Examines three historical examples of experiments in social change at the school level. Discusses the underlying assumptions that establishing a democratic education on a small scale can contribute to societal democracy and that education must come from the people and be related to their everyday lives. (CJS)

Although shared decision making wasn't always Harold Boyden's first priority during his 30 years as a Vermont district leader, he always sought out his staff's ideas. Boyden believes in picking his fights, knowing when to compromise, and delegating when appropriate. He prefers to spread out budgeting ownership, responsibility, and commitment. (MLH)

This article proposes rules of thumb about the teacher education design process. The rules are grounded in the attempts at reforming teacher education at Washington University in the early 1970s, at a time during which a year-long, field-based alternative to the traditional elementary program was operated. (IAH)

Explores the historical bases for turning to education for solutions to U.S. economic problems. Discusses the Founders' dream of an educated republic, the nineteenth-century origins of public education, and the Progressive era view of schools as laboring communities in miniature. Addresses the implications for contemporary education. (SG)

The evolution of Project Adventure's Full Value Contract from its original No Discount format is described. Although wording varies among groups, all versions ask the group to create safe and respectful behavioral norms under which it will operate, to commit to those norms, and to accept a shared responsibility for their maintenance. (TD)

Drawing on extensive staff interviews, this publication profiles a high school principal in Eugene, Oregon, who exhibits many aspects of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is improvement oriented and comprises three elements: (1) a collaborative, shared decision-making approach; (2) an emphasis on teacher professionalism and…

This book addresses the philosophy of governance in higher education, the nature of governance and some of the forms it may take, the meaning of democracy in university governance, criteria for assessing governance systems, and underlying assumptions about aims and efforts. The book focuses on the colleges and universities in New York City in the…

Since the late 1800s, factors that stimulated growth of outing clubs at colleges and universities included the desire to get outdoors and explore and the clubs' ability to provide outdoor training, access, and equipment. Outing clubs were initially formed by students. The outing clubs at Williams College, Dartmouth, and Allegheny College were all…

Reviews the issues of tenure, faculty status, promotion, and compensation for Wayne State University (Michigan) librarians since 1968 and outlines areas in which disagreement among librarians may have contributed to a denial of full faculty status and privileges. (six references/notes) (EA)

Given the role that initiatives and referenda have played in state and local governance, it is interesting that there has never been a national initiative or referendum in the United States. The reason for this is that the Constitution of the United States does not provide for direct citizen initiation of, or direct popular votes on, either…

Examines parent-teacher relationships in early childhood programs, including those for children with disabilities, across five eras of the 20th century. The general approaches have been the earlier tendency to view parents as learners in need of information and the recent trend to involve them in program decision making. (SLD)

Historically, participation in school affairs gave rural people a working knowledge of how democracy functioned. In the late 19th century, power shifted from the voice of the many to the voice of a few, as "expert" opinion increasingly influenced state legislators, governors, and national political leaders. The push to consolidate…

Collaborative learning, such as student-team learning or work-group learning, has become the focus of inservice workshops for teachers, a theme in professional journals, and the daily routine in an increasing number of classrooms. The women's study clubs in late 19th-century United States used a similar pedagogy. By the early 1900s, perhaps as…

Issues related to decentralization, with a focus on community involvement, are discussed in this paper. The 20th-century Indonesian experience is analyzed to illustrate the process by which a national administrative reform policy develops, and to identify contributing and inhibiting factors relating to the implementation of decentralization. The…

Australian and American universities contrast instructively in the degree to which faculties participate in their governance. Although faculties have long attempted to gain authority in American universities and participate substantially today in Australian universities, the former are, and the latter are becoming, dominated by external…