Public education and the preservation of American civilization is keyed to the well-being of the nation's 50 largest school districts. Large urban districts are difficult to operate, serve largely nonwhite and needy populations, and are undergoing badly eroding property tax bases essential for their funding. We desperately need informed,…

Catholic schools are more multifaceted and diverse than the school-effects debate and rancorous voucher issue indicate. They now educate more affluent kids, as critics claim, since demographics have changed. Catholic schools should be part of the national discussion on education and be viewed as complementary to public schools. (MLH)

U.S. taxpayers score lower on the "Forbes" Misery Index than taxpayers of other industrialized nations. A recent report concludes that public-school students challenge their schools more than private-school counterparts. Low birth weight and demographic factors (gender, poverty, and race) affect Florida's burgeoning special-education…