Describes the content of the fictional "Turner Diaries." Points out the antisemitic, racist, and antidemocratic aspects of the novel. Brings attention to the role of the "Diaries" to white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups in the United States. Also links the "Diaries" to Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City (Oklahoma) bombing. (DSK)

Current reform efforts are politically inspired, fragmented, unsystematic, atheoretical, and costly. They ignore developmental limitations to student achievement. This article uses Piaget's cognitive notion of development and behaviorist principals of instructional design to support the existence of qualitative and quantitative limits to student…

School leaders must develop communication campaigns to influence public policy--not just send out letters requesting legislative action. Public relations should support a school or district's overall objectives. Administrators must research issues, target key people, and deliver messages. Strategies include sharing students' work and hosting…

Explains how a powerful group of parents and mathematicians manipulated information and capitalized on the public's perception of California's "failing schools" to acquire political clout. In California, "teaching for understanding" is now a banished concept, and mastery of procedural skills ("parrot math") has scored…

Examines the relationship between Greece's Ministry of Education and its institutions of higher education, noting that coordination of this relationship is important for both the academic institutions and the state. Argues that the Ministry of Education exercises control of higher education through laws and regulations, intervening in…

Traces the history of higher education in Italy. Discusses the nature and function of the Italian university; changes in Italy's system of higher education over the years; the issue of academic autonomy in Italy; and reform in Italian universities over the next few years (going corporate and walking the tightrope between autonomy and national…

Argues that the recent history of composition studies reveals traditions of intra-disciplinary tribal conflict. Explains how in English education, even though the elements of tribal conflict are in place, the situation is different. Claims that the difference lies in the political, social and historical "contact zone" English education…

Using Weicke's environmental-enactment theory, explores how 18 "successful" principals enact and structure the internal and external school environment. Examines what specifically captures principals' attention, using the critical-incident technique. Principals' environmental attention-structure seems driven by their concerns for…

Explores reactions among advocates of five distinct political ideologies (conservative, neoconservative, neoliberal, liberal, and radical democratic) to marginalized groups' struggles over the past 50 years for recognition, with specific attention directed toward how these reactions offer different futures in and outside American schools. (RS)

Examines the influence of local newspapers on policy decisions related to public education, highlighting news reporting on educational issues in Chicago and applying two analytical perspectives (the pluralist bargaining and unitary actor models). Information from a database of news reports on Chicago's educational matters by two major newspapers…

Principals must learn to deal with their most difficult, resistant teachers and value improvement over perfection. Naysayers must not be allowed to paralyze other staff's efforts. Principals can limit these teachers' power by changing seating arrangements at faculty meetings and modeling interpersonal strategies. (MLH)

Examines dilemmas of educational accountability and why large-scale assessment of student achievement has come to dominate educational reform policy. Provides a brief history of large-scale assessment in education in Canada. Looks at both expected and unexpected consequences of large-scale assessment and calls for educators and politicians to…

Reviews "Re-making Teaching: Ideology Policy and Practice" (Smyth and Shacklock), which focuses on the relationship between social ideologies, policies, and the work of teachers, highlighting timely issues concerning worldwide educational reform movements and the ensuing changes in teachers' roles. Suggests that the book has a gloomy outlook that…

In response to Kavale and Forness (EC 630 380), this article raises four issues concerning the balance between science and politics in learning disabilities (LD): (1) LD as an objective biological entity; (2) uses of a scientific definition of LD; (3) political advocacy concerning unacceptable achievement and LD; and (4) risks in assuming…

In the analysis of lifelong-learning policies, the gap between rhetoric and reality has been avidly debated. Such critiques are misguided; an "exemplary" rhetorical analysis of lifelong-learning policy is possible. UK government publications suggest that rhetorical analysis helps identify the politics of discourse involved in…