Discusses why the achievement gap between poor and middle-class children persists and what can be done to close it, explaining that the latest version of Title I does not provide necessary levels of resources to compensate for inequality in educational spending. Examines the importance of preschool educational experiences, suggesting that this…

Proposes ways to ensure teacher quality through professionalizing teacher hiring and dismissal policies. State and local education authorities must stop undercutting current standards and must end emergency credentials and the misassignment of teachers. Suggests ways to accommodate teacher shortages until additional qualified teachers are found.…

Argues how the fine arts, the sciences, and history contribute to a child's cultural and educational development, and cautions how today's economic and political climate may wither away this part of American children's educational experience. The author's personal educational experiences are used to illustrate the need for the arts in the American…

After attaining a collective bargaining contract with New York City in 1960, the United Federation of Teachers worked successfully to improve salaries and working conditions. But in the aftermath of the 1975 fiscal crisis, the more equitable participation of teachers in policymaking has emerged as a clear goal. (KH)