Discusses the educational philosophy and the writings of James Comer, who argues that education clings to a model of teaching and learning that promises only failure for countless children and that teacher training fails to equip teachers for the realities and demands of contemporary classrooms. (SR)

This essay discusses how Foucault's study of power relates to more general reexamination of the foundations of critical traditions, especially decentering of the subject as part of a broader consideration of social epistemology. The paper explores two concepts of power (sovereignty/repression and deployment/production of power) and examines the…

The last decade in Florida has seen an increase in reform efforts and public scrutiny, but no evidence of across-the-board achievement gains. The state's capacity for forging coalitions and funding reforms is threatened by continuing political volatility, ideological and partisan cleavages, and increasing competition for tax dollars. (38…

Comparison of five proposals to change state higher education tuition and aid policies suggests that tuition and aid must be explicitly linked for efficient and equitable results. However, it is extremely difficult to adopt explicitly linked policies. The findings support critics who warn that attempts to adopt high-tuition/high-aid policies will…

Addresses two sets of questions with regard to school choice. The first set focuses on the meaning of school choice, the proposed benefits of choice plans, whether such plans have been tried, and what the research concludes about school-choice arrangements. The second set presents the rationale for open enrollment and controlled choice and offers…

Examines whether technology is a form of particularism in education and, if so, whether it, when it dominates school policies, could be immune from familiar criticisms concerning the system's non-neutrality. The paper examines political liberalism's brand of neutrality and discusses the state's role in ensuring neutrality. (SM)

Discusses school responses to changes in information technology, based on survey data and case studies of four school districts in Manitoba, Canada. Financial, administrative, and political issues appear to have dominated the agenda. Debates over priorities, costs, and expectations of teachers have been central. Information technology has not yet…

This paper discusses teacher unionism's potential as a vehicle for democratizing education, examining Margaret Haley's 1904 speech on why teachers should organize, noting her role in setting this agenda, and exploring her contribution to the definition of a collaborative role for organized labor and schools in democratizing American society. (SM)

Delaware was a pioneer member of Project RE:LEARNING, designed to garner state policy makers' support for school reform. This article introduces three papers from various perspectives (school principal, policy analyst, and project coordinator) that target the political culture shaping school reform. Papers highlight mobilization difficulties…

Discusses the political nature of urban school districts, the job of urban school superintendents, and the continuing impact of Brown v. Board of Education. Examines demographic changes experienced in many urban areas since Brown; highlights the impact of white flight, federal and state education policy, and school takeovers on urban districts;…

Describes the development of a new online degree program at Northern Arizona University, the Educational Technology Master of Education. Topics include the political process; evidence of need; teachers and technology; professional development for technology use; learning communities; the learning paradigm regarding the mission of a college; and…

This case study details the circumstances that led to a revised policy on gifted education in a large suburban school district. It discusses factors that affected advocacy efforts and emphasizes the importance of key individuals, commitment, tenacity, and the necessity of a system being in place for change to occur. (Contains references.)…

Afro-Brazilian residents of urban favelas (outlying, unincorporated slums) have established community schools in response to lack of public schools. A study of three such community schools in Salvador, Bahia, focused on social justice issues, school efforts to rescue a Black identity denied by Brazil's official "racial democracy"…

Discusses Paulo Freire's theories about the nature of differential power and the effects of the politics of exclusion and oppression. Contends it is not possible to understand "reforms" in education and society without placing race at the center of one's critical analysis. (Contains 5 notes and 31 references.) (Author/MLF)

Two policy documents supporting education for ethnolinguistic or socioeconomic minorities in Catalonia are examined, identifying underlying assumptions and the views of cultural diversity implicit in them. It is concluded that the policy is formulated vaguely, incorporates contradictory statements, and neglects learners' first languages. Further…