Despite a growing consensus among scholars and activists about the importance of religion, proposals for teaching about it have often been a source of division rather than unity in American public school districts. Faced with familiar cultural conflicts, Modesto, California, chose to become the first public school district in the USA to require…

The authors report the findings of the 41st Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools. The annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools is unique because it's not an advocacy poll, but rather a thoughtful study of Americans' current perceptions of their public schools. Each…

This article describes how Bruce Hoffman and Marc Sageman, two prominent scholars of terrorism, square off over whether Al Qaeda remains the primary global terrorist threat. The dispute began in the pages of "Foreign Affairs," where Hoffman, a professor in the security-studies program at Georgetown University, wrote a withering review of…

Science has seen considerable change in recent decades with the emergence of a new economic and sociopolitical contract between science, the nation, state, and private commercial interests. Generally regarded as having been precipitated by globalization, these changes in the sciences are beginning to be documented by a range of commentators.…

In this article, the author reviews several books on world history from the 1920s to the 1940s. These include books authored by a diverse group: H.G. Wells, "Outline of History" (Macmillan, 1920); James Henry Breasted, "Ancient Times, A History of the Early World" (published in 1916 by Ginn and Company and largely rewritten in 1935); M.…

According to the Chinese Ministry of Education and the China Scholarship Council, the ministry-directed agency that oversees educational exchange, the number of international students at Chinese universities rose dramatically over the past decade, from 39,000 in 1997 to 195,000 in 2007 (although only one-third of them were seeking degrees). While…

America's sense of community is broken down; its sense of connectedness and the collective is "collapsing." That these senses ever existed is a matter for considerable debate. But, as the new millennium gains momentum and neoliberalism seeks expansion, the author argues that a focus on rekindling these concepts of community,…

As she reflects on the question forming the title of this piece, the author begins with a premise--namely, that they became teacher educators because they are motivated to make a difference. They are committed to education, and they feel compelled to prepare the next generation of teachers. With the best of intentions, the author does not think…

Diverse schools offer enriched academic and social environments, as students and families of different backgrounds and experiences provide a vibrant mosaic of insights, perspectives, and skills. To take advantage of the unique opportunities that diversity brings, schools must value and effectively connect with students and families of all…

This study investigated the structure of adult students' worries. Students (N = 309) enrolled in advanced undergraduate and graduate university courses were administered the Student Worry Scale. A factor analysis revealed three factors of student worries: worries about living conditions, esteem-related worries, and world-related worries. Worries…

Lois Weiner (2007) asserts that neoliberalism is "a lethal threat to U.S. teacher education" (p. 274). In this paper, the authors argue that neoliberalism poses the most important challenge faced by teacher education in an increasingly global society. Neoliberalism is having a direct impact on U.S. teacher education in the form of the…

This paper seeks to provide a starting point for a broader discussion on the development of a critical research agenda in the field of "Education and Conflict Studies." We begin the paper with a brief overview of the field of Education and Conflict drawing on a series of recent "overviews" of the field and locate this within…

Religion plays an important role in social studies content and is difficult to ignore, especially because of current world events. In our global society, it is more important than ever to know about and understand the religious beliefs of others. The social studies curriculum is infused with religion, but teachers circumvent the issue, mistakenly…

These are demanding times for America and for nations around the world. Today, as at no time in recent history, everyone is experiencing massive, often-tumultuous changes that are transforming one's society economically, politically, and socially. As ongoing debates about these and other factors continue to redefine the world, America's education…

Multicultural educators have long fought for diversity in the curriculum, equitable representation in text books, and the inclusion of student voices in the learning process. These are important fights, but they are doomed to result only in tokenism if multicultural educators do not incorporate the skills of critical thinking into the…