Public schools have always been meant to provide all children with the skills and knowledge to become successful participants in the economy. But currently, a second important purpose of public education has become more salient: to promote social cohesion in a diverse and fractured democracy. As ugly and naked racism in America is further…

In 1988, education reformer and American Federation of Teachers president Albert Shanker proposed a new kind of public school--"charter schools"--which would allow teachers to experiment with innovative approaches to educating students. Publicly funded but independently managed, these schools would be given a charter to try their fresh…

Kahlenberg and Potter report on research that shows when teachers are engaged in school decisions and collaborate with administrators and each other, school climate improves. The authors add, this promotes a better learning environment for students, which raises student achievement, and a better working environment for teachers, which reduces…