While educators desire to separate the teaching of values from the teaching of reading, writing, and mathematics--the so-called value neutral subjects--they nonetheless do teach values in the course of teaching these subjects. Teaching is as much a moral effort as it is an intellectual enterprise. This article examines the National Opinion…

Changes in homelessness since the 1950s and 1960s involve increasing numbers of homeless persons, striking differences in their composition, and marked deterioration in their condition. Beyond similarly high levels of mental illness and substance abuse, the new homeless are younger, poorer, often shelterless, and include more minorities, women,…

Presents the "Strengths of Black Families" of R. B. Hill (1972) as a paradigm for understanding family behavior. Introduces the practice approach to these strengths in the work of E. Hall and G. King (1982) that is effective for developing family intervention strategies related to social and economic problems. (SLD)

While numerous studies have identified economic, social, and environmental conditions related to stress, greater stress has been found to be related to poverty, unemployment, assembly line work, crowding, and chronic exposure to noise. These stressful situations most frequently confront people with little personal, economic, or political resources…

Examined the effectiveness of the Wisconsin Learnfare experiment that requires teens to attend school regularly as a condition of receiving family financial aid. Findings from state social services data reveal that, despite a $1.5 million "savings" attributed to the program between September 1988 and December 1989, tremendous family…

This question-and-answer format paper looks at some of the basic issues surrounding the chronically poor and initiatives and services designed to break the poverty cycle. A first section explores some of the myths and realities surrounding the characteristics of the chronically poor population and notes that this population is comprised of…

This paper is a product of the "Changing Domestic Priorities" project which has examined the shifts taking place in the nation's economic and social policies under the Reagan Administration and is now focusing on the major economic and social problems facing the nation over the coming decade. The following topics are discussed in this paper: (1)…

Examines the nature of the crisis in child welfare, and how poverty and an array of social problems, as well as problems specific to the child welfare system, increased the overrepresentation of African American children and families in the out-of-home care system. Also discusses implications for child welfare practice and advocacy. (MOK)

Synthesizes research findings from 10 studies on urban homeless families; and details their demographic characteristics, including the number of children, race, ethnicity, and family composition. Focus is on mothers with children and the effects of homelessness on children. (SLD)

Elderly women may suffer from economic problems, isolation, loneliness, poor housing, poor health care, and few viable alternatives to institutionalization. Although the total number of aged poor has declined by over 40% in the past 20 years, the number of aged women living alone and poor stayed almost unchanged. The separation and divorce rates…

Introduces background issues regarding the education of homeless children in urban areas, focusing on problems of definition and identification and sociological factors related to homelessness. An overview is provided of the articles of the special issue. The challenges are how to meet the needs of an amorphous and troubled population. (SLD)

Examines issues surrounding the nation's concern about its economic well-being and the resulting movement to reform U.S. education. It is argued that it is wrong to blame the nation's economic woes on the educational system or to expect the schools to bail the country out of its doldrums. (SLD)

Discusses realities that challenge middle level education, including changes in social, economic, and political life which are threatening children and affecting their lives. Asserts that local communities should reflect on the implications of these realities for their middle level programs and plan ways to address these problems. (SD)

This paper synthesizes data from recent reports about the well-being of U.S. children and youth, policies and proposals for enhancing at-risk children's quality of life, critical questions about the impact of these policies and proposals on all children and their families, trade-offs needed if proposed policies to assist disadvantaged children and…

This review of perspectives on the current status and policy issues of urban America is divided into nine chapters, each of which includes a bibliography. Chapter one presents an overview of the postindustrial demographic and economic changes in the United States and the Federal government's response to these changes. The ongoing transformation of…