The question of how Whig policies affected the early development of common schools has received little examination in either political or educational histories. There is evidence, however, that Whig party politics did influence early educational reformers. This paper considers the influence of Whig party politics on the emergence of state systems…

Thomas Jefferson was one of the main architects of that famous "new world" state which rejected the rule of kings and queens in favor of a government by the people. He argued vigorously that in order to make such a governmental structure work, a strong system of public education was a basic prerequisite. Given the various problems which…

In this article, the author explored the increasingly complex articulations of race and education associated with Native American mascots and the struggles over them. The author demonstrates that cultural symbols not only (mis)educate, strengthening racial ideologies and hierarchies, but that they also play a fundamental role in the creation of…

In this article, the author talks about a report from Education Sector, a Washington think tank, which concludes that little information exists on whether the $3 billion spent annually by the federal government on teacher quality as part of the No Child Left Behind Act has improved the effectiveness of U.S. educators. The Teacher and Principal…

For adult students at Lehman College, in the Bronx, and LaGuardia Community College, in Queens, the separation between politics and daily life seems practically invisible. Both colleges are part of the 23-campus CUNY system, where more than two in five of the nearly 197,000 students are 23 and older. For most of these students, it is nearly…

In this article, the author shares some of the tricky discussions he has presented to his students in his "Argument and Persuasion" course, a second-level writing class designed to develop students' skills in reasoning, conducting research, and writing essays. He relates how this course always makes it difficult for him to be neutral when…

Corporations increasingly pay attention to issues of social responsibility, but their policies and procedures to articulate such responsibilities are not just a result of the good will of top management. Often, such policies and procedures are devised because some stakeholders raised their voice on issues relating to the interests of employees,…

Through a multiple perspectives model that incorporates the normative, symbolic, and political perspectives, the author analyzes the emergence of standards-based accountability reform in the state of Wisconsin. His analysis offers insight into the effectiveness of various political actors' attempts to alter the state's education systems. Through…

Rick Rege arrived at his job as superintendent of his western Massachusetts school district the way most folks do--advancing from classroom teacher to mid-level administrator to the district's top position. In Rege's case, he spent the nine years before becoming superintendent of the Chicopee Public Schools as a middle school vice principal and…

The following article is a response to Adams's (2007 [this issue]) and Griffin and Miller's (2007 [this issue]) reactions to the Major Contribution articles presented on Culturally Relevant Prevention. Each reaction article identifies important implications for engaging in culturally relevant prevention efforts that are relevant to developing this…

This article argues for a more democratic pedagogy in the form of the action research seminar. The procedures for mounting the action inquiry seminar are described and the distinction is made between instruction, training and education. The objectives model for instruction is criticized in favor of education insofar as inquiry-based models cannot…

Sometimes a proposed piece of legislation or new rule can catalyze debate about a key issue. That seems to be the case for the "gainful employment" rule currently being proposed by the Department of Education (DOE). The rule addresses a very real problem: The large amounts of debt being taken on by some students, mainly those attending for-profit…

The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act required states to report graduation rates as a condition of high school accountability for receipt and use of federal Title I funds, and to set growth targets that would ensure all students graduate from high school. It also reaffirmed the long-standing national policy that graduation rates be used as the…

A little-discussed aspect of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is a mandate that requires failing schools to hire after-school tutoring companies--the largest of which are private, for-profit corporations--and to pay them with federal funds. "Making Failure Pay" takes a hard look at the implications of this new blurring of the…

This chapter first examines how the Obama administration was able to promote its K-12 agenda using the vehicle of economic stimulus policy, and how that agenda compares with prior federal and state education policy. As a basis for explaining President Obama's policy choices, a second section discusses the ideas and political dynamics shaping his…