This paper argues that the essential social function of schools is to teach people their place, which can become material for ruling elites. Focusing on urban students, the paper emphasizes that teachers must learn to become political in order to help build a just social order. (SM)

Four co-editors of an Aztlan anthology discuss the state of Chicano studies and where it is going. Responses ranged from the need for regional diversity to recognizing feminist perspectives. They agreed that Chicano studies has always asked such questions as part of the process of reinventing itself in order to reinvest itself in its cultural and…

Examines debate over educational language policy in Botswana and Tanzania. Proposes that descriptions of classroom practice are necessary for effective educational language planning. Describes bilingual code switching and reliance on teacher-centered recitation routines. Argues that more creative and effective teaching and learning can be…

The firing of the director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia after a 20-year tenure and similar changes in other states have raised concerns that higher education policy boards face tightened political control. Some Virginia legislators feel the dismissal has left the council with little credibility, and substituted political…

A survey of 47 state higher education executive officers about proposals made between 1989 and 1994 to restructure higher education governance patterns investigated actions taken on the proposals, who initiated them, why they were advanced, and the internal, regional, and external factors in the restructuring proposals. The 29 proposals are…

Comments by five industry leaders on the major trends, concerns, or forces that will affect education this year. Topics include planning schools to serve the community, transforming school business officials into visionaries and communicators, administrator accessibility, school boards as catalysts of change, and community-based transportation.…

Massachusetts' Board of Higher Education is moving to develop one state higher education institution as an elite campus to draw the state's best students, as Commonwealth College of Massachusetts. Ten institutions are competing for approval of their institutions and models, which include elements such as enhanced curricula and honors programs,…

Examines the conservative response to the movement for multiculturalism as manifested in the case of children's literature, exploring the challenges posed to those concerned with creating, producing, distributing, and consuming children's literature. The paper also explores authorship of multicultural books, discussing the freedom of writers to…

Examines relative gender access to elementary school education from 1977 to 1990 in Imo State (Nigeria). It discusses the reasons for, and implications of, any observed gender disparities in access to elementary school education and suggests appropriate intervention strategies to eliminate obstacles to female access to education in Nigeria. (GR)

One of four articles in the fourth section, "Aspects of Evaluation of PDS," this article argues for systematic evaluation of professional development schools. The paper provides specific suggestions for evaluation in three areas: evidence that K-12 students profit, that the preservice teacher education program is effective, and that continuing…

Two visions of the role of education are apparent within the Scottish Parliament--education for economic growth and education for informed citizenship and social justice. Responses to the national debate on education indicate that people favor the latter and do not want more and more initiatives. The challenge is to strive for improvement within…

The movement to standardization and high-stakes testing has been driven by ideological and political concerns and has adversely affected teaching/learning, democratic discourse, and educational equity. Rural schools are hit harder because of geographic isolation and insufficient staff and resources. Testing used for purposes other than measuring…

A brief overview of national issues in public education in 2002. Discusses the views of advocates and opponents of the No Child Left Behind Act and the school voucher movement; federal, state, and local government challenges to local school board authority; and school funding and general economic issues. (WFA)

The present British government claims that its policies have transformed the economy and reversed its decline. This paper suggests that reforms have been guided chiefly by short-term political expediency and in compliance with the government's market forces ideology. A-levels need reforming to avoid serious shortages of professional skills.…

A number of school boards have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy out their superintendents' contracts. Offers advice from school board members, superintendents, search consultants, and school attorneys on the issues of contract buyouts. Calculates the cost of contract buyouts in four large school systems. (MLF)