Discusses the teaching of writing and the focus of the writer's inner sense of well-being or fulfillment used by Romantic teachers. Mentions that some teachers believe that this is at the cost of suppressing the concept of discourse. Argues that writerly pleasure empowers students, and that this topic is relevant to the teaching of writing. (CR)

Teacher and principal autonomy in public and private secondary schools was studied through interviews with more than 30 teachers and administrators, observations, and document analyses. Results reveal the complexity of the concept of autonomy and challenge the myth that teachers and principals in private schools enjoy more autonomy. (SLD)

Highlights gaps in initiatives to restructure education, community health, and social services. Introduces enabling components to address gaps and accelerate reform beyond full-service school model. Outlines examples of current efforts to operationalize the unifying, policy-oriented concept. Stresses implications for school psychologists in terms…

Accuses successive governments of Australia of deriding intellect and the intellectual. Claims the attitude that teaching is everyone's realm and does not require professional expertise rewards itself in forms of ignorance, prejudice and narrowness and has created a critically deprived and impoverished education culture. (NH)

Responds to an article in the same issue of this journal describing a high school play director's use of "democratic" directing methods. Explores questions about methodology and study design and the role of the researcher in examining her own practice. Argues that the study makes a strong contribution to the field, especially for those involved in…

A university-based teacher educator in Australia examines her ethical dilemma in fulfilling a commitment to professional practice grounded in caring without being drawn into endless emotional involvement with students, and offers an alternative conceptualizaiton of caring as mutual empowerment, deliberative relationships, and transparency of…

Describes a multimedia resource developed for camps by the American Camping Association and Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul, and Mary, to help children express and manage their emotions, cooperate and appreciate the individual strengths that each child brings to a group, celebrate diversity, and practice negotiating and resolving conflict creatively.…

Creativity is the ultimate therapeutic experience because it validates the creator's abilities and allows the risk taking that enables growth. An adventure therapy session involving a group of recovering adult substance abusers illustrates how creativity is used to organize the group, determine the group's needs, generate meaning, and translate…

McKinney (Texas) Independent School District is developing a program aligned with Goals 2000 standards that stresses individual, collegial, and organizational improvement. The result is the Instructional Technology Academy, which tries to provide a catalyst for transforming the teaching/learning process and developing best practices to enhance…

Four contributors to this column, including two administrators, a support staff member, and an educator responsible for training technical assistants, discuss training and recognition programs for support staff, with particular emphasis on empowerment strategies that have proven effective. (AEF)

Challenged to increase leadership opportunities for teachers, an El Paso elementary school principal appointed two master teachers to a vice-principal vacancy, increased teacher collaboration time, and experimented with vertical-team representation, teacher input for hiring decisions, and creative scheduling. Only the principal can actually…

A study collected data on the quality of life and self-determination of 50 individuals with mental retardation to examine the contribution of self-determination to quality of life and the relationship between these constructs. Participants who reported a higher quality of life were also identified as more self-determined. (Author/CR)

Arguing that empowering research techniques cannot, in and of themselves, inform and support the political aspirations of emancipatory intervention, this article outlines a critical approach to evaluation more consistent with the principles of empowering intervention. The Canadian Treasury Board's guide to program evaluation is used as an example.…

Presents a contemporary leadership model comprised of three elements necessary to successfully recognize and promote teacher leaders. The elements include establishing an appropriate school culture, recognizing teacher leaders, and inspiring teachers' confidence. The three elements, along with enabled teacher leadership, create positive cultural…

Describes a national advocacy campaign to preserve funding for specialized services for older people with visual impairments. Outlines steps for developing a similar campaign, including: identifying critical issues, identifying key decision makers, developing a clear message, determining desired results, identifying potential advocates, and…