What disturbs teachers most is not students' ignorance about our culture and history, but their unwillingness or inability to think critically about subjects that ostensibly interest them. Teachers often exacerbate this problem by oversimplifying complex issues, using "defensive" or controlling teaching strategies, and squelching debate. (MLH)

Education's purpose is to cultivate minds and characters, affirm ethical normality, and help young people develop moral and intellectual discernment. Such an education demands rigorous examination of and conversations about great literary works from the classical age to the present era. (MLH)

Hawaii is the only state that addresses school inequities with a comprehensive, statewide system legislating the same educational opportunities for all students. This system is rooted in the Hawaiian monarchy's prestatehood practices and beliefs. Hawaiian schools are strongly multicultural, boast many Japanese teachers, and are uniquely organized…

Describes the Alaska Sister Schools Network, formed in 1985 to create opportunities for Alaskan students to experience more directly the cultural and economic perspectives of their Pacific Rim neighbors. Network organizers go beyond the "pen-pal" approach to encourage three partnership levels: initial acquaintance, curriculum development, and…

An English teacher recounts snippets of her conversations with remedial students who have introduced her to a different world. Although she cannot change their violent circumstances, transform them into avid readers, or dispel feelings of craziness, she and the students keep talking. (MLH)

The Guaranteed Student Loan program is big business and risky for everyone except the lending institutions. Students who default on their loans now risk tougher penalties, and the federal government must foot the bill when students don't repay. The default problem varies by state and lending institution. Some California figures are provided. (MLH)

Most college students who default on federal loans come from low-income families and drop out of school within a year. Borrowers from more affluent families take out bigger loans, but stay in school longer, and are likely to secure steady employment and repay their loans. The Guaranteed Student Loan program seems designed for borrowers least…

Contrasts two communities' solutions to the AIDS crisis. Ocilla, Georgia, self-defined as a community of isolation, tries to avoid AIDS and segregate virus-carriers (Blacks only so far) from everyone else. Pilsen Academy (Chicago) is a model of openness, approaching AIDS through education, individual empowerment, collective decision-making, and…

Tells the story of "Sally Osbourne," a gifted teacher who graduated from high school and college without being able to read and write. Finally diagnosed as dyslexic at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Sally became literate and furthered her knowledge of diverse learning needs and strategies. (MLH)

Describes the case of Casey Jesson, a hyperactive child ordered by the state of Hew Hampshire to ingest Ritalin or forego a public education. Despite adverse side effects and the perils of drug dependency, there is greater parental and educator acceptance of Ritalin than ever before. Scientologists are sparking an anti-Ritalin campaign. Includes…

In late 1988, the Soviet Union's "perestroika" entered a new stage aimed at developing human resources and fostering democratic processes. Educators' and parents' discontent with the centralized bureaucracy and rigid educational administrative structure will press officials to formulate a comprehensive new education theory to achieve 19 future…

"People's education" in China is rooted in the mass education movement lasting from the 1920s to the 1940s. This article summarizes the Chinese educational system from 1949 to present-day reform efforts. Traditional spoon-feeding and rote learning must yield to a system encouraging sef-understanding and independent, innovative, and critical…

Describes New Jersey's Academy for the Advancement of Teaching and Management, a central, state-funded training center designed to improve students' education by sharpening teachers' and administrators' professional skills. The program's success depends on three critical qualities--relevance, consistency, and continuity. (MLH)

Argues for separate, state-supported, elementary teacher colleges as an alternative to unsatisfactory state university programs. The new five-year colleges would offer a strong liberal arts education, maintain high admission standards, and value and reward high-quality teaching in all disciplines. Writing and research would receive secondary…

University-based education researchers have continued to flood the professional literature with pretentious and obscure language. Many "new" discoveries are old ideas cloaked in unfathomable jargon. A survey of 500 classroom teachers disclosed a clear preference for jargon-free language. More extensive monitoring is needed. Includes 19 references.…