Media reports have shown suburban school officials being threatened and school board meetings erupting into chaos. Rachel S. White, Michael P. Evans, and Joel R. Malin examine whether these politically contentious experiences are occurring everywhere, or if there is something distinct about the contentiousness suburban superintendents face.…

The suburbs are on the frontlines of a politicized culture war with critical race theory (CRT) at its center. States are passing legislation censoring teachers and administrators from using CRT in schools. This war threatens the intellectual freedom of educators and school leaders. The voices of the teachers, especially teachers of color, are…

If schools are to prepare students to participate more productively in civic life, schools will need to ensure that they have opportunities to practice the skills of civic reasoning, argues Carol Lee. Yet schools are challenged by the limits in the curriculum and the difficulty of addressing the different types of prior knowledge that students…

"Kappan"'s editor talks with Michigan State University's Sarah Reckhow about her research into the ways wealthy private philanthropies have influenced K-12 education in recent years. As Reckhow explains, not only have Gates, Broad, Walton, and other big foundations spent unprecedented amounts of money to support their favored reform…

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act will be coming up for reauthorization amid a number of contentious issues, and debates over these issues are likely to more heated leading up to the 2012 elections. If ESEA is to be renewed, the President must make it a high priority, Republicans will need to work with Democrats, and national education…

American science education is plagued by a fundamental confusion--a mismatch between goals claimed to be valued and the strategies used to achieve them. This confusion is rooted in the seemingly simple idea that science education should prepare students for the future. For some, this "preparation" is about good citizenship and a satisfying life.…

Recounts Jimmy Carter's past experiences with education and speculates about his administration's attitudes toward education. (IRT)

Patriotism can be a force for good or evil. American patriotism helped vanquish fascism; German patriotism helped create and sustain it. Wars of national liberation depend on patriotic fervor to oppose colonial rule; unfortunately, ethnic cleansing draws on this same fervor. Appeals to the transcendent value of the nation-state can be progressive…

An Illinois school board presented state assembly candidates with an opinionnaire to gather their positions on 12 issues of interest to the board. The board then invited the candidates to a coffee to discuss the issues. (IRT)

Suggests that federal definition of learning disabilities is wrong and represents politically expedient decisions rather than fundamental knowledge about psychology and education. Discusses why federal definition is erroneous. Offers seven recommendations to change the current system of identification and instruction of students with learning…

To compensate for the inherent advantages of public employment, public employees should have representational rights that are different from, and significantly less than, private sector bargaining rights. (Author/IRT)

The copy of a "Reader's Digest" article critical of the political activities of the National Education Association (NEA) is run with marginal comments written by Terry Herndon, NEA executive director. (IRT)

Recounts the less obvious deleterious impact that Proposition 13 has had on education in California. (IRT)

The former superintendent of District 1 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan defends community control and his actions. (IRT)