Discusses the problem of school safety and classroom disruption resulting from a few students' acts and threats of violence, and offers advice on how to deal with it. The article reviews how these disruptions harm other students' education and addresses administrative roadblocks and legal problems in curbing student violence and bad behavior. (GR)

Argues that, no matter how good and well-intentioned new curriculum and assessment reforms are, they will fail unless there are real-world consequences that motivate students to work hard in school. Educational systems fail because what students want, i.e., college admissions, jobs, and job training, are disconnected from school work. (GLR)

Argues that professionalization is needed to help teachers improve their status and attain better compensation and a greater voice in decision making. Calls for a national teacher examination; expanding choice for parents, students, and teachers; a professional teacher board; a different kind of career ladder; and restructuring the delivery of…

Empower teachers by giving them control over organizational and instructional decisions. To improve education and attract and retain good teachers, restructure teaching as a self-governing profession like medicine, with comparable self-determined standards for entry and advancement, assumption of professional integrity and expertise, and…

The increasing demand for public aid to private schooling raises the question of whether private schools really outperform public schools. National Assessment of Educational Progress mathematics scores demonstrate that they do not. Other data substantiating this assertion highlight poor outcomes for both public and private education. (SLD)

This article argues that it is essential to improve the U.S. health care system and to cut costs. If unchecked, health care costs could rise to 20% of the gross domestic product by the turn of the century, leaving substantially fewer financial resources for other costs such as education. (SLD)