This two-part report represents the results of an effort by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to identify the major planning issues that are likely to face the community colleges in the 1980's. Part I describes two needs assessment surveys. The first survey asked administrators, faculty, students, trustees, ICCB members and staff, and…

Teacher shortage in all subjects, including music, has been an ongoing concern in the United States since the 1980s. The shortage is especially acute in urban and rural schools that serve economically disadvantaged students. This article examines (a) music teacher shortage in relation to P-12 public schools in general, (b) the demand for music…

Given recent budgetary gaps in public education, many civic and educational leaders have relied upon private sources of funding for US public schools, including funds raised by parents. Yet parents' role as economic actors in public education has been largely unexplored. Drawing from a qualitative study of parent engagement, fundraising, and…

The funding of public education in many states, especially Illinois, is characterized by inequity. The reality is that students across the state are subject to a disparity in fiscal resources between those attending schools in the wealthiest and poorest districts. The cause of this dilemma is threefold. First, Illinois has a school finance scheme…

This article builds a case for nuanced conceptualizations of "urban" and "-suburban" educational contexts and issues. The author analyzes data across two studies--one of upper-middle-class White parents with children in Chicago public schools, and the other of Black low-income and working-class parents who moved from Chicago to…

This paper highlights critical pedagogical methods used in a community relations class that introduces intercultural education concepts to current K-12 educators who are enrolled in a Masters of Education program at Northeastern Illinois University, which is located in the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The purpose of the class is to teach future…

The purpose of this paper was to explore issues in resistance to the public school system in urban communities, and in particular, Chicago, Illinois. Data from the Chicago Public Schools' (CPS) School and Citywide Reports (CPS, 2007) were analyzed to assess the disconnect between urban communities and public education. Although the city is 42%…

This report on the sequence of events and administrative decisions leading up to voter action on public library bond issues presents a description of the process that each of three Illinois cities went through. In two of the three cities a new library has no t been built because the bond issue referendums were defeated by the voters. In the third…

Relations between the public and private sectors of higher education are discussed. In the first chapter, John W. Gardner provides a historical perspective to the recent conflict in some states between public and private colleges and universities. In addition to discussing the pluralism and diversity that have characterized U.S. colleges and…

This report proposes 25 guidelines that should be considered in making productivity improvements in the following five key areas: (1) instruction, (2) research and public service, (3) overall academic functions, (4) administrative functions, and (5) state policies affecting higher education. In some cases, data are presented that illustrate the…

In a small Illinois town experiencing immigration of working-poor families, the differing notions about respectability of newcomers and the old guard became symbolized by conflict over the appearance and use of private and public property. Concludes that property issues, more than occupation or family background, shape social relations in…

THE WRITER, A MEMBER OF THE CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION, ACCUSES THE BOARD OF DELIBERATELY IMPOSING CONDITIONS AND POLICIES WHICH HAVE SERVED TO KEEP THE TWO RACES IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM APART AND TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST LARGE SEGMENTS OF THE RACIAL MINORITY. HE HOLDS THAT THERE IS A CLEAR NECESSITY TO DEMONSTRATE THIS BOARD'S SINCERITY BY IMMEDIATE,…

The papers in this issue of "Studies in Language Learning" deal with various aspects of the recommendations of the "Report of the President's Commission on Foreign Languages and International Studies." They discuss how these recommendations could be made specific in schools, colleges, and among the citizenry. The following…

The attitudes of selected superintendents in Illinois regarding Public Law 94-142 were studied. A review of related literature indicated that special education training and knowledge of PL 94-142 contributed to positive attitudes toward handicapped persons and the laws that apply to them. A questionnaire was sent to 300 local school…

The performance evaluation of tenured teachers in the public schools raises significant legal issues particularly in the context of recent education reform efforts. Collective bargaining has expanded to become a central part of labor relations in public schools and has served often to neutralize threatening evaluations. As reform efforts demand…