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"Designed specifically for students with little or no education background, Thinking About Schools is an essential collection of classic and contemporary readings that provides a complete, balanced overview of educational foundations. Anchored in classic scholarship from the 1960s to today, this book also incorporates a number of thought-provoking popular essays that will engage students and encourage critical thinking about vital issues concerning the purpose of education, curriculum content, the roles and responsibilities of students and teachers, and new directions for education in the twenty-first century. In addition to selecting each reading for its impact and accessibility, editor Eleanor Blair Hilty further promotes student comprehension by including introductions, discussion questions, guides to further reading, and related resources for each of the five parts"--

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"Nowhere is teachers' lives and work more challenging than in Jamaican schools. Teachers in Jamaica are regularly faced with limited resources and challenging students. Teacher pay has been historically low and current conditions continue a long tradition of providing minimal compensation for teachers' work. Recent school reform efforts has been successful in producing a teaching force that is better educated than ever before, and yet, teachers are seldom given the autonomy in decision-making and/or respect that accompanies the work of comparable professions. Coupled with these issues, teachers regularly face hunger, poverty, behavioral issues and a lack of parental support as part and parcel of their experience in 21st century schools. If teachers are perceived as having low professional status, it is not surprising that they are often blamed for the shortcomings of Jamaican schools. The citizens of Jamaica are firmly committed to the notion that "every child can learn, every child must learn;" however, the reality is that while all children can learn, many children do not learn in this country where the allocation of resources favors the rich and disowns the poor. Public schools in Jamaica vary tremendously across the fourteen parishes. Geography and social class regularly determine both the context and circumstances of teachers' work, and yet, discussions of teachers seldom acknowledge the differences. There is a place for a more in-depth examination of teachers' work and teachers' lives in Jamaica where a consideration of the emergence of teacher leadership and higher professional status can intersect with a vision of new roles and responsibilities for teachers. While many of the reports on Jamaican education consider the role of administrative leaders, there is an absence of any discussion of the role of teacher leaders is school reform. It is interesting that a country can advocate for higher levels of teacher preparation and an upgrading of the professional status of teachers, and yet, ignore the potential power of teachers as major actors directing efforts to reform the schools. Teachers acting as leaders, in a profession dominated by women, would challenge the status quo and usurp preconceived notions regarding the work of teachers. In this book, 21st century descriptions of teachers' lives and work will accompany a consideration of how the transformation of the teaching profession could positively impact both schools and classrooms across the island"--

Education --- Teachers --- Teaching --- School environment --- Educational sociology

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"The proposed volume brings together leading scholars in Caribbean education to focus on 21st century issues and concerns, specifically as they relate to educational research, theory, policy, and practice. Schooling continues to hold a special place both as a means to achieve social mobility and as a mechanism for supporting the economy of Caribbean nations. For the purposes of this study, the Caribbean will be considered to be the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles includes the five larger islands (and six countries) of the northern Caribbean, including the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. The Lesser Antilles includes the Windward and Leeward Islands which are inclusive of Barbados, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago along with several other islands. As such, each chapter will provide perspectives on the history and sociology of the Caribbean recognizing that each island has its own unique "story." The Handbook will attempt to capture the current breadth and depth of knowledge about Caribbean education while providing a comprehensive description of the current educational landscape and direction for future work and needs. Depending on the response to a call for chapters, the handbook will be organized either by countries or issues. Potential topics include: the politics of language, social justice issues, culturally relevant pedagogy, race and gender issues, teaching profession, technology, leadership, high stakes testing, universal education, inclusive education, safe schools, financing schools etc. The objectives of the book are the following: To describe the intersection of Caribbean education with contemporary global issues and concerns. To identify broad-based foundational research (history and sociology) on Caribbean education. To identify research on key issues (theory, policy and practice) impacting Caribbean schools. To articulate a vision of 21st century Caribbean education. The purposes of the book are the following: The book will fill a vacuum in the literature on 21st century Caribbean education. A book of this type is long overdue and will make a significant contribution to broader, cross-ultural considerations of education. The book will inform efforts to communicate a uniquely Caribbean vision of 21st century schools and education. The book will challenge educators and policy-makers to re-consider the role and place of Caribbean schools in larger political and economic contexts. The proposed book is intended for an academic audience. The authors of the book have extensive experience working and living in the Caribbean. Dr. Blair has been teaching Jamaican teachers (undergraduate and graduate) for 25 years through the Western Carolina University-Jamaica Program. Approximately 100 students participate in this program annually. Dr. Williams Has taught and lived in the Caribbean and is a graduate of Erdiston Teachers' Training College in Barbados, and of the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica. This book would be a valuable resource for education students at the University of the West Indies in Kingston and in other Caribbean Islands as well as a wide range of post-secondary Caribbean institutions that train teachers. In addition to Caribbean institutions, there are scores of education programs across the Caribbean that are serviced by American universities; this would be a useful resource for these institutions. As such, there is the potential for this book to meet the needs of a large audience of teacher educators"--

Education --- Education and state --- Educational change --- Aims and objectives.