Provides lists of indirect and direct approaches teachers can use to encourage an open and cooperative relationship between the school and the community. (Author/IRT)

Describes a young, future-oriented high school in New Hampshire aiming to foster student thinking, honor teamwork, inspire teacher self-reflection and teaming, and provide a caring learning environment. Key personalization ingredients include appropriate mindset, consistent focus on mission, creation of a respectful and caring environment,…

The principal of Concord High School (New Hampshire) recounts the 1985-86 school year's four crises--the visits of teacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe and Secretary of Education William Bennett, the shooting of a former student, and the Challenger space shuttle explosion. The greatest challenge was resuming the normal schedule and fielding media…

Students benefit when educators personalize a high school by developing a sense of community. A Puerto Rico international school employed middle-level concepts (interdisciplinary teams and advisory programs) to build community. Community-minded educators develop a definition unique to their school, know the characteristics of effective…

While the administrator, parent, community, school board, and others must be held accountable to some degree for a student's education, the primary responsibility is shared by the student and the teacher. Fully achieving educational accountability involves going beyond minimum requirements to do the best job possible. (PGD)

School board and community have only two ways to achieve accountability: by prescribing teaching methodology and establishing expensive supervisory superstructure to enforce it; or by establishing desired learning outcome standards and products and requiring professional staff to develop plans to achieve them and criteria to evaluate results.…

All educators, legislators, and citizens must engage in self-examination to resolve some of the value conflicts in our society that contribute to today's crisis in education. Suggestions are offered to school board members, administrators, teachers, public officials, and citizens for ways they can help improve the educational system. (Author/WD)