State and district school leaders across the U.S. have long sought ways to create success for children attending schools where too many have failed for far too long. A new approach to solving this old problem is called "starting fresh." By beginning anew with the freedom to do things vastly different, a real opportunity is created to…

This account describes and analyses some of the processes which are important for teachers to maintain a creative role in promoting learning while in a climate of managerialism and performativity. It does so from the stance of someone who works with teachers and schools on a minority interest in current times--learning. Processes needed to combat…

If a viable curriculum is what determines how well students achieve, no teacher can leave the school's curriculum unexamined. Designing curriculum means defining and organizing what is taught to improve student learning. Empowering teachers as curriculum designers gives them the tools to make critical decisions about what to teach, how to teach…

This paper traces the development of the Ed.D., explores the purposes the degree serves, and assesses its value. The creation of the degree stemmed largely from the reluctance of faculty in Arts and Sciences to offer the Ph.D. in professional schools. The one thing most Ed.D. programs have in common is that it is supposed to be an applied or…

Everyone agrees that teachers' voices should be heard in their schools. But what does that mean? And how can teachers' voices be used to improve student learning? In this article, the author offers insights from his experience with the League of Professional Schools. As a result of the teacher empowerment movement that began in the mid-1980s and…

This article describes the meaning of empowerment and collaboration, how they can be instituted, and the benefits that can result from them. Empowerment of teachers is a necessary ingredient of school improvement. Administrators who empower teachers grant them "the autonomy to make decisions about curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment." In this…

As educators seek to bridge the gap between research and practice, action research empowers teachers to inform others of the results found in their own schools. This paper describes a step-by-step approach to help teachers and administrators conduct classroom action research in their own schools. The five steps are as follows: (1) problem…

Whereas the laissez-faire approach merely tells each teacher to do what he or she thinks best, the principal moving toward empowerment charges a group of teachers with devising the best decision for all. A Maryland elementary school used the Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement staff development plan as a big step toward preparing teachers…

If Minnesota public school choice programs were as bad as Judith Pearson's "Kappan" (June 1989) article alleges, most teachers would not support them. There would be declining cooperation among rural school districts, little interest in handicapped or "unattractive" students' needs, and a teacher shortage. As this article…

Describes how members of a training team worked together to obtain funding to make a presentation at the 1997 National Association for the Education of Young Children Professional Development Conference. Details five qualities identified as instrumental in the group's progress: (1) passion; (2) dedication to the mission; (3) self-reflection and…

The National Writing Project's professional development approach reflects a shift from the tradition of theory dictating practice, maintaining that engaging teachers in teaching teachers empowers them to meet the challenges of increasing student diversity. By providing support in risk-free settings, teachers can collaborate as educational leaders,…

Between 1994 and 2002, Guinea implemented an ambitious program designed to enable teams of primary school teachers to become full partners in the mobilization of the educational system by initiating and carrying out their own professional development and school improvement projects. Known by its French acronym PPSE, this program was not originally…

Explores contradictions and tensions in action research on the technical aspects of good teaching and democratic possibilities of empowering teachers and learners. A case study of an action research course for practicing teachers highlights dilemmas in teaching action research as a university course. Most participating teachers felt empowered by…

Describes how the State University of New York took advantage of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education's accreditation process that provided an organizational structure, demanded a research base, supported a national perspective, and offered assistance for program improvement.(JOW)

In this article, the author discusses what a superintendent can do to energize the faculty on opening day. He uses a creative approach in developing the opening day speech--and keeps the teachers guessing. Believing that the superintendent should not be the focal point of opening day, he instead gives teachers the opportunity to share their…