During the summer of 2010, school districts across the country reported almost daily on their plans to lay off staff because of sharp declines in aid. Hundreds of thousands of teachers' jobs were on the line. If these losses materialized, class sizes would skyrocket and educational enrichment activities would be lost. Some districts shortened…

To overcome cynicism, a New Jersey superintendent used his bully pulpit to convene community members in dialog about their schools' future. Enlightened public engagement led to facility improvements, technology infrastructure funding, expanded afterschool programs, critical-issues forums, state-aide advocacy efforts, and a culture of…

This article describes the rapidly deteriorating conditions of innercity schools as a result of reductions in federal expenditures for public education during the Reagan Administration. It is argued that "excellence," in the Reagan agenda, has become a code word for retreat from equity. (TE)

Dual superintendency is a popular tack in rural America for the preservation of proud communities. The job is not for someone who wants to coast. There are two budgets to develop and monitor, two school boards, two sets of priorities. Keeping everyone in two school districts satisfied is more than a full-time occupation. Other school communities…

Public-school foundations are generally not expected to provide a substantial portion of their school district's budget. The most successful school foundations use fund raising to build bridges between schools and the community-particularly with nonparents and organizations with no direct connections with schools. Their support is indispensable.…

The future of middle-school education demands a response to contemporary challenges, not simple repetition of once-innovative initiatives. To survive, the maturing middle-school movement must abandon orthodoxy, embrace choice, accept accountability, appreciate student diversity, discuss achievement issues, modify curricular and instructional…