Shows how a former high school principal (with no doctorate, central office experience, or big-city political savvy) pulled the Cincinnati (Ohio) schools out of a $76 million debt and implemented reforms recommended by the Buenger Commission. The new superintendent slashed central office positions, reorganized 86 schools into 9 minidistricts, and…

Uses Cobb and Elder's theory of agenda setting in public policy arena to assess the politics and effects of school finance during the 1970s and 1980s. Four triggering mechanisms catapult issues to the formal policy agenda: unanticipated events, technological changes, ecological changes, and biases in resource distribution. Four categories of…

Suggests that, if politics matters to any field, it should matter to composition instruction, which faces the crisis of postmodernity along with other disciplines. Considers how a truly common knowledge might be pursued and its possible relevance for the field of composition studies. (HB)

Discusses the author's experiences in learning about the whole-language approach. Suggests that whole language is not so much about method or philosophy as it is about power. Offers five suggestions for administrators and teacher educators to help teachers explore the possibilities of whole language. (RS)

British higher education, particularly the polytechnic sector, is becoming more bureaucratic since Corporatisation in 1989. Performance indicators are useful when they create a better pedagogical process that benefits students. Performance indicators are not acceptable when they are used to satisfy the needs of capital and promote cost…

Draws on other articles in this journal issue to identify emergent themes concerning the principal's evolving role in several countries. Explains the context for change, including reform pressures and political response, and examines principals' changing work environment, their transformed roles, and preparation and professional development…

Superintendents face a no-win proposition when confronting attempted school board takeovers by religious-fundamentalist candidates. Public political disagreement may be a legitimate ground for a superintendent's dismissal. The safest course is to work quietly behind the scenes and encourage others to question candidates' qualifications and…

Ideology hinders compromise between proponents of character education and multicultural education. The future lies in seeking common ground, which will not be the same for all communities, must meet constitutional requirements, and will not please all stakeholders. (SK)

Gives an overview of the problems and issues that might be faced by both teachers and students of color in today's schools. (HB)

In the end, Connecticut's ambitious plan to reform its schools collapsed because of failure to connect with parents. The controversial outcome-based education plan failed because the planning committee had too many insiders, lacked a clear vision, and used vague language to convey its recommendations and sell inadequately defined standards. (MLH)

Examines how principals manage in situations that defy conventional administrative authority and methods. Fully 80% of the 30 Pennsylvania high school principals interviewed admitted using at least 1 micropolitical strategy, such as exchange theory, divide and conquer, information control, cooptation, displacement, and discretionary behavior. Most…

Describes the unusual community/university collaboration at the Community Literacy Center in Pittsburgh. Shows how education and inquiry can help construct an intercultural discourse in which teens enter a policy discussion about suspension and in which college mentors enter the discourse on inner-city teens. (SR)

Controversy surrounds the recently released voluntary national standards for U.S. history and world history. At the center of the debate is the issue of how history should be portrayed. Directions for ordering copies of the history standards and sample passages from the standards guidebooks are provided in sidebars to the article. (MLF)

Analyzes the political correctness and anti-PC viewpoints and presents elements of a critical perspective that challenges and poses alternatives. Considers the distinction between political education and politicized education. (SK)

Discusses the attempts and difficulties of providing voter education to rural communities in South Africa. (MKR)