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This paper examines the American tradition of educational freedom, following its ebb and flow at various points in history. America's ethos of educational freedom has always been strong, tied to its values of pluralism, tolerance, and free inquiry. However, its legacy of freedom has suffered repeated assaults by individuals and groups who wish to use state control over schooling to homogenize American culture. The paper examines more recent victories for educational freedom, such as the historic Supreme Court decision upholding school choice and the introduction of new school and choice programs around the country. It outlines the most critical additional freedoms that parents and families need in the areas of school choice, private school freedom, homeschooling, and religious neutrality, noting that school choice is legal, but not widespread, and opponents of educational freedom are threatening to smother existing private schools in a morass of new regulations, which would dictate everything from curriculum to staffing. It also asserts that an educational freedom agenda including choice for all families, religious neutrality, freedom for private schools, and protection for homeschooling families will ensure that educational freedom provides real benefits to families who are harmed by current policies. (Contains 187 endnotes.)(SM)

All students in public school classrooms have the right to materials and educational experiences that promote open inquiry, critical thinking, diversity in thought and expression, and respect for others. Denial or restriction of this right is an infringement of intellectual freedom. Because of their almost exactly similar positions against censorship, the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English have formed a joint task force on intellectual freedom. This position paper of these organizations aims to heighten sensitivity about censorship concerns and provide a resource for communities facing challenges to intellectual freedom. The paper first cites the First Amendment and Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights to reinforce its position. It then provides an action plan and strategies to adopt before a challenge arises and after a challenge has been made. It considers tactics both at the local level and at the state/provincial level, as well as at the national and international level. The paper offers a list of groups interested in fighting censorship and an extensive bibliography of resources. It also cites some situations that might affect teachers and censorship. (NKA)

This paper discusses the importance of intellectual freedom for libraries, librarians, and library associations. Examples of attempts at censorship in Australia are presented, including the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act, 1999, legislation that requires filtering of Internet content. The IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations) statement on intellectual freedom is summarized, and the role of library associations in pursuing the ideal of free access to information and freedom of expression is addressed. (MES)

This paper focuses on ethics for librarians and library science in the age of electronic information. First outlined is the "public relations nightmare" that the Internet is creating for the administrators and the library staff. It is suggested that libraries pick a common sense approach that involves the library staff and community and that an honest approach to problems is necessary. The paper then goes on to discuss librarians as information consultants whose service should be compared to service provided by other professionals where identification is used to establish the rapport needed to fully assist their clients, to be available for follow up information, and to be accountable for the information provided. Presumptions behind the model of librarians as educators are outlined and the role of social ethics is discussed. Discussion then moves to copyright law in the digital age. The paper suggests that the moral value of information can be realized only by bringing the standardized classification system into accord with library patrons' specific self-understanding, life situation, and personal needs. It concludes by outlining strategies librarians can use to achieve this objective of accord, focusing on reference service, local cataloging, and public service projects. (AEF)

The electronic environment is currently forcing educators at all levels to revisit issues concerning intellectual property. Quick availability of information and data through the Internet has changed the way the general public views information since it seems to be in endless supply from any computer on any individual desktop. This paper presents a brief overview of several topics. The first focuses on ideas and concerns as to why faculty and institutions in education, particularly higher education, have good reasons to ask questions concerning "who owns what" in an era where educational opportunities may be delivered through the Web and various distributed learning systems. Secondly, it presents issues relevant to learner support and student ownership. Thirdly, it presents ideas about ownership that institutions might consider. Lastly it presents an overview of salient copyright changes and issues for 1998 and 1999. Selected print and online sources of additional information on intellectual property issues are also provided. (Contains 10 references.) (Author/AEF)

This paper reviews events leading to the University of Michigan speech codes, identifies the state of the law following the Doe v. the University of Michigan decision, points out problems in suggested alternatives to the code, and outlines an approach that protects students from hate speech while maintaining first amendment rights. The paper first provides a historical context for the consideration of speech codes by citing these events: (1) following a number of hateful acts at the University of Michigan, the United Coalition against Racism threatened to sue the university for not maintaining or creating a nonracist environment; (2) the university responded with a speech code, but the code was soon challenged in court by a biopsychology student who maintained that the code could sanction him for aspects of his research; and (3) federal courts ruled in favor of the student on the basis that the code was too broad and that university officials had attempted to enforce it in inappropiate situations. Noting that some have used the court's decision to argue against the implementation of any speech codes on college campuses, the paper argues that the problem is not speech codes in general but the inspecific nature of the Michigan code in particular. The paper concludes that alternatives to speech codes are not convincing, since verbally assaulted students are not in a position to fight back, especially if they do not feel the university stands with them against racism and hate. (Contains 53 references). (TB)

This publication details the critical issues being debated in telecommunications today and their impact on colleges and universities in the future. An introduction identifies important changes in recent years including technological advances, the digitizing of communication, privatization and commercialization of the Internet, possible significant revision of federal and state telecommunications law, and universities' growing dependence on telecommunications. Discussion of each of five current or emerging issues follows. The discussion of universal access, service, and affordability notes that telecommunication monopolies which benefited higher education are being replaced by competition possibly causing initially higher costs, the replacement of traditional distance learning formats, and challenges to university libraries. The next section discusses balancing the free exchange of ideas and dissemination of knowledge with the intellectual property rights of authors, publishers, and copyright owners. A section on privacy and free speech discusses protection for free inquiry and expression and supports measures under individual control rather than government intrusion into freedom of expression. A section on emerging issues looks at realizing the potential for distance education, information services, and professional training and lifelong learning. A final section looks at how telecommunications changes are offering higher education an array of opportunities to collaborate with other groups and organizations. (JB)

Much has been written on the ethics of teaching syllabi that pursue a particular social agenda. Depending on the commentator, these syllabi have been characterized as transformative, socially responsible, political, politically correct, unethical and immoral. Throughout this literature, however, the assumption is that the teacher presenting the syllabus has designed it and feels invested in its goals. However, at many universities, a majority of the first-year English composition sections are taught by graduate teaching assistants (TAs) who did not create the standard syllabus but are required nonetheless to teach it. This poses a unique set of ethical questions as yet unaddressed. A paradigm from Iris Marion Young's "Justice and the Politics of Difference" suggests that a politically-driven syllabus designed by someone higher on the academic hierarchy than the TA teaching the course is unethical. The graduate student is placed in a position in which economics forces a decision she is uncomfortable with. A study sent questionnaires to 49 TAs at a major midwestern university; 19 were returned. The questionnaire asked the TAs to reflect on the syllabus from the point of view of their ethical and moral beliefs. Responses showed both ends of the spectrum, both those who did not find themselves ethically troubled and those who were deeply troubled. The strongest response came from a first-year TA who found the department "ethically reprehensible." (TB)

Learning the values of respect for the individual, fairness, responsible exercise of freedom, and belief in each person's ability to understand democracy is possible. Students should learn to practice four communication habits: the habit of search (teaching students that they are accountable and responsible for what they say); the habit of justice (teaching students to present facts and opinions fairly); the habit of preferring public to private motivations (teaching students to openly reveal their information sources); and the habit of respecting dissent (teaching students to allow and encourage diversity of viewpoints). Possible outcomes that may result from the teaching of such values and habits are: (1) students could learn important conflict resolution skills which may be useful in their familial, student-to-student, student-to-teacher, and community relationships; (2) students may learn that diverse voices enrich perceptions and increase understanding, cooperation, and compromise rather than the reverse; (3) students may learn that how a person communicates tells a great deal about ethical character and genuine orientation toward communicating; and (4) students may learn to participate in lively and spirited discussions about the issues of the day. Nominal group technique, a small group exercise during which members alternate between individual work in the presence of others and verbal interaction as a group, is a recommended technique for working with students on communication ethics. It is a step-by-step exercise in which the teacher can customize effective questioning and guidance. (TB)

This paper examines copyright from an historical perspective, asserting that technology is and always has been the driving force behind copyright restrictions. In sixteenth-century England the printing press galvanized legislation. Today, technology, primarily in the form of the Internet, is once again a driving force behind a renewed and concerted effort by copyright owners to re-establish their territory. A timeline shows the progression of copyright as a censorship tool to a promotion-of-learning tool, and a table shows the theoretical issues still being debated about the proprietary versus regulatory nature of copyright. Confusion over the nature of copyright laws often leads to private laws made in total disregard of public law. The way copyright law is being interpreted by contemporary courts, the freedom to exchange ideas is moving toward extinction. The nature of copyright must be decided, and judicial decisions must rest on constitutional grounds. Otherwise, special interest groups wielding considerable economic power will continue turning copyright into a tool for guaranteeing a profit, sanctioned monopoly, and a universal tool for censorship. (Author/SWC)

The classical marketplace metaphor for intellectual exchange forms the ideological basis for the way argument is still taught in composition classrooms, where supposedly students are being prepared to participate as full citizens in an equal democracy. However, such a view of democratic citizenship, free speech, and argument is open to criticism for many reasons. Three chapters on argument from commonly used composition textbooks were analyzed for signs of this ideology. The textbooks described argument as practiced by equal participants on a level playing field. Participants must play by the rules, according to the texts. Facts and figures that are judged scientifically are privileged forms of information. The texts ask writers to move toward a consensus rather than become involved as interested partisans. Many teachers continue to believe in the myth of democratic participation. Karl Marx has critiqued such a position as being merely the veiled tricks of the ruling class to maintain control and power. Oppressed peoples must be convinced that they are not, in fact, oppressed. Preaching to economic and social subordinates that they are democratically "equal" to their oppressors is to obscure the truth of their situation and to deny them freedom and reality. Thus, teaching composition must be altered from its current dependence on the democratic myth to a model more in tune with the liberating tendencies of radical pedagogies. (Contains 15 references.) (HB)

This paper briefly describes a higher education reform movement underway in Sweden and offers, respectively, the text and a summary of two policy-forming memoranda. A 1977 legislative decision on all postsecondary education gave the government authority to set education policy, and based the entire university and university college system on politically defined needs. This situation provoked strong criticism from students and college and university faculty. In addition others critiqued the internal university administration. A 1991 task force was charged with changing the higher education organization. The text of one statement, signed by the minister of education and science, appears in full in the document. It advocates an emphasis on quality and an endeavor to grant increased freedom in various sectors of the higher education system. Also included is a detailed summary of the memorandum "Independence for Universities and University Colleges." This document proposes increased institutional independence in the following areas: the organization of studies; the programs offered; recruitment of students; appointment of faculty; institutional organization; and the disposition of financial resources and grants. Basic objectives would be high quality scholarship and freedom of research. The document also considers definitions of degrees offered in basic university education, training in research, evaluation and accountability, quantitative planning and resources, the organization of appointments, and institutional organization. (JB)

A formative inquiry into the institutional dimension of educational leadership is presented. Based on the thesis that individual educational leadership is a myth derived from misconceptions about social institutions and from the failure of the institution of education to value intellect, the paper demonstrates that these shortcomings stem from the power relationships in schools and the educational system. Following the analysis of Michel Foucault, the suggestion is made that not only is intellect devalued by schools, but it is the central subject of true education. Because learning entails collaboration, the concept of the individual organizational leader may obscure the relationships that promote or constrain the development of intellect as the legitimate objective of learning. The observation is made that teachers may be more likely to exercise leadership, as defined in this essay, than school managers. (87 references) (LMI)

Some parents fear that what their children learn in school theatre programs departs from family values. School theatre proponents have opened a Pandora's box by promoting theatre's potential to teach, rather than focusing solely on its aesthetic goals. Both sides in the theatre censorship controversy share the misperception that theatre causes behavioral changes, when in fact there is no proof of causation. Furthermore, directors cannot control audiences' interpretations of plays, even if the audiences consist of children. An overriding fear is self-censorship. There is a concern among school play directors that a particular play might prompt theatre program opponents to harass a school board over some highly exaggerated controversy. A teacher finds herself "editing" suggestive and loaded words and gestures as well as sexist and racist references out of scripts, for fear of criticism. School play directors must continue to select worthwhile scripts based upon what teachers know about children; to direct challenging plays; and to educate audiences. Directors can prepare for controversy by: (1) avoiding inflammatory concepts while highlighting positive themes; (2) allowing teachers a sense of ownership in play selection; and (3) evaluating plays in advance on paper. Teachers must empower children to express freely their perceptions of their theatre. (SG)

This paper is part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002. It discusses teachers' rights to private and public speech. Specifically, it examines the rights of special-education teachers and other special-education professionals to advocate, privately or publicly, on behalf of the disabled. In analyzing a number of court cases and recent legal developments regarding freedom of speech for special-education teachers, the paper touches briefly upon a variety of issues, including the following: (1) teacher property interests in teaching a particular grade, teaching at a particular school, or teaching a particular subject; (2) teacher probationary periods; (3) tenure; (4) recognized grounds for termination of teachers; (5) the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; (6) a code of ethics for special-education professionals; and (7) advocacy versus unprotected speech. (WFA)

The role of the university in moral and value issues are discussed in a 1987 inaugural address by the president of Indiana University. He suggests that a college education should include values through both intellectual inquiry and example. Liberty to speak and write is an essential value if faculty and students are to achieve their academic missions. The freedom of the university ensures that many approaches to moral tenets may be tested. A key value at the university is the morality of reason that requires examination of issues to help avoid prejudice. An important dimension of what students learn is a process of self-examination through rational inquiry. The morality of respect and belief in the worth of each individual is linked to the concept of equal opportunity. The moralities of reason and respect must be joined by a morality that recognizes the importance of learning for its own sake and for the sake of the learner. Colleges also provide a forum for public inquiry on key public policy issues. Appreciation of the arts has a special place at Indiana University. Leadership qualities of university presidents that affect the development of values are also considered. (SW)

Selection policies, library handbooks, and other documents issued by American bible college libraries were examined to see what commitments they have or have not made to intellectual freedom. Many of the libraries were found to have directly addressed censorship matters. Some libraries took strong stands in support of the freedom to read, but others took stands in direct opposition to the freedom to read. It is concluded that not all libraries appear to be fully committed to intellectual freedom, and a united front among all libraries in censorship battles does not exist. (35 notes including references) (EW)

This examination of the issue of intellectual freedom in academic libraries provides examples of recent controversies, and argues that the library's response to such controversies provides an opportunity to emphasize its educational role. It is noted that academic libraries are full of controversial materials, and that this is necessary if the library is to be able to make information available that presents more than one point of view on issues. On controversial issues in society, it is argued, access to information on both sides of an issue should be the rule and not the exception. Balance should be the guiding principle in library collection development, and it is suggested that representing both sides of controversial issues in a collection is a powerful rationale for the library's educational role on campus. It is concluded that the library should not be a reactionary presence when controversy arises, but a proactive and educating part of the education community. (EW)

Academic freedom, at institutions of higher education, is discussed in terms of questions raised about the ability of an institution to dismiss an instructor. In the first case, "Martin v. Parrish," the instructor was dismissed for using profanity in the class. The second case, "Carley v. Arizona Board of Regents," centered on the importance of student evaluations in the ultimate dismissal of an instructor. The questions discussed are based upon the premise that teaching is an ambiguous technology. As such, with no specifying outcomes, can the means really be specified? If a university wishes to strengthen teaching, who will evaluate and on what criteria? Recommendations are offered at the institutional, collegial, and individual levels and include the following: require multiple measures of quality teaching; have a developmental process and goals; use a system appropriate to the institutional type; and (for the individual) raise academic freedom only as an institutional claim, not a legal one, since academic freedom is, in reality, an institutional, occupational and organizational norm, not a legally efficacious construct. (LMS)

This paper examines the censorship of school library books and school textbooks in American public schools, with particular emphasis on recent court cases. The 1982 Supreme Court case, Island Trees Union Free School District versus Pico, is examined in detail, and it is argued that Justice Brennan established precedent for a "right to read" on the part of school students. Several textbooks that purportedly teach "secular humanism" are described. Finally, the anti-censorship efforts of the American Library Association and the National Council of Teachers of English are described. (EW)

At least 17 university faculty members have been the direct objects of unfavorable public commentary by the conservative organization Accuracy in Academia, Inc (AIA). Two case studies that have received much attention involve two political science professors: Dr. Terry Anderson of Texas A & M University, and Dr. Mark Reader of Arizona State University. Dr. Anderson was targeted by AIA reportedly for stating in class that he did not believe in the institution of marriage, that he was an atheist and that he held no patriotic ties with Texas A & M, the flag, or America. Dr. Anderson filed a defamation and libel suit against the organization because the story could affect employability were he to seek another position. Dr. Reader was accused by AIA of using his "Political Ideologies" course as a forum for protesting nuclear armament. Dr. Reader did not respond with a law suit, but rather wrote letters to the American Political Science Association explaining his position, and sought a university policy that would prohibit unregistered individuals ("classroom spies") from attending classes for the purpose of gathering information to be used against the university or individual professors. The actions of AIA have reinforced the beliefs of many in the liberal arts who have denied intellectual standing to much of modern neoconservatism on the grounds that it stifles rather than nurtures intellectual and academic freedom. (Two pages of sources are included.) (JC)

The issue of whose "facts" and whose perspective will control classroom discussions of social questions tends to surface in one of two related ways: (1) in connection with efforts to mandate the content of the instructional matter, and (2) in connection with attacks on teachers whose instructional material contains facts or evaluations offensive to a powerful social group or interest. A historical survey of the political monitoring of those who would give instruction concerning the ethics of social action, with focus on the ethics of communication, indicates a rediscovery after World War I of the importance of the ethical communication practices in democratic politics. The popularity of critical propaganda studies in colleges and universities during the mid-1930s was a short-lived phenomenon, however, and in the increasingly tense political atmosphere of 1939 to 1941, opponents of education who probed social ethics often branded ethical analysis as part of a conspiracy to undermine dominant American institutions. In the 1940s and 1950s, forces opposed to critical social analysis levied charges against educators and textbooks. The place of ethics in present day classrooms is, at best, ambiguous. While the upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s created a renewed acceptance of inquiries into the nature of modern society, the politics of recent years has seen the anti-critical trends continue, although now in the form of pressure from a variety of social groups harboring strong political opinions about what should and should not be taught. (HTH)

The extent to which U.S. colleges and universities contribute to the fulfillment of students' lives is discussed by Secretary of Education William Bennett in an address to Harvard University. Secretary Bennett's observations are based on his experiences as a law student, freshman proctor, and tutor at Harvard University, as well as his subsequent experiences at other colleges and universities, including teaching at six institutions. He believes that there is a gap between the rhetoric and reality of American higher education. While noting the vast facilities and resources at Harvard and other institutions, Secretary Bennett emphasizes the importance of a good general education, including the benefits of a real core curriculum (i.e., a set of fundamental courses, ordered, purposive, and coherent). He argues that too often colleges and universities, especially the most prestitious institutions, fail in the discharge of their educational responsibilities. Of interest is a survey of undergraduates that found two-fifths of respondents did not feel any professor took "special personal interest" in their academic progress, and many desired better guidance. Secretary Bennett also discusses the financial condition of higher education and the idea of the university as a place for free exchange of ideas. (SW)

The most ambitious connection that libraries can make in our time is the link between an individual and the rest of the world. Libraries are the places where books and other records of human memory and imagination are transmitted from one group of people to another, and librarians are the impresarios of the process. Personal experience and long study of Russian culture have shown that the answer to an important question is often more likely to be found in yesterday's book than in today's newspaper; deifying some books while denying access to others can be dangerous; and libraries can provide a quiet refuge for scholarly integrity. The American experience and example may be increasingly relevant to the world because: (1) the evolutionary American model may have more to offer than the absolutist models; (2) their various religious beliefs enable Americans to identify with a dimension of human experience that is incomprehensible in an atheistic society; (3) the maintenance of a civil, civic unity among diverse communities is an American aspiration that is becoming increasingly relevant as the world grows more diverse culturally, even as it becomes more interrelated technologically; and (4) Americans are strongly committed to higher education at a time when education and intellectual leadership in world politics are becoming increasingly important. The American type of democracy has depended on knowledge and grown through books, which are the individual's portable, affordable link with the memory, mind, and imagination of the rest of humanity, and the best guides we have for the exploration of our own basic humanity. Because the American example is so relevant, and because deepened and broadened knowledge has been so central to it, the necessity of getting more of our young people into creative contact with books and reading is an urgent concern for all American libraries. (SD)

Judge Thomas Hull's October 1986 decision in the "Mozert et al. versus Hawkins County Public Schools" provoked concern from a number of educators who felt that the plaintiffs, several Fundamentalist parents, who were favored in the decision, were attempting to force their religious principles on non-Fundamentalists. Judge Hull's decision, based on the notion that the children involved were not being provided a free public education, allowed them to "opt out" of reading class and be taught from alternate texts at home. Educators responded to the decision by saying that it opened the way for mass censorship, that it was impractical for schools to try to accommodate every minority opinion in every reading program, and that the children would become culturally illiterate with such omissions in their education. It is stated that such opinions are flawed in that they fail to consider the fact that (1) the basal readers in question were not removed from the classroom, (2) several schools have incorporated alternative reading materials without great inconvenience, and (3) the public's notions of education are based on exposing children to a wide variety of ideas, and the Fundamentalists' complaint arose largely out of the exclusion of Christian values rather than the inclusion of other values. It behooves educators who believe in a liberal democracy to attempt to accommodate minority viewpoints, because everyone is part of a minority in one way or another. (Thirteen references are included.) (JC)

Governments, groups, and individuals have always tried to control information. This paper examines censorship, particularly textbook censorship and its effect upon the curriculum, and opposes the recent trend to censor textbooks in public schools. Since the mission of public schooling involves indoctrination and socialization as much as education, the materials for these ends must be chosen carefully. However, the tradition of censorship is strong in America, and it is estimated that up to 30 percent of the nation's school districts have experienced book and curriculum conflicts. Many censors believe themselves unwaveringly right, and numerous censors have arisen from religious fundamentalism. These fundamentalists target secular humanism in the schools in particular, claiming that it is a religion itself and given unfair preference. Fundamentalists believe that their children's exposure to ideas and beliefs contrary to their own will undermine their children's faith and that children must not be taught to question or to wonder but to accept that which is presented to them. Some censors have a tangible impact on textbook publishers. A written procedure for the purpose of textbook-adoption challenges should be implemented so that no one group can control or limit information without due process. (RJM)

This paper, one in a series about the priorities of the professoriate, seeks to clarify the relationship between academic freedom and tenure by examining the standards and procedures used by the university to protect academic freedom without a tenure system. The paper considers first the minimum elements necessary to protect academic freedom absent a tenure system; next, it examines whether grievance procedures adequately protect the values of academic freedom, suggesting that additional measures might be necessary to safeguard academic freedom. Sections of the paper discuss the rules and procedures used to protect academic freedom, noting that it is the institution's responsibility to define what it believes constitutes academic freedom and that members of the university community have a vital vested interest in protecting their academic freedom. The paper notes the various structural devices (contracts, evaluations, peer review) which protect academic freedom and examines how well they protect academic freedom absent a tenure system. The paper concludes that colleges and universities that do not maintain tenure systems can adopt procedures that provide legal and practical academic freedom for their faculty, but is concerned that the loss of peer review in faculty evaluation may alter some of the subtle aspects of academic freedom. (Contains 13 references.) (CH)

Examines one theory used to justify science teaching on the basis of goals that transcend learning the content of science. Focuses on the goal of intellectual independence from science for nonscientists. Provides a brief overview of other content-transcendent goals in science education. Contains 45 references. (DDR)

Discusses three philosophical positions taken by librarians regarding Holocaust denial literature in library collections: inclusion, exclusion, and inclusion with labeling as inaccurate. Concludes that librarians should not undertake the role of arbiters of truth but should responsibly and intelligently build collections that provide access to views of deniers and views of those who refute them. (PEN)

Focuses on the current trend to critique the governing assumptions of research writing at the same time that a critical research practice is being developed. The article argues that the genres of academic writing are more integral to intellectual practices than traditionally assumed. (31 references) (Author/CK)

Explores the legal and educational dilemmas surrounding high school journalism by investigating how journalism educators' attitudes on how students' intellectual freedom can be protected in the public schools. Discusses academic advisor role and this issue. Provides answers to questions central to the debate, including a list of some social issues that may cause controversy. (PA)

Alerts educators to the problem of censorship. Gives specific examples of works that have been challenged. Suggests means for being prepared to meet the censor. Appends a list of the most protested, attacked, or censored books. (RS)

This paper examines Dewey's notions about an intelligent theory of education, focusing on a college student who explored the question of why scientists and schools accept evolutionary science rather than creation science, and discussing what a democratic education system can do with an alternative epistemology. (SM)

Defends the history National Standards as an excellent and inclusive guide to the broad topics and themes appropriate to a U. S. history course. Nonetheless, characterizes the Standards as pedagogically conservative. Recommends an alternative approach emphasizing critical thinking and interdisciplinary instruction. (MJP)

Recounts an incident where a sociologist heard stories challenging violations concerning toxic chemicals. Lawyers advised that corroborating these stories would obligate the sociologist to inform the authorities, thereby jeopardizing his sources. Discusses the ineffectuality of the American Sociological Associations' code of ethics and legal problems concerning research. (MJP)

This book examines the role of religion in U.S. education. The book argues that public schools and universities must take religion seriously. Written from the perspective of a philosopher and generalist, the volume asserts that people need to have a better understanding of the deep assumptions that shape their thinking about religion and education and which contribute to the "culture wars" of society. The document contends that the debate comes from the earliest days of U.S. history and that radical change is called for to address these issues of separation. The book is divided into 12 chapters: (1) "Religion and Modernity"; (2) "The Secularization of American Education"; (3) "The Constitutional Politics of Religion in America"; (4) "Textbooks"; (5) "Indoctrination"; (6)"Religion and Liberal Education"; (7) "Fairness and Neutrality"; (8) "Academic Freedom"; (9) "Evolution and Economics"; (10) "Religious Studies"; (11) "Religion and Moral Education"; and (12) "Vouchers." A concluding chapter tries to draw together some of the issues addressed. (EH)

Describes a library youth participation group's creation and production of a controversial play about censorship and the freedom to read. Discussion includes performance cancellations by middle schools, news coverage, book talks, videotaping, a paper chain parade, and an intellectual freedom award. (AEF)

After presenting a history of censorship, the paper examines current censorship arising from people who are frightened of ideas counter to their own. The impact of music and book censorship is discussed, and the realities of political correctness are noted. (SM)

Proposes adding intellectual freedom and censorship issues to the information science curriculum, and describes how 60 British and Canadian public library directors were surveyed to develop instructional case studies. Results indicate a concern for the right not to be offended, the right of all ideas to be heard, and the conflict between intellectual freedom and multiculturalism. (JKP)

Public schooling fails by educating students to become dependent thinkers; by providing irrelevant curricula; and by weakening social institutions such as family, community, and religion. On the other hand, public libraries give students the freedom to choose what they want to read, encourage critical thinking, and be nonjudgmental of students. (LP)

Inconsistencies in librarians' professional identification and self-image are seen as partly responsible for the limited effectiveness of instructional programs and for the lack of a central position in the information society. Considers ramifications of faculty status; implications of the commitment to intellectual freedom; obligations implied by information overload; and opportunities presented by information technology. (Author/AEF)

In a speech to University of Chicago (Illinois) students, an educator encourages students to challenge intellectual authority, allow their own assumptions to be challenged, become involved, be open to traditional curriculum content, and generally, keep an open mind. (MSE)

A Foxfire teacher confronts her skepticism of education before interviewing Maxine Greene, author of the book, "The Dialectic of Freedom." Greene, who is optimistic about education and its role in promoting personal freedom, discusses schools in a changing society, educational reform, critical thinking, the importance of the arts in education, and democratic education. (LP)