The budget crises will have far reaching impacts on education in California. This CenterView focuses on the critical issues of equity and teaching quality now beginning to emerge for Californians as they struggle to offer students instruction necessary to meet the state's rigorous academic standards. It is absolutely essential for educators and…

Unrest, crime, and poverty in Central America and other parts of the world have led to periodic migrations of unaccompanied children and young refugees into the United States. These children then enroll in U.S. schools--public education for all children, including undocumented children, is a right guaranteed by the 1982 "Plyler v. Doe"…

It is time for reform advocates to expand their emphasis on improving instruction and school management to include a comprehensive component for addressing barriers to learning. In doing so, they must pursue this third component with the same level of priority they devote to the other two. That is, such an enabling (or learner support) component…

This paper charts a proposed 15-point plan to move from the present California public school system, devised over 50 years ago, to a system flexible enough to go into the next century. The plan is proposed by Charles S. Terrell, Jr., Ed.D., San Bernardino County superintendent of schools. The 15 points address changes in these areas: (1) class…

If the notion of public and private spheres seems somehow quaint or old-fashioned, the distinction between public and private corporations will be that much more obscure. Yet Channel One broadcasts in a public school classroom are indisputably the result of a contract between a private corporation (Alloy Media + Marketing) and a public corporation…

A recent California task force report on middle grade education, "Caught in the Middle," recommends that the master schedule provide for extended time blocks for core curriculum courses. Several goals of middle school education will be fulfilled by the program which is often called "core block" or "block time." The…

The challenge of equal educational opportunity in California and lessons from student affirmative action efforts are considered in a California Postsecondary Education Commission task force report, which also offers recommendations to promote high school and college preparation and educational opportunities for low income and minority students.…

This paper addresses problems in California's public education. The government has responded with various top-down programs. California and other states have crafted state academic-content standard and accountability programs. California has approved core academic-content standards that are rigorous and emphasize real knowledge and skills.…

In the knowledge-based economy that characterizes the 21st century, most previously industrialized countries are making massive investments in education. The United States ranks poorly on many leading indicators, however, primarily because of the great inequality in educational inputs and outcomes between White students and non-Asian…

Today, language-minority students comprise one of the fastest-growing segments of the total student population in America, a culturally and linguistically diverse group. A large number of bilingual students fall into the at-risk category because their cultural and linguistic backgrounds put them at a disadvantage in the American educational system…

In this article, the author discusses the experiences of Marian Sauer as one of the teachers during World War II. Marian Sauer, began teaching at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Richmond, California, in 1942. During World War II, Richmond's population skyrocketed, as a direct result of homefront mobilization and school enrollments grew six…

With 90 million Americans now reading and writing at the two lowest of five levels of proficiency ("functional" illiteracy by many estimates) according to the 1994 National Education Goals Report, and 30% to 40% of enrolled students in remedial classes, it is past time to determine a "fix" for the greatest national…

Parents of students with disabilities want the same access to educational opportunities as parents of students without disabilities. This "right" to particular services and learning environments is securely supported by federal regulations and policies in all schools, including charter schools. However, in the work of Fierros and…

This paper addresses the growing population trends in California; the need to counteract the current model of community sprawl by designing smarter schools and community growth strategies; and the changes in planning, policies, and practices needed to achieve these goals. Recommended strategies described support the following actions: more…

State-mandated reforms in educational practices, such as class-size reduction, have created the need for more and better educational facilities, but pressure from growth and poor planning decisions are stretching other forms of public infrastructure development to the limit and draining economic vitality from cities and towns. Current programs,…