States. Identifies economic self-interest and global competitiveness as the motivations for increased U.S. instruction about Asia and the Pacific region. Expresses concern that such a competitive outlook is unlikely to produce a global perspective. (DK)

Critically examines recent market-oriented educational reforms in Ontario and their impact on socially disadvantaged groups. Argues that current trends lead toward a "marketization" of education in Ontario, as the rhetoric of cost-effectiveness and bureaucratic efficiency shifts the official agenda of educational reform away from equity…

School choice is a market-driven reform in which schools compete for students. Discusses characteristics of choice and lessons drawn from the international experience: increased segregation, unimproved learning, low participation, parental criteria, inequity, lack of options, administrative emphasis on management, and right-wing support. Describes…

This document presents the November 2004 issue of the Council for American Private Education's (CAPE's) monthly newsletter, "Outlook." Articles in this issue include: (1) Government Report Shows Increase in Private Schools and Students; (2) CAPE Board Meets with Secretary Paige; (3) Forum Focuses on Market Education; (4) SAT Scores Go…

Criticizes the current notion of defining students as "consumers" of education. Argues that this metaphor encourages a passive sense of entitlement in place of the hard work, discipline, and engagement that is necessary for learning to occur. Maintains that student are "producers" of their own knowledge. (MJP)