Responds to comments by David Hursh and Aggie Seneway on the author's classroom experiments with student democracy. Clarifies points from her initial article to answer questions by the commentators. Finds agreement with them on most points, except for the necessity of parliamentary debate as a fundamental element of democracy. (DSK)

Vermont's Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1997 will radically increase the proportion of state money designated for public education and transform the entire state taxation system. Spurred by a court decision invalidating the state's school finance system, Act 60 establishes a statewide property tax for a general state support grant, includes…

Neither standards/high-stakes testing nor privatization/charter-school improvement approaches will live up to proponents' ambitious claims. Standardized tests cannot uphold new performance goals. Charter schools serve limited numbers of students, siphoning off pedagogical reform energies that would benefit kids left behind. Rigor and innovation…

Describes the work of Florence B. Stratemeyer, a democratic teacher/educator who respected and was committed to her students and believed in their potential. Presents several anecdotes that typify her ability, her commitment to the practice of college teaching, and her relationships with others. (SM)

Suggests that a goal of schooling should be to educate students for democracy as a means of challenging a status quo in which a relatively small number of people control a disproportionate share of society's social and economic resources. Examines the potential of critical, pro-justice, whole-language instruction to help create the conditions for…

Democracy's strength and Achilles's heel is freedom. The freedom democracy espouses permits myriad intrusions into schooling's primary mission--educating the young for the stewardship of democracy. Teachers must be caring, moral stewards of our schools--educated to understand democratic fundamentals and become good "crap detectors." (MLH)

Describes the international civic education program, Civitas, including background on its creation, national and international significance of and need for the program, program goals, elements for systematic implementation of civic education, program organization, program products and their effectiveness, and illustrative examples of program…

In 1963, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee established Freedom Schools as part of civil-rights undertakings to assist African Americans in Mississippi. Results of the curriculum conference that created the alternative summer-school program may help educators implement critical pedagogy in today's schools. Contains 61 references. (MLH)

The editors chose character education as the theme for this "School Administrator" special issue because it undergirds school leaders' true mission: creation of community, advocacy for children, and preservation of democracy through public education. Authors tackle numerous topics, from the need to recapture a sense of civic duty and…

Discusses the issue of purpose in teacher education, explaining that teaching, unlike most other professions, has varied perceptions and assumptions regarding its purpose and nature. A 1980s study found that most preservice teachers had not discussed the purpose of schooling within a democracy during any of their classes. Examines the importance…

Invaded by candy manufacturers, sneaker companies, and fast food chains, schools increasingly promote a commercial culture. As commercial culture replaces public culture, the language of the market substitutes for the language of democracy. Educators, families, and communities must reinvigorate the language, social relations, and politics of…

Transcribes a conversation between Dieter Misgeld and Abraham Magendzo on human rights education. Misgeld envisions a moral climate based on the preservation of human rights while Magendzo articulates a vision of human rights education to produce democratic institutions and moral practice. Both call for a political analysis of moral education.…

Discusses whether school choice benefits students who do and do not receive vouchers, noting how choice affects integration and democratic ideals. Overall, there are important benefits for families participating in choice programs. Choice does not cream off the best students. Educational vouchers may influence public schools to improve. Private…

Successful school/community partnerships incorporate three elements: reciprocity, democratic processes, and access to varied opportunities. Principals can create sound partnerships by looking first to teachers, making schools family-friendly, reaching into their communities, seeking increased responsibility by families, and understanding mutual…

Examined the relationship between a host of family characteristics and indicators of adolescent competence in 107 eighth and ninth graders in Orissa state, India. Families of more socially competent students tended to be verbally and emotionally expressive, and democratic with respect to discipline, input, and decision making. (SLD)