Where We Stand

Al Shanker died, after a long battle with cancer, on February 22, 1997. Al's first Where We Stand column appeared over 25 years ago on December 13, 1970. His final one is taken from an autobiographical essay, "Forty Years in the Profession," which originally appeared in Reflections: Personal Essays by 33 Distinguished Educators (Phi Delta Kappa, 1990). In the essay, Al talks about his lifelong dedication to "gaining collective bargaining rights for teachers and using the collective bargaining process to improve teachers' salaries and working conditions." He also makes it clear that the teacher union movement always had an equally important aim: making schools work better for kids. His tireless efforts, during the past 15 years or so, on behalf of high standards of conduct and achievement and against the fads and follies that threaten to destroy public education were not an "about face" but a logical extension of his trade unionism.

Archived Where We Stand Articles

June Jun11, 1989

Struggle for Democracy. .. East Teaches West

Last year, final examinations in history and social studies were cancelled in the Soviet Union. The cancellation was ordered because of the "revelations" within the USSR that what had really happened in history was quite different from the official versions that had been fed to students and the public. Now it may be our turn.

June Jun4, 1989

Giving Schools a Dose of Medicine ... May Help Provide a Cure

Last year, I gave a speech in Chatuaqua, NY, about restructuring schools -- about different ways of organizing learning and teaching in order to get more students to be successful.

May May29, 1989

A Tale of Two Cities Boston and Chelsea

Boston and Chelsea, Mass., are linked by a bridge and by their similar educational problems: high dropout rates, low test scores, teenage pregnancy.

May May21, 1989

School Choice Truth in Advertising?

One of the most popular remedies for our educational ills has been the idea of school choice. Students are not only compelled to go to public school (unless their parents can afford private education), they're also usually assigned to a particular school.

May May14, 1989

Does Money Make A Difference? A Difference Over Answers

Most school people argue that if we want better results from schools, we need to invest more in education. Typically, they mean we need to invest more in what we're already doing so we can do more of it and do it better.

May May7, 1989

Less Cheering, More Coaching... And Fewer Replays

The notion of educational bankruptcy has recently become popular. A number of states have made it possible for a state superintendent of public instruction or a state education department to declare a school district educationally bankrupt, which allows the state, after a variety of procedures are exhausted, to push aside the local school board and operate the district itself.

April Apr30, 1989

Public Aid To Private Schools A "Lesson" from the Ayatollah

Should parochial schools receive government financial support? This issue has been debated throughout our history.

April Apr23, 1989

European vs. US. Students Why Are We So Far Behind?

Last week I reviewed some sad facts about American education. In addition to the problems of dropouts and those who are "at risk," we're facing another major problem: We're only producing a very small percentage of students who can really do college-level work.

April Apr16, 1989

Our Successful Students ... Are Not Very Successful

Much recent attention has been directed at students who are not doing well in school and toward those who have dropped out.

April Apr9, 1989

The Myth of "Real" Schools . .. And the Reality of Failure

Close your eyes and imagine "high school." Having tried this out face to face with various audiences, I'm willing to bet that even though you come from diverse groups and from different parts of the country, the overwhelming majority of you imagined the same school.

April Apr2, 1989

Schools Helping Business: The View from Polaroid

Lately, it's no surprise when a corporation lends a helping hand to schools and communities. But it's a rare occasion when schools and communities can return the favor.

March Mar26, 1989

Decade of the Child ... Or of the Dumped and Delinquent?

America's public school system used to be the envy of the world. American higher education still is.

March Mar19, 1989

Cultivating vs. Weeding Changing How We "Grow" Students

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of being a member of the Carnegie Forum's Task Force on Teaching as a Profession, which developed A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century.

March Mar12, 1989

Improving Big-City Schools: Commitments, Coalitions and Unionism

Is there any hope for failing city schools? Most media stories tend to say no, but a study issued by The RAND Corporation's Center for the Study of the Teaching Profession tells a different story.

March Mar5, 1989

How Business Can Motivate Students: A Good Job for Good Grades

"What can we in business do to help turn the schools around?" That's the question I'm asked most often as I meet with individual businessmen or address groups of corporate leaders.

February Feb26, 1989

School Technology Offer Not as 'Free' as It Seems

Many schools around the country would love to get their hands on some modern educational technology, but they just can't afford it.

February Feb19, 1989

Which Way Global Education? Propaganda or Education?

When a new educational trend takes off, there's a great hunger for classroom materials. But it takes time for good materials to reach the marketplace.

February Feb12, 1989

Competition and Choice But Will Schools Improve?

The hottest educational issue these days is public school choice. A few states have already started. Many others are making plans.

February Feb5, 1989

International Math and Science Test U.S. Rock Bottom

For those who thought A Nation at Risk could be dismissed as mere inflammatory rhetoric, a new report gives us the facts without the emotional tone.

January Jan29, 1989

Giving Experiments A Chance: Cooperation Not Confrontation

Recently, I've written a number of columns on the Chelsea, Mass., school system. Chelsea is in the news because its school board has voted, in principle, for a 10-year agreement with Boston University (BU) to turn over the board's powers to run the system to BU, a private institution.