The Middle School Initiative, an ambitious plan to convert all New York City junior high schools to middle schools, faced numerous obstacles: loss of leadership support, teacher cynicism and resistance, blindness to difficulties, union regulations, pressures for quick results, administrator retirement incentives, and collaboration problems. (MLH)

Explores the issues involved in teaching a regional U.S. political science course, specifically referring to a course taught on midwestern politics. Covers topics such as defining the region to be studied, course organization, and assignments. Considers using the regional approach in an interdisciplinary course and other options. (CMK)

Presents an interview with researcher and teacher educator Carole Edelsky, named Outstanding Educator in the Language Arts by the National Council of Teachers of English. Discusses her work in sociolinguistics and in literacy education, her perspectives on literacy theory and pedagogy, how her political perspective permeates her work, her…

Describes the transformation of a writing program at a small Canadian university from a subdivision of the English department into a separate, interdisciplinary Centre for Academic Writing. Describes the origins of the program and recounts the processes of review and transition the program underwent. Notes how curricular and…

Discusses a process of acculturation in three stages by which fledgling Writing Program Administrators can be transformed into change agents: (1) critically reading the program to locate key allies, potential advocates, and proven adversaries; (2) implementing changes on an infrastructural level to convert positive relations among colleagues into…

Examines Israel's policy of gender equality in education, discussing: social and economic forces that created the demand for equality; political processes for implementing the policy; and policy content. Data from interviews and document reviews indicate that the policy was devised to address concerns of high-tech industries and women,…

Explores popular, historical, progressive, and economic representations of teachers' work to consider opportunities and dangers these images offer. Discusses the power to represent teaching, and speculates on the intentions of those who wield that power. Suggests ways teachers might make their work visible to the public in order to represent…

Shifts the terms of the "great debate" from technical questions about teaching method to questions about how various kinds of literacies work within communities--matters of government cutbacks and institutional downsizing, shrinking resource and taxation bases, and of students, communities, teachers, and schools trying to cope with rapid and…

Presents chief state school officers' rankings of 11 critical issues for the years 2000 and 2020. Finds, among other things, that the three issues perceived as most likely to be very important in 2000 were: student preparation in the workplace; utilization of technology in instruction; and providing a safe environment for learning. (SR)

Explores how race is exploited to serve political agendas in Britain, examining the Labour Government's orientation to race. Argues that the Labour Government manipulates issues to suggest concern while actually removing race from the policy agenda in education. Reflects on the Archbishop of Canterbury's "Jesus 2000" to support the…

A survey of 489 undergraduates in Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei, found politicians were nominated by all four samples as being the most creative individuals in the past and at present. Scientists and inventors ranked second in position. Artists, musicians, and businessmen were rarely nominated. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Explores the intersectional character of the vocational school and the resulting specific demands on the system of vocational education regarding its control. Discusses the law on the college of vocational education in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) and the supporting measures regarding quality management at vocational schools. (CMK)

Discusses national linguistic tensions related to the increasing number of Spanish speakers in the United States. Focuses on a group of language scholars who are engaging in efforts to change or suppress the use of U.S. Spanish, particularly in the domain of Spanish. Asserts that the arguments put forth by this group are based on attitudes of the…

Argues that political scientists need to pay more attention to research in subfields of the discipline outside of their own. Suggests research that does not limit itself in terms of possible generalizations. Provides examples of good uses of cross-field research. Reviews obstacles to change and ways to overcome them. (DSK)

Profiles the recent history of Tanzania's efforts to educate its people. After describing Tanzania's history and educational policies, the paper discusses school reform in its historical context and focuses on sharing the costs and benefits of education. Examines ideological intent, theoretical merits, and practical limitations of applied…