After her son died by suicide, Theodora Schiro vowed to raise awareness and teach others about depression and suicide. In this article, Schiro (a former teacher and principal) explains how educators can detect warning signs, devise preventative programs, and fight the stigma associated with suicide.

The education landscape is changing as a result of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). How is it changing, and who is most affected? The reports presented in this article examine the impact of NCLB, highlight educators' concerns, and recommend improvements. These reports include: (1) "From the Capital to the Classroom: Year 4 of the No Child Left…

Dialogue with our constituents is essential if we expect them to support public education. (Author)

The US people are becoming less concerned with what's good for children and more concerned about compliance with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy. The NCLB is constricting the curricular thinking of education leaders rather than spurring instructional improvements.

Critics have long claimed that kids are getting dumber. Only in recent decades have schools been blamed for students' perceived ineptitude and our nation's declining competitiveness. Education indicators sagged around 1965 for a decade, then climbed to new highs. The schools shouldered the blame for the late 1980s recession, but got no credit for…

Public opinion surveys conducted by Public Agenda confirm that parents, students, and educators from diverse ethnic groups share the same fundamental aspirations for education and agree on the basic reforms needed in schools. The author, a senior advisor for Public Agenda, describes survey findings that suggest that all groups see education as the…

Provides historical perspective on moral education, discusses links between morality and religion, and recommends several actions to help develop morally mature individuals to ensure the existence of a just and caring society. Insets detail characteristics of morally mature persons and list members of the ASCD Panel of Moral Education. Includes 14…

Sussex Central High School in Georgetown, Delaware, uses the local newpapers and radio stations to broadcast the good news about the school and sends postcards to the parents whenever a student deserves a pat on the back. (Author/MLF)

Educators should take vigorous action to respond to public concerns about adequacy of schools. (Author)

Since polls play an increasingly prominent role in shaping educational politics, educators need to distinguish between prevailing opinion and what polls really measure. Heroic leaders sometimes swim against the tide of public opinion and change it. Polls are fickle; they accurately depict near-future voting or consumer behavior, but are less…

In developing a national curriculum, ways must be found to challenge students and teachers, preserve initiative, and maintain democratic control. President Bush's New American Achievement Tests will consist of a system of examinations to be administered by individual states or clusters of states. Conversion should embody a grand,…

Public Agenda's national surveys over the past six years depict an American public angered by the state of public education. Many see the schools as mirroring the moral decay that infects society. The public feels the schools are no longer theirs, that they have been captured by teachers, reformers, unions, or others. Unless educators address…

Schools cannot meet challenges of reform without first doing a better job of connecting with parents and the public. According to Public Agenda reports, educators are out of touch with typical views of parents and the public. Most people are doubtful about advocated practices such as detracking, holistic reading, early use of calculators, and…

The loss of public confidence in the schools can be countered through carefully thought-out programs of individual and group action. (Author)

Much of the current distrust of schools is part of a consumer movement. Public relations programs are less effective than in previous years. Mechanisms for increasing parental participation are emerging. (Author/MLF)