A sympathetic look at the daily work of our educators directly confronting issues with our changing student population, teachers unions, poor family dynamics, financial inequities, and student performance on international achievement tests.
Teachers: the heart of the matter -- Daily life of a teacher -- Demographic changes and student achievement -- The impact of teacher unions -- The myth of merit pay -- School charters, vouchers, and privatization -- The legal tangle in education -- Curriculum and instruction: the what and how of schooling -- Students then and now -- The parent factor -- The limits of local control -- School boards -- The superintendent: CEO of the school district -- The critical role of the school principal -- Special education and other special services -- School finance -- Schools as organizations -- International comparisons -- Final exam.