For a century, AERA has had as its mission using research to improve K-12 and higher education practices. Born in a period of reform, the Association's mission--reformist both in spirit and the letter--has been articulated time and again by its elected presidents. As different reform movements have swept across U.S. schools, as demographics and…

A professor/educational researcher describes the organizing principle that has centered his work as a practitioner and researcher, discussing how stability and change interact over time in education, looking at the linkage between dilemmas and change, and noting the significance of such research for the improvement of teaching and schooling. (SM)