The inequitable distribution of well-qualified teachers to students in the United States is a longstanding issue. Despite federal mandates under the No Child Left Behind Act and the use of a range of incentives to attract teachers to high-need schools, the problem remains acute in many states. This study examines how and why teacher quality is…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) Does Demography Dictate Destiny? The Radical…

A major debate among education reformers over how best to reduce the achievement gap broke out during the 2008 presidential campaign. Most advocates on both sides backed Barack Obama, but they urged him to pursue different policies. The Education Equality Project (EEP) supported a continuation of accountability and other school-focused reforms.…

Discusses some of the current and future challenges in environmental education in the United States and makes suggestions for how these challenges can best be addressed. (Contains 29 references.) (Author/YDS)

Many countries around the world have become what might be called "multiethnic" societies. They have to respond to various and diverse culturally based challenges and traditions, which are part of the "flow of nations". Slovenia, as a member of the European Union, has opened the door of the State to the European labour force but…

There is little empirical evidence describing how school principals respond to the changing socioeconomic position and ethnic identities of the urban population. In this paper such empirical evidence is presented in respect of three primary school leaders in the Dutch cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The schools selected were identified as…

Colleges and universities must radically change their structures, values, hiring practices, and treatment of students if they are to meet the coming demographic shift and attract more minority students, faculty, and staff. The Program for Institutional Change at Lynchburg College (Virginia) offers one model for these adaptations. (Author/MSE)

Considers changes that will have to take place in teacher education due to rising numbers of minority students in public schools, the declining number of families with children in public schools, and the increasingly prevalent view that education is a personal rather than common good. (GC)

Over the last 30 years, California has changed from a predominately white society, with small pockets of Mexican Americans and other minorities, to a society that is one-third ethnic minority. The State educational system has been unable to respond adequately to the needs of non-white students, especially those with poor or inadequate English…

The origins of the education of blacks, especially in the South, are traced, in order to comprehend the current educational situation. Two questions are investigated: first, whether the conclusion of the Civil War marks the beginning of a new educational era for the nineteenth century blacks; and second, whether there have in fact been real…

Although there is a gradual increase in the racial, gender, and age diversity of college student populations, the change is not dramatic or proactive. When enrollment data and demographic data are compared, the commonly held impression of significant change is revealed to be an illusion. (MSE)

School boards significantly contribute to the future of education. There are three major elements regarding the role of school board members. First, demographic changes may illuminate school board members to their tasks. Demography reveals changes in family status. For instance, more children live with only one parent, more children are…

Leadership that plans strategically can initiate the changes most likely to improve public education. The first section of this book is an introduction focusing on the need for leadership and a statement of philosophy on educational change. The next section discusses the four kinds of change affecting public education: (1) the upheaval in the…

Changing demographics have a major impact on schools and societies. This report is a study of how three New Zealand primary schools are working with student populations that are becoming more diverse and increasingly multi-ethnic in nature. One major theme that emerged from interviews with 25 teachers and school leaders was the concept and…

Demographic forces will change U.S. higher education. Leaders of higher education need to gain more direct experience with the national diversity in age, in ethnicity, and in regions. Suggestions for dealing with the inevitable changes ahead are provided. (MLW)