The inherent political conflict between the professional decision-maker and citizen participation in those decisions is explored in the perceptions of city managers, planning directors, and school superintendents responding to a national mail poll. From the sample of 750 administrators, there were 406 (54 percent) returns, distributed almost…

A description is given of a faculty development program that is run by the faculty of the McCallie School, a private secondary school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Three principles guide the program: (1) the quality of the educational program is the responsibility of the entire school community; (2) faculty that shares the responsibility for the…

For a variety of reasons, including overemphasis on professional autonomy, many classroom teachers experience disillusionment and feelings of isolation. This paper explores teaching clinics as a way to break down barriers and foster dialogue among teachers. The Schenley High School Teacher Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, developed a teaching…

Using the Rockefeller Foundation's project CHART (Collaboratives for Humanities and Arts Teaching) as a basis for the study, this book examines the demoralization and lack of status that plague the teaching profession today. The premise of the book is that doors will open toward empowerment if teachers are given the proper circumstances to become…

This Third Edition of the 1985 report, "Dialogue for Change," discusses options and examples of educational choice and teacher empowerment and summarizes developments between 1985 and 1987. The following key options are discussed in Chapter 1, "Proposed Options for Change": (1) magnet schools; (2) open enrollment; (3) purchase…

Many contemporary efforts to reform teaching emphasize increased professionalism and autonomy for teachers. This article examines whether, from a liberal perspective, these emphases are morally and politically legitimate. It sets forth conditions that a legitimate claim for autonomy and professional status must meet, considers the extent to which…

Evaluated in this study are 20 elementary school teachers' responses to a categorical statement concerning teacher decision-making. The statement used was: "Teaching depends on dividing the school day into chunks of time for each separate subject-matter area." Using the results, the way the 20 teachers talked is described and analyzed,…

The government of the Netherlands is currently rethinking national educational policy on a broad basis, according to this report. In addition to preparing the way for a substantial restructuring of the educational system, from the pre-primary to adult education levels, this national policy overhaul has raised major issues regarding the purposes of…

Since changing political, economic, and social forces determine the success of educationally innovative policies, there are limitations to the idea that formal education is a field built upon scientific and technical knowledge with teachers as its expert professionals. Various strategies for improving the autonomy and control of classroom…

This article applies theories of alternative thinking and problem solving to the teaching context. Teachers working in static situations are prone to stagnation leading to a paradigm crisis where they are forced to question the status quo. Techniques for confronting such situations are examined, along with personal management strategies and the…

Those who teach in the field of English and the language arts have seen their subject and their teaching enter the discourse of politics and become the topoi for popular discussions about the crisis in public education--they find themselves caught in a rising tide of public opinion against what they stand for intellectually and professionally.…

In this study, the implementation effects of a program for teaching coaching skills to Dutch primary school teachers acting as supervising or cooperating teachers for teachers-in-training are described. Coaching is a form of in-class support intended to provide teachers-in-training with feedback on their functioning and, thereby, stimulate…

This report examines West Virginia's education-reform efforts. It focuses on the relationship between a school's level of inclusion and the participatory characteristics of the faculty senate's site-based management. Based on four case studies, the report asks whether the fundamental principles implied by West Virginia's effort to shift to…

A Colombian model of rural elementary education has increased student achievement. Basic characteristics are active learning, structured yet flexible and multifaceted nature, extensive training and support for teachers, and opportunities for meaningful involvement of students, teachers, and community members. A Guatemalan reform based on the model…

In response to the growing shortage of teachers, some schools and colleges are recruiting professionals from the private sector and government as classroom teachers. Considerations for professionals contemplating a career shift to teaching include choosing the proper grade level and subject area, obtaining teaching credentials, certification…