Urban Education.

The articles in this theme issue focus on urban education. The first essay, "The Changing Urban School" by Rosanne Bacon, notes the challenges of urban schools. As the nation's cities change to reflect a more diverse, multicultural, and multiethnic population, urban schools must meet the needs of a rapidly changing student population. Teachers are at the heart of efforts to make urban schools exciting places of learning and achievement. Ako Kambon, in "Recruitment of Minority Teachers Is Key to Improving Urban Schools," notes that minority students will comprise 33% of the U.S. school population by the year 2000. However, if present trends continue, minorities will be less than 5% of all teachers in the United States by that time. A number of factors contribute to diminishing interest in teaching on the part of minorities. Among these are the relatively low status of teaching as a profession and various economic factors, as well as the perception that urban schools are combat zones. The development of minority recruitment programs in teaching must be encouraged, to provide a supply of minority teachers for the schools of the future. "Urban Public Schools: Getting the Job Done" by Michael Casserly highlights successes in urban schools. Increasing numbers of black urban students are completing high school, and a majority of urban teachers report that they do not have trouble keeping order in their classrooms. "Wanted: Teachers with an Attitude" by Jerry Howland details the successes of three urban students who represent the possibilities an urban education can provide. Sidebars to this section present "Activities To Get Students Interested in Urban Teaching,""The Urban Teacher Collaborative" (a partnership of Recruiting New Teachers, Inc., the Council of the Great City Schools, and the Great City Colleges of Education), and "What It Takes To Teach in Urban Schools." (SLD)