Senior class high jinks can be amusing until someone gets hurt and the school district is sued. That's what happened when three seniors concocted an explosive smoke bomb that unintentionally injured several girls holding a yearbook party nearby. Since the prank was considered a misdemeanor, the district was liable for $12,500 and suffered lots of…

By their silence and failure to combat peer sexual harassment, schools are serving as training grounds for domestic violence. Schools must establish a districtwide program of student peer sexual harassment prevention and intervention comprised of a school policy, an environmental survey of the problem, a grievance procedure, a training component,…

Although teachers' professional development is crucial to any society, there is evidence of deprofessionalization in teaching. This paper asks why this is happening and who is to blame, using extensive inservice data from British schools. Government policies have contributed to this phenomenon. However, teachers and schools have been reluctant to…

A survey on experiences with child abuse reporting was obtained from 116 middle and high school counselors and principals across the U.S. Results revealed that counselors throughout their careers had made more reports than principals and perceived themselves to be better trained on child abuse. Those school professionals with fewer years of…

Suggests that protecting children is humanity's moral litmus test and the overarching moral challenge in our world and nation, where millions of children's lives are ravaged by adult wars, neglect, abuse, and racial, ethnic, religious, and class divisions. Notes that what school leaders accomplish now (investing in child health, early childhood…

Addresses the evolution of the student-as-consumer philosophy through a review of the literature and analyzes the contemporary contractual relationship between colleges and students through examination of federal and state case law. Guidelines for administrative practice suggesting methods for avoidance of institutional and professional liability…

The question of higher education's role in promoting social justice in the larger society is considered. It is concluded that, although higher education must exist largely apart from society to fulfill its mission, it cannot survive too far removed from social forces and must not allow contrary forces to go unchallenged. (MSE)

The decline of the family is well documented and probably irreversible. Parents are using more elective time for self-pursuits that compete for the time and energy needed for child rearing. Parents' reduced accountability to children challenges schools to assimilate a new personal form of responsibility. Schools must support, not supplant,…

A discussion of the need for careful personnel selection examines the appropriate use of psychological inventories and provides a step-by-step guide to the selection process. (MSE)

Although time does not permit in-depth interaction with all parents, educators should work with parents of "target" children for whom ongoing communications may be the difference between success and failure. Contacting these parents early in students' school life and school year will help tackle problems before they escalate. (MLH)

Baby Boom parents' high incomes and stratospheric expectations often combine to confound the most seasoned school administrators. These parents are criticized for shifting parental responsibility to schools and overstressing their children's academic achievement. For all their hyperactivity, many upscale parents do care and have considerable…

This article reviews the legal basis of inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education settings, focusing on students with behavior disorders. It examines case law and extrapolates principles from these cases, including the Daniel R. R. standard, the Rachel H. standard, and the Clyde K. and Sheila K. versus Puyallup School District…

Reality of widespread adult/teen sex--as revealed through age-specific pregnancy, birth, and sexually transmitted disease (STD) statistics--has profound implications for public school sex education and efforts to reduce incidence of teen pregnancy and STDs. Many public school "prevention" measures have failed because male half of "teen" pregnancy…

Educators can help resolve student grief over death of a student or staff member by giving accurate information, answering questions, sharing their feelings, and learning from the experience. Meeting with small groups of students after the incident may help them cope with their feelings. This article recommends a four-phase model employing crisis…

"The Education of Little Tree," authored by Asa Carter (an ex-Ku Klux Klansman), was too eagerly embraced by classroom teachers. The book was as digestible as instant pudding for youngsters reared on televised versions of Indian life. A continued diet of "feel-good" New Age pseudocultural pap will produce a generation of…