In this report for the Progressive Policy Institute's 21st Century Schools Project, the author takes a close look at charter schooling in Ohio, examining the history, status quo, challenges, and the future of the charter school effort there. He finds terrific examples of success, but points out that there are some very real challenges, including…

This paper is part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002. It discusses the role that states' constitutional mandates play in education finance. It examines why, when one of the few constitutionally shared responsibilities of all 50 states is the provision of education,…

The aim of school councils in New South Wales (Australia) is to ensure that the whole community is involved in all important decisions made by the school. The impetus for school councils began in 1990, and in 1995 the Department of School Education placed their formation on its priority agenda in response to their slow rate of establishment. Two…

The success of the Minimbah Aboriginal Preschool in New South Wales (Australia) is evidenced by happy staff and children, low staff turnover, and the later success of Minimbah's children in mainstream schools. Also, parents were frequently present as helpers and were apparently confident in entering the premises, talking with staff members, and…

This paper examines school reform via community organizing in New York City's lowest performing public school districts. It summarizes findings from a national study on community organizing for school reform, profiling 10 community organizing groups. In 2000, researchers conducted surveys of and interviews with all NYC groups currently engaged in…

The Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) serves the highest number of low income and special needs students in the state, struggling to create effective educational environments that respond to students' social and economic needs. While there have been many restructuring efforts through the BCPSS' history, the modern era of school reform…

For Canada Natives, the unresolved issue of postsecondary education as a treaty right is at the center of discord in relation to budget constraints. The government's fiduciary responsibilities have devolved to First Nations administration, which allows for greater tribal control over the economics of individual First Nations and jurisdiction for…

Controversies over graduation rates and No Child Left Behind have raged in research, media and political circles for almost a year. All too often, though, when complex issues of social and economic importance collide with policy and politics, heat is generated but little light. As a result, it may be difficult for local educators to parse the…

It is long been acknowledged that psychosocial and mental health concerns must be addressed if schools are to function satisfactorily and students are to learn and perform effectively. This reality is reflected in the aims of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. And, it is consonant with the goals and…

This is a critique of the current system of governance in public education. Chapters include: (1) "Statement of the Problem," which introduces the issues related to educational reform and provides some examples of previous successes and failures; (2) "The Non-Learning, Non-Self-Correcting System," in which the current system is…

Americans are facing a critical choice between two different systems of school control the continuance of the current system of public governance or a move to a privatized approach to schooling. The purpose of this book is to help educators and citizens better understand the issues and opportunities associated with changes in educational…

This paper discusses how the collaboration of several educational groups (the Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Illinois Association of Teacher Education, Commission for Quality Teacher Education in Illinois, Golden Apple Foundation, and Illinois Staff Development Council) has helped influence public policy. The…

This book is about conflict between Protestants and Catholics over Indian mission schools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the late 19th century, American Indian policy was dominated by Protestant humanitarian organizations that sought to Americanize the Indians in terms of the evangelical Protestant heritage from which the reformers…

This comprehensive report shows how hunger is interrelated with other social ills, including powerlessness, violence, poverty, environmental destruction, and discrimination. More than a billion people are too poor to afford an adequate diet and other essential of life such as health care, housing, sanitation, safe water, and education. In the…

This document is an interactive, intergenerational guide designed to help organize group or individual study of "Causes of Hunger." The guide includes activities, worship aids, Bible studies, and a resource list--all adapted for classes, weekend retreats, and evening meetings. The guide is divided into nine sessions to be used with a variety of…