According to the 26th annual Phi Delta Kappan/Gallup Poll, the growth of fighting/violence/gangs and poor discipline are the most serious problems facing today's schools. Parents rate their community schools highly but assign only passing grades to the nation's schools. Most favor character education and President Clinton's education initiatives…

The 1996 Phi Delta Kappan/Gallup Poll found that people oppose using tax money to support nonpublic schools and reject privatization of schools' basic instructional functions. People generally rate their local schools highly, believe educational improvement is more important than deficit reduction, and believe the Democratic Party is more…

Privatization in disintermediated nations wears a different face. Canada's once-sovereign powers are being offered up to economic blocs (particularly the Asian Pacific Economic Community), the equivalent of corporate headquarters. Canadians are swept downstream in the global race to work cheaper and expect less, a transformation requiring schools'…

Appraises five major (nonchampioning) forces pressuring public education: the expanding role of business interests; uneven performance of education's own pressure groups; changing role of cultural conservatism; influence of new-breed information providers; and effects of shifting labels and definitions of political loyalty on needy schools. (MLH)

Public education is not highly supported by the American public, who put economics first. The GI Bill and Cold War era prove that point. Schools have suffered from bad press, ultraconservatism, provincialism, teacher nonprofessionalism, commercialism, gambling, student fundraising, misplaced government/parental priorities, an uninviting work…

Contrary to critics' claims, the United States could not boast the world's finest higher-education system while maintaining a deficient public-school system. Unregulated, profit-oriented market models are inappropriate for public schools responsible for serving the social good. Privatization and techno-efficiency pressures are equally…