Discusses the history of corporal punishment in American schools and recent developments which serve to project national opinions on the matter. (RK)

The use of physical violence on students affronts democratic values and infringes on individual rights; furthermore, a study of school violence found a high correlation between physical punishment and violent behavior of students. (Author/MLF)

For students steeped in the culture of violence, classrooms may offer one last chance to experience more constructive ways of relating. Schools must help these students find new identities and increase their capacity for moral reasoning. Authoritarian responses overpower students while failing to relieve their fear, distrust, or physical pain.…

Professionals must teach and operate schools in the best interests of students, using their knowledge to guide their efforts. This article summarizes what educators know about teaching and learning, teachers and work conditions, and school improvement. Decentralization, deregulation, and empowerment will prevail only by creating "elite"…

Summarizes the U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have had the greatest impact on public elementary and secondary education within the last 50 years, beginning with "Brown v. Board of Education" in 1954. Includes decisions involving equality of education, freedom of expression, student discipline and safety, and religion in schools.…