Raphi Amram, the late director of Israel's Society for Excellence Through Education, founded the Ethics in Science and Humanities Program operating in Israel and five other countries. Though the ethics program currently operates only in high schools serving high-achieving or gifted students, founders emphasize the universality of its appeal.…

The author went to Malawi to determine how physical education could be considered a necessity in an impoverished developing nation. The Malawi culture has an elegance sorely lacking in Western society but is distorted by some individuals' determination to achieve superficial success. Education is the road to success. Physical education can inspire…

The new teacher education programs envision professional teachers as continuous learners rather than "finished" products. Teachers must understand subject matter deeply and flexibly so they can help students create useful cognitive maps, relate ideas, and address misconceptions. Teachers need opportunities for year-long apprenticeships, intensive…

Figures from the National Center for Education Statistics for 1993-94 show that most of the nation's 3 million teachers are female, experienced (over 40), and typically enjoy the support of their principals and colleagues. Fully 87% are Caucasian. Schools have yet to provide sufficient numbers of minority teachers. Most teachers would appreciate…

Beginning and veteran teachers are experiencing gross professional neglect. Teachers have been passive far too long about their own professionalism. The National Education Association is currently working with seven teacher-preparation institutions to reinvent teacher education and professional development. As Columbus, Ohio's peer-review program…

To upgrade inservice training, teachers take the lead in creating and offering the kind of training their colleagues need. At the national level, the American Federation of Teachers runs an Education Research and Dissemination Program, featuring research-based practices in areas like math instruction or classroom-management skills. In New York…

Unions are increasingly advocating for teaching as an occupation and for public education as an American institution. New and improved unionism is replacing teachers as industrial workers with teachers as knowledge workers empowered to devise educational solutions from the classroom up. Unions' new vision will be organized around quality,…

Teachers and administrators in Middlebury, Connecticut, are developing portfolios that are both powerful professional development tools and substitutes for formal observation and evaluation. An eighth-grade teacher reflects on her four-year learning experience in constructing an "educator's collaborative portfolio." This teacher learned by…

A Connecticut superintendent convinced his staff to try 360-degree feedback by using it first on himself. Having the collective opinion of several stakeholders made appraisal conference more meaningful. Additionally, 360-degree feedback identified and measured standards, stimulated collegiality and trust among administrators and teachers,…

Nearly 2 million new teachers are projected to enter U.S. schools in the next decade. Currently, 30% of beginning teachers leave during their first five years. To support new teachers, schools should carefully consider novices' teaching schedules, cooperate with university training programs, and provide mentors. California's state-supported…

In 1986, the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools established the Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program, cooperatively developed by teachers' union representatives and district administrators. The idea was to help interns (new teachers and those experiencing particular difficulties) become effective teachers. Interns do not perceive a conflict…

California's K-3 Class Size Reduction Initiative (1996) called for a 20:1 student-teacher ratio. Passage of this initiative created an unexpected teacher shortage and presented California teacher-education faculties with several dilemmas having long-term implications. When districts hired uncertified student teachers on an emergency-permit basis,…

The author of "In the Shelter of Each Other" addresses how to remedy lack of community that is disorienting families. Parents work too many hours. Adults are spending too much time with TV and computers, voting down bond issues, and providing less communal space for children. Parents need to be convinced that creating community (connecting…

An active parent describes how over 400 parent volunteers in the Carpentersville (Illinois) school district were trained to participate in their children's education through shared decision making. Each school practices a governance model focusing on trust building, collaboration, shared vision, and continuous improvement. Forging authentic…

A 1986 collaboration between a Fort Worth community group and middle school evolved into a network of 32 alliance schools in 1992-93. Aided by improvement-minded parents, community leaders, and educators, the alliance now has 100 schools in disadvantaged Texas communities. Community involvement contributes to improvements in conditions and…