Outlining current issues of educational concern as presented in national debates, this guide provides a format for discussion. The first chapter provides introductory and background information on four major areas believed to be the main responsibility of the schools. Each of these four issues is the subject of a separate chapter. Specifically, chapter 2 examines the school's role in teaching a core of academic subjects to produce adults capable of functioning efficiently. Chapter 3 examines the preparation of students for the modern workplace; the school's main responsibility is seen as being to provide all students with marketable skills to compete in a technological world. The school's fundamental obligations to meet the learning needs of all of our students are described in chapter 4, while chapter 5 presents the argument that the schools should reflect the "social goals" we value. Finally, chapter 6 describes the first step to educational reform as being the articulation of priorities. A questionnaire on the topic of education is included for readers to take before and after reading the document. (BJD)