Argues for substantially reducing the power of corporations to influence the organization, content, and assessment of public education. (Contains 19 references.) (PKP)

"New Times"--a term recognizing recent qualitative, incremental changes in the world--present an opportunity for community education to become more central to the debate about education, the social order, and social change. The fundamental challenge is forging the politics of cultures into a coherent political culture. (SK)

Educational planning must emerge from communication and consultation with learners. Communication should (1) be about real learner needs; (2) show respect and responsibility toward the community; and (3) enable all levels of the public to have an opportunity to shape public education. (SK)

A British headteacher ponders a tumultuous decade in school management. The national curriculum was one major problem. There have also been radical, deleterious changes in the ways schools are funded, governed, managed, planned, and inspected; how teachers are educated; and the terms and conditions of teacher employment. Competition for pupils has…

In this article, the author responds to an article written by Chris Whittle, in which he maintains that most of America's education troubles will be over in just a quarter century. The author notes that Whittle's assumptions differ markedly from the available evidence on what works and ignore the complexity of the combined elements of politics,…

The goal of this report is to formulate a true alternative to the current form of governance for public education. Based on studies of governance in other large decentralized service organizations and of local educational reform efforts, the report concludes that there is a real alternative. The alternative allows the schools to be operated by a…

In this brief, the authors examine the creation, evolution, and expansion of Philadelphia's diverse provider model through the lens of this theory of change; they show that the beliefs and assumptions underlying the diverse provider model have been amended over time; and they illustrate how district and provider leaders have reshaped the model in…

Utility services (telecommunications, power, water, and gas) throughout the world were traditionally provided by large, usually state-owned, monopolies. However, encouraged by technological change, regulatory innovation, and pressure from international organizations, many developing countries are privatizing state-owned companies and introducing…

Describes Wall Street's growing interest in private education companies. Discusses the parallels between the emerging education industry of today and the fledgling health care industry of the 1970s. The acronym EMO (education management organization) is used to categorize companies that manage entire schools. Describes the niches created by the…

Discusses the fall of communism in eastern Europe. Applies Latin America models to eastern Europe. Suggests that revolutions are shaped by the systems against which they are directed. Concludes that the problems of eastern Europe are not caused by the system so much as by geography. Argues that poor capitalism may lie in the future for eastern…

Examines the view of the law presented to American students enrolled in Christian schools by analyzing how the textbooks used by a significant number of Christian schools treat the constitutional jurisprudence of the Supreme Court. (Contains 177 footnotes.) (MLF)

This article explores how gender is threaded through the expansion and privatization of higher education in Jordan. Due to the justified current concern with the educational deficit of Muslim girls, it is easy to overlook the educational advances made by girls in some Islamic countries. In Jordan, girls have profited more than boys from the…

In the past two decades choice has become a major policy proposal for promoting efficiency in schooling. This paper argues that it would be both efficient and feasible to remove government from its present roles in school finance and pupil assignment. The first part examines the revenue side of school finance and identifies four types of…

This interview with Milton Friedman addresses his economic policies and how they might improve American public education. Highlights include teachers' unions and their negative impact on education, private schools and tax relief, the Edison Project, privatization of educational services, special needs students, California's Educational Freedom…

Describes the arrangements in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and Boston, Massachusetts, with the Edison Project. In this public-private partnership, Edison will be responsible for curriculum, facilities management, professional development, personnel, and food service. Cites other school districts considering having Edison schools. A sidebar summarizes…