Societal stories about school do not just reflect our current views and values, they also shape our political preferences and the realities that result from them. In recent decades, stories of the traditional common school and its more collectivist, shared culture have given way to newer stories oriented around competition and choice. Sarah…

The author, a former school board member and currently head of nationwide parent organization, assesses the competition between charter and traditional public schools, concluding that the competition and acrimony among them does not help them deliver a better education. Policies should be focused on helping both types of schools improve education,…

There is considerable naivete regarding the similarities between progressive education and open education. Discusses these similarities and differences. (Editor/JF)

Describes the basic principles (referred to as commandments) of progressive education and traditional education. Argues for a synthesis of both education philosophies. (PKP)

Private tutoring is a growing industry that is being transformed by an evolution from "shadow education" provision into "learning center" franchises. Traditional shadow educators closely follow the school curriculum, offering short-term homework help and test preparation. Learning centers develop their own curricular and…

In their respect for tradition, educatiors have failed to learn how to face crises realistically, to analyze them for deeper underlying factors which past generations have overlooked. This article deals with such overlooked learning factors. (Author)

Argues that if conformity is what culture demands, then schools that emphasize dull, fixed, ritualistic, and conformist behavior are functional. (Author)

Although dropout rates in virtual school courses are typically quite high, some virtual programs have very low course dropout and failure rates and better passing rates on key criterion tests (e.g., AP tests) than do traditional school programs. Directors of five successful virtual schools agreed to share their "formulas for success" in…

Perhaps what is needed for the entire educational system is to find and utilize a special group of people to operate nontraditionally at all levels within that system. Perhaps that group of people should have a special name -- what about teachers? (Author)

Discusses the results of two studies comparing charters schools with traditional schools. Both studies suggest that charter schools are more successful in retaining better teachers than are traditional schools. Finds, for example, charter schools are much more likely than traditional public schools to employ teachers who lack regular state…

The Los Alamitos School District, a poorer than average elementary district in southern California, has made a near complete transition from a traditional to a nongraded, team-teaching program with individualized instruction in reading and language arts. The results have been startlingly good. Describes how the district made the transition.…

Discusses the importance of the good noninnovative'' high school in the educational system. (Author/DN)

It would be kind to say that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) was dawdling in its analysis of the data on charter schools that were collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). ED collected the data with the regular NAEP assessment in 2003 and placed the regular data on its website in the fall of 2003. The American…

Elliot Eisner, Lee Jacks Professor of Education and Art, Stanford University, imparts his thoughts about the salient features of schools he believes America needs, for example, having principals spend about one-third of their time in the classroom. (PKP)

Recent reports on educational reform tend to encourage a return to enforced uniformity in American public schools. If public education is to compete successfully with private education, however, increasing numbers of magnet schools should be established to provide diversity and genuine choice among public schools. (JBM)