This qualitative study reports on principals' perceptions regarding the teacher characteristics deemed most important for hiring effective teachers. Data for the study come from semi-structured interviews with principals working in urban public, Catholic, and Jewish schools. Results reveal a tendency among principals in all three sectors to focus…

How can we best prepare pre-service teachers to succeed in the classroom--and to stay in teaching over time? The one-size-fits-all model of traditional teacher education programs has been widely criticized, yet the most popular alternative--fast-track programs--have at best a mixed record of success. An increasing number of districts and charter…

Argues that Chicago's northwest and southwest public schools should enroll all students in a common core curriculum to reap benefits similar to those seen in Catholic schools: high standards, smaller gaps in minority achievement, and a strong sense of community. Considers that traditional academic education is appropriate for all students. (SK)

Reports on eight high schools in Chicago's black neighborhoods which attract a significant number of white students from neighborhoods and suburbs outside their immediate areas. Most are Catholic or private schools, but one is public. (Author/AM)

A model based on organizational theory was used in this study to discover educational goals emphasized by teachers in classrooms and to explore the impact of the social organization of schooling on these goals. Age-grade structure was examined as a possible organizational characteristic influencing moral and technical goals selected by teachers.…

The story of Alejandro Juarez, Jr., a Mexican American youth, and his family's experiences in the parochial and public schools of Chicago (Illinois) portrays the problems that bilingual and bicultural children and their parents face. A further dimension was added by Alejandro's learning problems, which further complicated an already complex and…