Improving the quality of the teacher workforce is high on the nation's education policy agenda, but school systems continue to face difficulties in staffing STEM and special education classrooms with qualified teachers. This article documents the mismatch between the supply and demand of STEM and special education teachers in Washington State,…

Why didn't China celebrate its stunning PISA performance? Why does Singapore blame its education for its inability to cultivate creative and entrepreneurial talents? Why don't the world's top scorers in international tests have the same level of entrepreneurial activities and capabilities? This essay uncovers the inconsistency between academic…

The U.S. has a powerful weapon in its educational arsenal: its community colleges. Yet these institutions, according to the author, are so often overlooked in discussions of the future of U.S. society and the U.S. work force that they might as well be deemed "top secret." More than 1,200 community colleges enroll some 47% of all undergraduates.…

In 1983, when "A Nation at Risk" appeared, it offered recommendations in the areas of content, standards and expectations, time, teaching, and leadership and fiscal support. The growing use of technology was addressed briefly in the section dealing with "indicators of risk," which listed examples of deficiencies in education as compared to the…

The business community is reestablishing connections with public education. The author points out successful partnerships between educators and corporations while questioning the ability of education to retain its integrity as the interest of business in education grows. (MD)

Rather than encourage massive federal or State funding for day care centers, it would be fairer and wiser to use the funds to establish a generous family assistance program. Parents could then exercise their own discretion, using or passing by day-care facilities. (Author)

The idea of people who are "under your nose" yet unseen seemed relevant as the author read two documents that draw on the same research. They use different language and come to different conclusions. The differences are subtle to be sure, but one document tends not to see much, while the other sees a lot. The first document is the National…

Three important early childhood education policy developments have emerged in recent years in response to increased female labor force participation and growing recognition that a positive group experience enhances child development. These developments are: the specifying of numerical targets for achieving an expansion of ECE services; extending…

Canada has a demonstrable shortage of skilled workers and professionals that will become more acute as the work force ages. Canadians stubbornly refuse to replicate themselves by having more children. The country is at risk of finding itself short not only of physicians and math teachers but also of enough working-age, tax-paying citizens to…

Ms. Kagan and Ms. Stewart, guest editors of this special section, present a discussion of the need to strengthen international education in American schools. Noting the gap between American students' international knowledge and skills and those they will need to effectively navigate an increasingly interconnected world, the editors sound a call…

Examines how the role of women within the home has changed and reviews legislation that makes equal job opportunity for women a requirement in theory. Considers five stereotypes about women that will have to be changed if women are to have equal job opportunities in practice. (Author/DN)