Reports on the results of a study undertaken in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts in 1992 of the use of contracting arrangements in children's services. Highlights the positive and negative aspects of contracting for both contractors and providers, and discusses the impact of this approach for the traditional differentiation between nongovernmental…

Privatization of schools would abandon the nation's commitment to educational equity. Pluralism, educational excellence, and democratic governance are all at stake. A real reform and restructuring of public schools from the bottom up is underway, fundamentally questioning traditional assumptions about schooling. (SK)

Several superintendents have recently left school administration for careers in private education companies such as Education Alternatives, Inc., the Edison Project, and Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. Former superintendents from New York, Rochester, Saint Paul, and Detroit reflect on their reasons for switching careers. Salary considerations…

According to the 26th annual Phi Delta Kappan/Gallup Poll, the growth of fighting/violence/gangs and poor discipline are the most serious problems facing today's schools. Parents rate their community schools highly but assign only passing grades to the nation's schools. Most favor character education and President Clinton's education initiatives…

Schools' increasing reliance on partnerships and donated goods and services may lead to program delivery differences. Policymakers must consider possible "costs" of partnerships, such as diminished revenue from traditional sources, altered decision making, and detriments to equity pursuits, when structuring schools' future. Community…

Discusses policy decisions that led to the privatization and commercialization of NSFnet; explains the roles of IBM, MCI Communications, and ANS (Advanced Network and Service); and suggests the role that the federal government should take to ensure that the NREN (National Research and Education Network) addresses issues of public access and…

Describes how Kiwanis club members in Leesburg, Virginia, organized a successful trip to two Lithuanian communities without government support. U.S. visitors spoke to Lithuanians about the role of small businesses and civic clubs in the United States. Possible outcomes of the trip include continuing connections between businesses and between…

When Governor Roy Romer challenged Colorado's 20 largest districts to undergo performance audits, 12 responded. Consultants recommended that districts provide more market-sensitive salaries, privatize certain functions, cross-train personnel, and create job flexibility. Districts can improve overall efficiency by generating accurate operational…

Explores school leadership in Britain's newly privatized and marketized professional-development environment. Considers a model to identify key elements in a "professional development culture." Examines the development coordinator's role as a "delegated leader." Suggests a model for exploring the relationship between continuing…

Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools sends up to 100 high-risk/expelled students yearly to two privately operated Richard Milburn campuses. The cost is $3,500 per student. Although these schools lack typical high-school amenities, kids appreciate getting more teacher attention. Houston has a similar, more costly last-resort program. (MLH)

Investigated job insecurity of 326 Israeli secondary teachers in public and private sectors, using a multidimensional measure of job insecurity. Public-sector teachers tended to emphasize intrinsic job factors, while private-sector teachers tended to stress extrinsic ones. Job insecurity's effects on teacher attitudes also differed. (59…

Explores the emergence of (British) teacher employment agencies and the increased volume of employment agency business in teaching, drawing on interviews with agency representatives. Views agencies as part of a wider agenda that includes marketization and privatization trends mirrored in further education. Part-time teaching is on the rise.…

Explores the impact of grantseeking on urban public school teachers, examining how it introduced them to the central tenets of the privatization movement, discussing how specific assumptions about urban teachers have influenced the development of grant competition, and describing the exclusion of minority teachers. A case history illustrates the…

About 1,500 schools nationwide pay an estimated $200 million in federal funds to private enterprises claiming to provide better literacy instruction than the disappointing Title I results of the past 34 years. Programs run by Kaplan Inc., Success for All Foundation, Sylvan Learning Systems, and Reading Recovery Council are described. (MLH)

In "Corporate School Takeovers," the National Education Association expresses indignation over profit making by private companies providing services to schools. Argues that profits are a way of recognizing costs that exist in all school settings. The seeking of profits is no more selfish than the seeking of higher salaries, promotions,…