In the fall of 2013, a parents' group formed to protest the new Common Core based mathematics textbook recently adopted by their school district. Quickly allying with teachers, the new coalition began to, "hammer," the district to drop the Common Core and return to more traditional texts and pedagogies. They did so by speaking at…

Schools have always been recognized as an integral part of the community and the challenge is to ensure this vital component of social infrastructure is delivered in such a manner that long term benefits for local children, families and the broader community are realized. The Western Metropolitan Region in Victoria has experienced rapid…

This paper explores, with a qualitative framework, critical social theory and thematic analysis, the narratives of many Aboriginal elders of Mornington Island (Kunhanhaa) about their history and their potential to form productive kin-based relationships with visiting teachers in order to influence the curriculum and pedagogy delivered at the local…

This analysis examines the factors associated with a positive attitude toward the funding of local schools. Using data from a 1984 survey of 1,000 Illinois residents, the analysis found that attentiveness to local school issues was the strongest predictor of a positive attitude toward school spending. Suburban residents were less likely to be…

This agenda for educational improvement in Oakland (California) outlines community expectations of the school system and gives specific examples of what those expectations mean in practice. More than 800 individuals from neighborhood groups, churches, parent organizations, school district staff, and business and professional associations testified…

By focusing on the entire community as stakeholders in the public schools, the school board, the superintendent, and principals are forced to identify and cultivate the diverse groups in the community. Eight essential steps to developing an effective stakeholder management strategy are listed. (Author/DCS)

Within the next 3 years, every school district in the country is likely to deal with a new and frightening challenge--dealing with the presence of students or staff members with HIV infection or AIDS. How schools respond to this challenge may well determine the future of U.S. education. Some communities may react with ignorance and fear, just as…

This article explores the benefits and drawbacks of centralized versus local control of schools. It concludes that our traditional conflict between Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian perspectives makes it possible for us to avoid a permanent imbalance between centrist imperatives and the need to maintain rural strength. (PB)

The rationale for conducting a community survey to obtain information on a specific problem or issue for local school board policy formation is illustrated in this case study. A survey mailed to 10 percent of all district households in a small midwestern city yielded a 31 percent response rate. Survey analysis was utilized by the school board to…

A survey of community concerns was administered to 674 households in Birmingham, Alabama. Survey questions focused on the costs of goods and services, crime, welfare and other social aid, local government, housing, education, police community relations, health, unemployment, and income. High costs of utilities, health care, and housing were of…

Reversing two decades of school-community turmoil, Valley View--a small, rural community in northeastern Vermont--approved a bond issue for school construction. This case study uses organizational and systems theory to examine structural, political, symbolic, and human resource influences on changing community attitudes. Contains 19 references.…

"The Imperfect Union" recounts the experiences of "Killmer," Illinois, from 1975 to 1979 while the village of 900 persons sought to fight the closing of its elementary school by seceeding from the consolidated school district ("Unit 110") to which it belonged. "Unit 110" is represented as an imperfect…

In the last analysis, the school curriculum is under the control of the local education authority and of the people who elect that authority. Looking ahead in the social studies field, it seems evident that social studies teachers will have to accept a task of community education in addition to their task of classroom education. Teachers will have…

Presents the perspectives of a high school librarian and a high school English teacher on the issue of censorship in their schools. (MM)

Reports on an Arkansas survey that illustrates a technique for analyzing the school-related concerns and perceptions of teachers and community members. Shows how the survey can identify problem areas in the schools and explains how administrators can use the survey to improve school-community relations. (SB)