This collection of essays, from Houston area educators, investigates and analyzes the state of social education, offering a critical and transformative perspective. Following a preface, chapters in the collection are: (1) "Addressing the Issues within Social Studies" (C. White); (2) "The Status of Social Studies Education" (C. White); (3) "The Promise or Scourge for Social Studies in the New Millennium? Technology, Standardized Tests, and Content Standards" (C. White; T. Walker); (4) "Issues in Transforming Social Studies Education" (S. Balderas; C. White); (5) "Transforming the Social Studies Curriculum" (D. Brun; S. Bouldin; C. White); (6) "Instruction in the Social Studies" (C. Charron; C. White); (7) "Assessment in Social Studies" (K. LeRoy; D. Dudley; C. White); (8)"Technology Issues for Transforming Social Studies" (D. Brennan; T. Jensen; C. Harrison; C. White); (9) "Technorealism: Addressing the Issues in Social Studies" (T. Walker; C. White); (10) "Citizenship Education" (T. VanWinkle); (11) "Controversial Issues in the Social Studies" (S. Lawrence; T. Terence; C. White); (12) "An Issues-Centered Social Studies" (C. White; T. Walker); (13) "Social Justice and Critical Pedagogy for Social Studies" (K. Gewinner; C. Krohn; C. White); (14) "Quilting the Curriculum: Integrating through Social Studies" (J. Campbell; C. Mumpire; C. White); (15) "Towards a Multicultural Social Studies" (D. Owens; D. Newman; C. White); (16) "Primary Social Studies" (P. Keller; C. White); (17) "Integrating Current Events" (B. Weinberg; S. Neumann; C. White); (18)"Cooperative Learning and Social Studies" (Z. A. Blanton; C. White); (19) "Critical Thinking and Inquiry for Social Studies" (J. Katra; C. White); (20) "Professional Development" (J. Penner); (21) "Providing Voice: Teacher Empowerment and Democratic Classrooms" (C. White; T. Walker); and (22) "Social Studies Teacher Education and the Modern/Postmodern Debate" (T. Walker; C. White). Contains an afterword, a selected bibliography, and a list of Web sites. (BT)