Offers a summary of the first pastoral letter of the black bishops of the United States, "What We Have Seen and Heard." Sees the Catholic schools representing an opportunity for quality education and character development to many in the black community. (DMM)

This collection of articles, an EE (Environmental Education) Toolbox resource, provides a context of theory and example to complement the suggestions and activities in the Toolbox Workshop Resource Manual. Section one, "Definitions of EE," describes the scope and context of EE and provides historical background, specific definitions and…

Describes the objectives of a proposal to create two Catholic "base community" schools in Hispanic communities in Chicago, which will allow parents full participation and infuse neighborhoods with hope. Discusses several broad assumptions about the role of the schools and steps to ensure schools are products of the community. (BCY)

This paper describes the process of "contemplation writing" for one urban sixth-grade class. The paper describes the daily give-and-take between teacher and students, relates the way in which the teacher instructed his students about how to concentrate and observe before the writing process actually began, discusses the writings that…

Describes the use of theme cycles with a group of inner-city high school students with hearing impairments. Discusses the theoretical background of the thematic approach and describes the implementation process of a group learning cycle including false starts, question posing and data collection, teacher and student interaction, and final shared…

The Research for Better Schools Urban Education Project provides a different framework from current education-reform efforts for restructuring urban schools and improving educational quality. This volume organizes a set of invited papers according to the Urban Learner Framework themes of cultural diversity and learning, unrecognized abilities and…

Making sense of developmental education in the two-year college is difficult, particularly in the shadow of the fear that it is not working very well. There is no choice, however, but to examine openly a serious problem. The "story" about developmental education in the two-year college that most educators would like to believe is that of…

Considers the implications of statistics on death and poverty in minority communities for Catholic high schools with large minority populations. Sees hope at the heart of the Catholic high school. Discusses how teachers, school climate, and careful curriculum design can help instill this hope in the students. (DMM)

Urges two-year colleges to refocus their mission and goals in light of their poor image and status in higher education; their largely urban location; and their nontraditional, often high-risk, student population. Argues for cohesiveness in institutional mission, and new curricula more sensitive to students' urban context, demographics, and career…

Summarizes concerns commonly expressed by incoming LaGuardia Community College freshmen (e.g., worries about parenting; fear of random violence; financial worries; fear of educational failure; and anxiety about mastering English). Reviews an instructor's efforts to empower students and build self-concept. Advocates a systemwide effort to meet…

In response to a California State education reform bill that requires professors of methods courses to return to the classroom once every three years, a university profesor of 15 years taught 9th-grade English in Watts. This essay presents nine tips for others who anticipate their own return to teaching. (IW)

Describes examples drawn mostly from urban areas that required the building of coalitions between schools and communities to create a new, more democratic context for curriculum development. Cited are the nationwide Vocational Education Project, the Southern Coalition for Educational Equity, and the "Rethinking Schools" progressive newsletter in…

These three papers address educational improvement through partnerships between institutions of higher education and elementary/secondary schools. In the first paper, "Partnerships for America's Children," Kati Perry Haycock challenges educators in elementary/secondary schools and in higher education to use partnerships to create a continuum for…

This personal report of classroom experiences at an urban commuter college relates the experiences of a teacher and a group of working-class students studying the book "Utopia," which is also the metaphor for the hoped-for learning experience. The book, illustrated by excerpts from student-submitted work, shows how pedagogical theory leads to…