In almost any conversation about accountability for private schools, accountability for public schools is assumed. This is a dangerous myth. By assuming that the edifice that states and the federal government have created over the past several decades actually holds schools accountable, school choice advocates immediately find themselves in an…

This Summer 2013 issue of "Voices in Urban Education" presents an interview with Lucy Keaton, appointed in February 2013 as the first assistant superintendent for the English Language Learner program at the Clark County (Nevada) School District (CCSD), which includes Las Vegas and contains more than half of Nevada's public schools. The…

This article presents the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators' (NAECTE) position statement on early childhood certification for teachers of children 8 years old and younger in public school settings. The association requires public schools to employ and assign teachers with early childhood certification/endorsement to early…

At its heart are the National Education Association's "Status of the American Public School Teacher" surveys, which are conducted every five years and offer unprecedented insights into the professional lives and experiences of teachers nationwide. This volume analyzes and summarizes the survey's findings, while also offering commentaries…

There is much discussion of the shortage of qualified teachers and the need for teacher recruitment, but punishment strategies legislated in many states to motivate teachers to do the extraordinary are also publicized. There are positive approaches that can be used to motivate teachers, including improving facilities and classroom conditions,…

Many business groups favor selecting a school superintendent out of what they consider an enlightened corporate environment. However, a search consultant advises appointing a proven leader who possesses the intelligence, sensitivity, courage, and commitment to forge a vision for success and lead along the path to achieving that visions. (MLF)

School boards are responsible for assessing candidates for the superintendency and should approach this task the same way a business does. For all candidates: interview several times, examine their history, check their credentials, and arrange for a psychological assessment. (MLF)

In this article, the author discusses the nightmare educators face due to the No Child Left Behind Act meaning of "highly qualified" teachers. But for NCLB, highly qualified doesn't necessarily mean good, for them it means the teacher took the right number of subject-area courses in college and is teaching only those subjects. And that,…

Tyler addresses the larger issues facing educators today. He comments on the purpose of education and provides a historical perspective on the current controversies concerning American public school curricula. He also discusses basic education and general education and offers his own personal definition of what it means to be an educated person.…

Lessons that should have been learned concerning public schools, constituents, authority, governing boards, and optimal conditions for teaching and learning are discussed. Also predicts the attaining of several goals that are examined. (CT)

The problem of incompetent teachers is addressed and solutions are suggested. (MT)

In the flurry of activity surrounding the implementation of No Child Left Behind's (NCLB) student proficiency mandates, the federal requirement to have a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom by 2005 seemed like an impossible goal. However, 2005 has come and gone and the highly qualified teacher crisis never happened. In this…

State and local education systems must abandon the century-old model of the principal as a middle manager directly responsible for every aspect of school operations and performance. Intense job stress, excessive time requirements, difficulty satisfying parents and community, social problems that make it difficult to focus on instructional issues,…

The development of public school supervisors has been varied and complex. Examined are the factors that led supervisors, in the early twentieth century, to move away from autocratic and bureaucratic methods and adopt more professional standards. (SI)

For teachers and schools and schoolchildren, the politics of education is a no-win situation. Public schools serve public purposes. That mission makes them political, so the interests of the children and teachers are at best secondary. This document explores the author's opinion about teacher educators and their default into the hands of the…