Many who would define themselves as liberal progressives were heartened by the election of Barack Obama to the presidency. However, perhaps almost as many have been disappointed by Obama's policies as president. In this paper the author seeks to understand and explain the seeming reversal in Obama's policies, especially regarding education. He…

This qualitative study investigated the experiences of four elementary teachers who have elected to use science to teach math and reading/language arts in an attempt to identify what motivates them to do so. Identifying what experiences have motivated these teachers to go against the gain and teach elementary science in this current era of…

When Dr. James Ammons took the helm of his alma mater, Florida A&M University (FAMU), he inherited a nationally recognized school facing numerous crises. Ammons, who served as provost of FAMU during its heyday in the 1990s, knew the school was mired in trouble with the state, having accumulated dozens of state auditor questions about its…

In light of the recent bans on affirmative action in higher education, this paper provides new evidence on the effects of alternative admissions policies on the persistence and college completion of minority students. I find that the change from affirmative action to the Top 10% Plan in Texas decreased both retention and graduation rates of…

In addition to general higher education challenges, family and consumer sciences (FCS) programs may confront the possibility of reorganization and/or loss of programs. In Tennessee, eight American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) accredited units have faced these issues within the last five years. Faculty and administrators in…

The authors of this memo to President-elect Barack Obama state that many in Congress are now proposing that the federal government intervene to address a range of problems in education by creating new programs and federal subsidies, including public school infrastructure and construction, funding for runaway college tuition costs, and the costs of…

The Memphis Restructuring Initiative (MRI) was an attempt at comprehensive school reform in Tennessee that ended with a whimper. Its downfall seems to involve some sort of "schismogenesis" or "inversion," in which many teachers violently reacted against being overworked and overwhelmed, culminating in the easy discarding of 8…

The enrolled nurse qualification in the United Kingdom is being phased out, and nurses have to compete for limited spaces in programs to convert their qualifications. In interviews, 30 enrolled nurses expressed betrayal, anger, frustration, and helplessness at the difficulties they now face in maintaining their qualifications and jobs. (SK)

Next week, President George W. Bush will submit his eighth and final budget request to the Congress. How has he fared with respect to education budget proposals thus far? Answer: although President Bush made the No Child Left Behind Act, which deals with elementary and secondary education, the hallmark of his education policy, from a federal…

The dean of the faculty of arts and sciences at Washington University (Missouri) contends that they are committed to a strong liberal education and that the closing of the sociology department will enhance that commitment by releasing moneys for other programs and educational resources. Outlines what will be done with the money, and addresses…

During 1992-93, the school of social work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was confronted with proposals for elimination, merger, and consolidation. This case study examines the proposals and rationales behind the school's strategies to counter them. Implications for social work programs in similar circumstances are discussed.…

Addresses the inevitable change in the study of music in U.S. higher education through a parable that assumes the viewpoint of a historian writing toward the middle of the 21st century. Reviews the events that eventually lead to closing the school of music at the University of Granton, an imaginary school. (CMK)

This article argues that the field of gifted and talented education is entering a period of intense change in ability identification, programs, teachers, classrom practices, funding, and terminology. Three questions are posed: "What changes within the field herald a reconceptualization?"; "How does the current transformation differ from previous…

Roughly 20 years after Black studies and other ethnic studies fields evolved from campus protest, new questions are arising about the role of separate ethnic studies departments in face of the movement toward multiculturalism in the college curriculum. Very real economic realities underlie the academic and social concerns. (MSE)

One of the greatest challenges to comprehensive school reform (CSR) is sustaining reform over a period long enough to produce substantial effects. This article highlights the importance of studying sustainability as well as the importance of being clear about what is being sustained, distinguishing between a sustained reform relationship and…