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There are 3 messages totalling 876 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. ALA> ALAWON, Vol. 5, No.22 (121 lines)
  2. RPTCRD> DAILY REPORT CARD
  3. PBS> PBS PREVIEWS: April 29 - May 5, 1996

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 27 Apr 1996 14:39:51 -0500
From:    Gleason Sackman <[e-mail]>
Subject: ALA> ALAWON, Vol. 5, No.22 (121 lines)

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 18:20:07 -0400
From: ALAWASH E-MAIL (ALAWASH E-MAIL) <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: ALAWON, Vol. 5, No.22 (121 lines)


------------------- ALWN522.DOS follows --------------------
=================================================================
ALAWON                                        Volume 5, Number 22
ISSN 1069-7799                                     April 26, 1996
     American Library Association Washington Office Newsline

In this issue:
     PUBLIC COMMENT NEEDED ON ELECTRONIC FEDERAL DEPOSITORY
          LIBRARY PROGRAM
     NEW OMB DOCUMENT RELEASED ON CONTRACTING OUT
________________________________________________________________
    PUBLIC COMMENT NEEDED ON ELECTRONIC FEDERAL DEPOSITORY
                        LIBRARY PROGRAM

In early April, GPO released a draft report for _The Study to
Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More
Electronic Federal Depository Library Program_.  This was in
response to a Congressional directive to Public Printer Michael
DeMario last year to study the functions and services of the
Federal Depository Library Program to shift to a more electronic
program.  After a 60-day public comment period, this study and
strategic plan is likely to be in final form.

ALA President Betty Turock testified on March 6 before the House
Legislative Appropriations Subcommittee.  She urged Chairman Ron
Packard (R-CA) to approve the GPO requested $30.8 million for FY
1997 for funding the Federal Depository Library Program,
including $500,000 to provide "technology grants" to
depositories.  She also told Congress that planning toward the
goal of a more electronic depository program must take into
account the realistic capabilities of all of program
partners--the federal government, libraries, and the public.

Moreover, she said, a rapid shift to a predominately electronic
system at this time would undermine the significant progress
already achieved by depository libraries and the Government
Printing Office in enhancing public access through electronic
technologies.

At the March 6 hearing, Representative Packard appeared impatient
with statements from Turock and DiMario that libraries, users and
federal agencies needed more than two years to make a transition
to a nearly entirely electronic depository library program.  The
Senate Legislation Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by
Senator Connie Mack (R-FL), plans hearings on the GPO budget
request for FY 1997 in mid-May.

GPO's draft study was the second report GPO has prepared on the
transition to a substantially electronic depository program.  The
first, released in December 1995, assumed a two-year transition
to an almost entirely electronic program.  GPO's recently
released draft responded to the concerns of librarians and others
that the first transition plan was based on an overly ambitious
time frame, and GPO is now recommending to Congress a five to
seven year transition.

Although long supportive of a more electronic program, librarians
have continuing concerns with the transition plans, such as:

     Shifting costs to libraries and the public;
     Utilization of appropriate formats for government
     publications; and
     Long-term permanent access and preservation of electronic
     files for continuing use.

ACTION NEEDED. Senators and Representatives need to hear directly
from librarians and users of government information about how the
proposed rapid transition to an almost entirely electronic
Federal Depository Library Program would affect YOUR library and
YOUR users.  Urge Congress to fund the Federal Depository Library
Program at the level GPO has requested: $30.8 million for FY
1997, including $500,000 to provide "technology grants" to
depositories needing special help.

_________________________________________________________________

          NEW OMB DOCUMENT RELEASED ON CONTRACTING OUT

In the April 1 _Federal Register_, pp. 14338-46, the Office of
Management and Budget released a revised transmittal memorandum
to OMB Circular No. A-76, "Performance of Commercial Activities."
 Federal librarians and others concerning about contracting out
government functions should review this publication its results
on library services.  According to introductory material, "[t]he
revision seeks the most cost-effective means of obtaining
commercial support services and provides new administrative
flexibility in the government's make or buy decision process.

The revision modifies and, in some cases, eliminates cost
comparison requirements for recurring commercial activities and
the establishment of new or expanded interservice support
agreements; reduces reporting and other administrative burdens;
provides for enhanced employee participation; eases transition
requirements to facilitate employee placement; maintains a level
playing field for cost comparisons between Federal, interservice
support agreement and private sector offers, and seeks to improve
accountability and oversight to ensure that the most cost
effective decision is implemented..

Copies of the Revised Supplemental Handbook may be obtained by
contacting The Executive Office of the President, Office of
Administration, Publications Office, Washington, DC 20503, at
[phone].  The document is also accessible on the OMB Home
Page.  The on-line OMB Home Page address (URL) is
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/omb
_________________________________________________________________
ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library
Association Washington Office.  To subscribe, send the message
"subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname]" to <listproc
@ala.org>.  ALAWON archives gopher.ala.org; select Washington
Office Newsline.  Web page HTTP://www.ala.org/alawashington.html.

ALA Washington Office                            202.628.8410 (V)
1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403                 202.628.8419 (F)
Washington, DC 20004-1701                Lynne E. Bradley, Editor
<[e-mail]>                           <[e-mail]>
Contributors: Anne H. Heanue

All materials subject to copyright by the American Library
Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial
purposes with appropriate credits.
=================================================================

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 27 Apr 1996 14:40:48 -0500
From:    Gleason Sackman <[e-mail]>
Subject: RPTCRD> DAILY REPORT CARD

Date:         Fri, 26 Apr 1996 14:24:07 EDT
From: Daily Report Card <[e-mail]>
Subject:      DAILY REPORT CARD
To: Multiple recipients of list RPTCRD <[e-mail]>

     --- Friday --- April 26, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 39 ---

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    THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
         A service of the National Education Goals Panel

                                   __________         __________
KIDS FOR ChARACTER                |          SPOTLIGHT          |
  ... is a new video being        |                             |
released by the CHARACTER         |          SHOCKING?!         |
COUNTS! Coalition.  The show      |                             |
features a "never-before"         |   The NEA is launching a    |
collaboration of 30 children's    | charter school initiative.  |
characters including Babar,       | Some observers, who         |
Barney, Shari Lewis and Lamb      | regularly castigate the     |
Chop, and characters from The     | union for defending the     |
Magic School Bus, The Puzzle      | status-quo, may be          |
Place, Gullah Gullah Island,      | astounded to hear that the  |
Cat in the Hat, Madeline, Spot    | NEA is bankrolling a five-  |
and others.  The 60-minute        | year, $1.5M initiative to   |
video is geared to building       | "explore" charter schools.  |
character in young children and   |                             |
is accompanied by a 32-page       |   "The world has changed,"  |
parents' guide.                   | declared NEA President      |
  Children in selected            | Keith Geiger.  He said the  |
locations, including              | union embraces charters     |
Washington, D.C., Albuquerque,    | already underway that share |
N.M., Bridgeport, Conn., and      | such NEA goals as high      |
Omaha, Neb., will participate     | standards and site-based    |
in a nationwide kick-off event    | management.  The NEA will   |
that premiers the video.          | share what it learns with   |
  The Coalition consists of       | all public schools. (#4)    |
nearly 100 educational, youth     |                             |
service and civic organizations   |   Meanwhile, Cambridge,     |
that reach over 40 million        | Mass., known for its        |
children, according to a          | efforts to voluntarily      |
Coalition press release.          | desegregate schools, is in  |
  The KIDS FOR CHARACTER video    | an uproar over the city's   |
is available for rental or        | first charter -- one with a |
purchase.  Suggested retail       | predominately minority      |
price is $14.95.  Call 800/711-   | enrollment. (#5)            |
2670 to place an order.           |_____________________________|

         ==============  QUOTE OF THE DAY  ==============
 "From now on each student wears a tag of $10,000 round his neck,
and it is incumbent on schools to duke it out for that child." --
  William McLaurin, one of the founders of the Banneker charter
                school in Cambridge, Mass.  (#5)
   _______________________________________________________________
|      A service of the National Education Goals Panel          |
|         Published by the Education Policy Network             |
|    1255 22nd Street NW; Wash, D.C.; 20037; 202/632-0952       |
|     The DRC hereby authorizes further reproduction and        |
|           distribution with proper acknowledgement.           |
|                 Publisher:  Barbara A. Pape                   |
                  Staff Writer:  Elizabeth Gage                 |
|_______________________________________________________________|

        ==============  TABLE OF CONTENTS  ==============

GOAL FOUR:  TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
  PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:  Kudos for the best. (#1)
  CERTIFICATION INCENTIVES:  Miss offers helping hand. (#2)

HIGHER EDUCATION
  CUTTING COSTS:  Way of life for most colleges. (#3)

CHARTING A NEW COURSE
  HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS:  Charter schools and the NEA. (#4)
  THE TROUBLE WITH CHARTERS:  Cambridge in an uproar. (#5)

ON THE HILL
  BUDGET BATTLE ENDS:  House and Senate reach agreement. (#6)

CHOOSING SCHOOLS
  THERE GOES THE JUDGE:  Seeking pro-choice court. (#7)



=====  GOAL FOUR:  TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT =====

*1   PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:  KUDOS FOR THE BEST
     U.S. Ed Sec Rchard Riley last week announced an initiative
"to recognize exemplary professional development opportunities
for teachers and other educators," (DoEd press release, 4/18).
     The DoEd has joined forces with several professional
organizations to establish the National Awards Program for Model
Professional Development.  "Parents have every right to expect
that their children will have fully prepared teachers ... and
teachers should expect to receive first-rate, ongoing training.
Today we're asking for nominations.  Who is doing this essential
job right? I look forward to honoring this critical work,"  Riley
said.
     Riley outlined the criteria for prospective applicants.
They must show evidence of improved student learning and
increased teacher effectiveness.  Applicants also must
demonstrate that their approach adheres to the mission of
professional development:  "to prepare and support educators to
help all students achieve to high standards of learning and
development," writes the paper.
     Principles of Professional Development also must be
considered by applicants.  The principles were developed through
a public process to ensure that the DoEd's efforts reflect "the
best available research and exemplary practice," writes the press
release.
     The principles of professional development include:  a focus
on teachers as central to students learning, while including all
other members of the school community; a focus on individual,
collegial, and organizational improvement; respect and nurturing
of the intellectual and leadership capacity of teachers,
principals and other in the school community; reflection of best
available research and practice in teaching, learning and
leadership; and enabling teachers to develop further expertise in
subject content, teaching strategies, uses of technologies, and
other essential elements in teaching to high standards, among
others.
     All public and private schools and districts are eligible to
participate in the contest.  Up to ten winners will be selected
and honored in December at a Washington, D.C. ceremony.
Applications are due by 1 July 1996.  To request and application
contact Terry Dozier, special advisor on teaching, Office of the
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave.,
SW, Washington, DC  20202.

*2   CERTIFICATION INCENTIVES:  MISS OFFERS HELPING HAND
     Miss. Gov Kirk Fordice last week signed legislation that
offers salary incentives and fee reimbursement to encourage
teachers to become certified by the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards (NATIONAL BOARD FOR PROFESSIONAL
TEACHING STANDARDS ress release, 4/18).  The mandate will allow
National Board Certified Teachers in Miss. to receive a salary
supplement of $3,000 per year, and will reimburse them for the
$2,000 National Board Certification fee.
     "Mississippi has much to be proud of," said James A. Kelly,
president of the National Board for Teaching Standards, a
nonprofit organization that establishes high and rigorous
standards for teachers. "The state has made a strong commitment
of improving student learning in teacher professional development
by creating and passing this legislation.  I commend Gov. Fordice
and Ronny Musgrove, lieutenant governor, for encouraging teachers
to improve their practice and for encouraging real impact on
student achievement."
     At present, Miss. has only three National Board certified
teachers in its schools.  The legislation is expected to heighten
awareness of and interest in the certification process, writes
the release.  Officials hope that hundreds of Miss. teachers will
take advantage of this professional development opportunity.
     Teachers pursuing National Board Certification can receive
certificates as generalists, that is, those who teach across the
curriculum, or as subject specialists, in one of six
certification fields.   They must demonstrate their knowledge and
skills through performance-based assessments, which include
portfolios of student work, interviews and videotapes.  They also
must answer essay questions that probe their knowledge of the
subject matter they teach.  Some teachers report spending up to
150 hours on this voluntary certification process, which is
available to all K-12 public and private school teachers who have
been in the classroom at least three years, reports the paper.
     National Board Certification is different from state
certification because the later focuses on entry-level
requirements for teaching in a given state.  The former is
designed to recognize accomplished teachers.
     N.C. Gov. James B. Hunt (D), chair of the National Board,
said, "National Board Certification is about improving the
teaching profession and bringing teachers the respect and
recognition their important work deserves.  Years from now,
thousands of teachers will have earned National Board
Certification and the profession will soar to new heights, in
much the same way that medicine improved when doctors began
seeking and achieving board certification."

                 =====  HIGHER EDUCATION  =====

*3   CUTTING COSTS:  WAY OF LIFE FOR MOST COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
     Only 20% of America's colleges and universities are "healthy
financially," and 60% are "struggling to adjust,"  (Hancock and
McCormick, NEWSWEEK, 4/29).   Higher education institutions are
downsizing and using innovative ideas to cut costs, writes the
magazine.
     The higher education industry boomed from $7B in the late
1950's to a $200B industry today.  Government subsidies,
increasing tuition rates, big-name professors, expanding graduate
departments and administrations contributed to the rising costs,
writes the magazine.  But in the late 1980's federal and state
governments drastically cut grants and aid.
     Cuts in government spending were coupled with poor
development choices made by universities.  According to
Northwestern's Chancellor Arnold Weber, schools accepted too many
"gifts that eat."  That is too many schools accepted lavish
gifts, without considering future maintenance costs.  For
example, "a $40M lab will cost three times that in maintenance
over its lifetime," writes the magazine.
     Costs also increased as professors salaries escalated.
Simultaneously, the number of hours taught by professors
decreased.  Universities vying for star professors contributed to
skyrocketing salaries, reports the magazine.
     Universities began slashing costs in 1990.  For example,
Harvard has cut approximately $43M and Stanford cut $54M from
their respective budgets.  However, university cost cutting is
not necessarily akin to corporate downsizing, because "presidents
and deans are obliged by academic tradition to consult faculty on
cost-cutting moves. The faculty ... forges elaborate alliances to
guard its turf,"  reports the magazine.
     Northwestern has managed to straighten out its finances
under Weber's guidance, notes NEWSWEEK.  As an economist, Weber
kept tuition increases below average.  After deciding that
programs in evolutionary biology, nursing and geography could not
be first rate, he eliminated them.  As the school's focus
narrowed, its academic reputation increased, the magazine reports
-- the number of applicants rose and faculty salaries increased.
     However, cutting costs is not always as easy as it seems in
the Northwestern case. The U of Rochester expects $6M in annual
administrative cuts in the next four years.  Many of the programs
targeted for elimination are support services, such as career and
psychological counseling, which are increasingly demanded by
students, writes the magazine.
     Faculty also are on the budget chopping block.
Traditionally tenured faculty, research and Ph.D. personnel have
had protected jobs at the expense of undergraduate programs.
Robert Zemsky, a higher-education expert at the U of
Pennsylvania, said, "Students ended up paying more for less."
     Tenure guarantees a faculty member lifelong work,
regardless of student course evaluations or changes in the
universities curriculum.  "When a top college grants tenure, it
is committing as much as $4M in lifetime pay," the authors write.
 The problem is compounded by federal law that prohibits
mandatory retirement ages.
     In response to the tenure problem, some universities
increasingly rely on part-time faculty -- 38% of the nation's
professors are part-timers.  In addition, universities offer a
choice of "faculty development leave" or  tenure.  The former
allows professors to submit performance reviews in exchange for
frequent sabbaticals.
     Aside from cost cutting, some schools are using innovative
methods to create more effective and efficient programs.
Officials at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.,
examined their freshman introductory calculus, physics and
biology courses:  They decided they were boring, too big and
expensive.   The courses were taught lecture-style to 500
students.  Students also attended smaller discussion groups led
by graduate students.  The whole approach was tossed aside and
replaced with high-tech labs.  Students now sit at multimedia
computers and the professor and teaching assistants wander around
the lab answering questions.   A course that once took five hours
and 40 graduate students to teach, now takes only four hours with
12 teaching assistants.  In addition, the new approach has cut
the operating cost of the course by $50,000.
     David Porter, president of Skidmore College in New York,
wonders how institutions will act once universities and colleges
survive their financial crises .  "Do we just survive, or can we
thrive?" Porter asked.  The answer remains to be seen, concludes
NEWSWEEK.

               =====  CHARTING A NEW COURSE  =====

*4   HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS:  CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE NEA
     The National Education Association last week launched a
five-year "exploration" into charter schools to examine whether
the concept is a viable way to improve public education (National
Education Association press release, 4/16).  "The world has
changed -- and that's forcing all of our institutions to revisit
the way they do things.  Schools are no exception," said NEA
President Keith Geiger.
     Geiger announced the five charter school sites that
constitute the union's Charter School Initiative:  Phoenix,
Ariz., San Diego, Calif., Colorado Springs, Colo., Atlanta, Ga.,
and Oahu, Hawaii.  The best charter schools already underway
nationwide reflect "rigorous learning standards, site-based and
shared decision making, a diversity of educational programs,
freedom from red tape and a suspension of rules that may impede
innovation;" attributes that also are valued by the NEA,
according to Geiger.
     The NEA intends to apply what it has learned about teaching,
learning, curriculum and the "conditions that support quality
education" through several other NEA reform initiatives.  "And
everything we learn from the charter exploration will be plowed
back into the public schools to advance systemic renewal," noted
Geiger.
     The NEA plans to make a "major investment" in its charter
school initiative:  an estimated $1.5M over the five-year period.
NEA charter "explorers" also will be electronically connected
through the union's School Renewal Network, "which links its
members involved in NEA-sponsored school restructuring efforts,
and in face-to-face gatherings where they can share their
experiences to accelerate the learning curve," writes the
release.
     The Charter School Initiative also includes an "ongoing
documentation and assessment" provision to be conducted by
faculty and staff from the U of California, Los Angeles.  NEA
funds will underwrite the research effort, with the results
shared with others nationwide.  Geiger said the research will
focus on:  increasing and sustaining student learning in
essential core subjects; new ways of teaching to high standards;
connecting schools with their communities; and understanding how
charters affect governance and accountability.
     All NEA charter schools will be free, with open admission,
and non-sectarian.  Geiger:  "At their core, charters, when done
right, uphold the democratic principles that are the foundation
of all public education."
     The TENNESSEAN lauds the NEA's experiment with charter
schools (4/22).  From the paper:  "Look who's opening charter
schools ... With this proposal, the NEA has the chance to
convince its membership and the nation that the organization
needs a place at the table determining the future of education in
this country."
     The editorial points out that charter schools emerged as a
way to "sidestep teacher unions ... by giving parents and the
community the greatest possible flexibility in the operation of
the schools."  Teacher tenure, which tops teacher union agendas,
typically is "unheard of in most charter schools," notes the
paper.

*5   THE TROUBLE WITH CHARTERS:  CAMBRIDGE IN AN UPROAR
     Benjamin Banneker elementary school, a charter being planned
for Cambridge, Mass., is the eye in a storm over charter schools
(Pereira, W.S. JOURNAL, 4/26).  The school has touched a "raw
racial nerve" as parents battle over public education dollars,
writes the paper.
     Banneker, named after a colonial African-American
mathematician and astronomer, recently received charter school
status.  The school will begin with K through 5th-grade and has
had no difficulty meeting its enrollment.  According to the
paper, at least 260 mostly minority students entered a lottery
for the school's 216 slots, "even before a building lease was
formally signed."
     The school's almost all-black student body will "stand out"
in Cambridge, a city that has been working to voluntarily
desegregate its schools.  However, school founder Pamela
Ogletree, who is acting director of the charter, is not concerned
about protests of "racial isolation."   She claims that the
city's public school system's policy of tracking students by
ability directs minority students to less rigorous academic
programs.  As a result, minorities post lower test scores than
their white counterparts, according to Ogletree and other
founders of Banneker.  "People here might not want to see
themselves as racist," she said.  "I myself feel that they are."
     However, school Superintendent Mary Lou McGrath, counters
that the school district is phasing out tracking and also offers
parents a wide variety of choices.  Some parents are not so
"sanguine," reports the paper.  "The Banneker School is going to
be the ruin of my children's education," said Joyce Sanchez, a
white mother.
     School officials predict Banneker will cost Cambridge's
regular public schools $1.4M in state revenue next year.  The
paper explains that under state law, per-pupil funding is
attached to the student:  If a student goes to a charter, the
regular public school loses the funds.  "From now on each student
wears a tag of $10,000 round his neck, and it is incumbent on
schools to duke it out for that child," said William McLaurin, a
Banneker founder and a vice-principal at Cambridge's high school.
McLaurin is one of three vice principals and 30 teachers to be
laid off from Cambridge public schools as a result of the new
charter school and budget cuts, writes the JOURNAL.
     One white parent at a "stormy" public hearing on Banneker
told the JOURNAl that some whites in Cambridge embrace the
charter for drawing minority children because "minorities hold
their children back from getting into good universities" due to
the watering down of curriculum and de-emphasis on tracking.
     According to the JOURNAL, Cambridge residents should be
braced for more charters.  The state has granted preliminary
approval for a charter high school sponsored by Harvard, Boston U
and public-TV station WGBH.  "If the traditional system of
district-operated schools can't hack it in the new marketplace,"
said Marc Dean Millot, an educational research at Rand, "I'm not
sure that it's a horrible thing."

                     ====  ON THE HILL  ====

*6   BUDGET BATTLE ENDS:  HOUSE AND SENATE REACH AGREEMENT
     The U.S. House and Senate yesterday passed legislation
ending its "long standoff" over 1996 spending levels (Harris and
Pianin, WASH POST, 4/26).  Ed Sec Richard Riley said the budget
agreement was an "important victory" for education.  He
specifically pointed to the restoration of most of the funding
cuts proposed by the House last year for Chapter 1 (Barr and
Morgan, WASH POST, 4/26).
     According to the paper, the budget bill also "protects"
Goals 2000, Clinton's safe and drug-free schools program, Head
Start and Job Corps funding.  And the agreement does not impose
spending caps on the direct student loan program.
     However, the Perkins loan program suffered a "substantial"
blow, "dropping from $176M to $113M," writes the paper.
Disadvantaged students are the primary beneficiaries of Perkins,
and the cuts mean the federal government will make a smaller
contribution this year to college lending programs.
     The WALL STREET JOURNAL notes that total funding for the
U.S. DoEd was cut by about 9% (Calmer and Rogers, 4/26).  The
paper observes that student financial aid experienced most of the
cuts, while programs for young children were "effectively frozen
at $7.2B or almost $1B above what the House GOP had wanted."
     A DoEd chart shows that Technology in Classrooms --
Challenge Grant/National Programs, which is a competitive grant
program, increased from a $22,500 appropriation in FY 1995 to
$48,000 in the recently passed budget appropriation.  School-to-
Work also increased from $122,500 in FY 1995 to $180,000.  Goals
2000 dropped from $371,870 in FY 1995 to $350,000.
     Riley:  "As President Clinton has shown and as the American
people believe, we can balance the budget while investing in
quality education.  If we abide by that conviction in a
bipartisan fashion, we can help to prepare our young people for
the challenges ahead."

                 ====  CHOOSING SCHOOLS  ====

*7   THERE GOES THE JUDGE:  SEEKING PRO-CHOICE COURT
     Edward Marion, a lawyer for Gov Tommy Thompson (R),
requested that a supervising judge take a controversial school
choice case away from Dane County Circuit Court Judge Paul
Higginbotham (Walters, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/18).
     The school choice plan would allow tax money to be used to
pay tuition at "church-run schools for poor Milwaukee students"
writes the paper.  The plan was passed by the Legislature last
year, but a lawsuit filled by opponents of the plan has delayed
its implementation.
      The case went to the state Supreme Court on 29 March, and
the justices were split on whether or not the plan could be
implemented.  The courts decision returned the case to
Higginbotham.
     "Marion asked Dane County Circuit Judge Dan Moeser to review
Higginbotham's decision to preside in the case," writes the
paper. His request reflects school choice proponents' desire to
find a judge who favors the school choice plan, according to the
paper.  John Matthews, the governor's chief of staff, referred to
Higginbotham as a "liberal judge" who had "already decided" that
using tax money to help church-run schools is illegal, pens the
paper.
     Opponents of the plan have tried to ensure that the
presiding judge opposes the school choice proposal. For example,
when the case initially was assigned to Dane County Circuit Judge
Richard Callaway, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a
request for a new judge, which is how Higginbotham got the case.
     Asking a supervising judge to remove a judge from a case is
a rare legal maneuver.  However, Marion said Moeser is chief
judge and has the authority to make another substitution.
Marion also asked the state Supreme Court to reconsider its
decision against choice after 1 August when Chief Justice Roland
Day retires, according to the paper.  The court has not responded
to this request.





                              -30-

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Date:    Sat, 27 Apr 1996 18:14:17 -0500
From:    Gleason Sackman <[e-mail]>
Subject: PBS> PBS PREVIEWS: April 29 - May 5, 1996

Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 16:27:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail] (Cindy Johanson)
Subject: [73] PBS PREVIEWS: April 29 - May 5, 1996
To: [e-mail]

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PBS PREVIEWS: April 29 - May 5, 1996

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Welcome to PBS PREVIEWS, the weekly online newsletter of the Public
Broadcasting Service and PBS ONLINE (http://www.pbs.org/).

A web version of PBS PREVIEWS is available at:
http://www.pbs.org/insidepbs/thisweek.html

Tell your friends about this FREE publication -- subscription information
at the end of this email.

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In This Edition:

PBS ONLINE FEATURES
NJ Governor Christine Whitman Online
In Search of the Oregon Trail
Life on the Internet: Sounds from Cyberspace
The Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson
Everest Quest

PBS NEWS
PBS Debate Night

PBS PRIMETIME TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK
In Search of the Oregon Trail
Nova "Roller Coaster!"
Frontline "The Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson"
Live from Lincoln Center "Pavarotti Plus!"
Who Plays God? Medicine, Money & Ethics in American Healthcare
Nature "The Call of Kakadu"
Mobil Masterpiece Theatre "Prime Suspect: Scent of Darkness"

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PBS ONLINE FEATURES (http://www.pbs.org/)


GOVERNOR CHRISTINE WHITMAN ONLINE
What is it like to be a high-ranking pro-choice woman in the Republican
party? This week's guest on the Online NewsHour is the first woman in New
Jersey's history to win its highest elective office, Governor Christine
Whitman. Email your questions to Governor Whitman by 3pm ET on Monday, 4/29
at the following address:

     http://www1.pbs.org/newshour/forum/whitman_4-29.html


IN SEARCH OF THE OREGON TRAIL
While the popular story of the Oregon Trail is well known from Hollywood
films and television, the actual experience of this great migration is far
more complex. This PBS special and companion web site explore a history of
our country's westward migration and uncover the truths about two often
misunderstood topics: the roles that women played on the trail and the
relationships between the pioneers and the Native-American tribes. Online
offerings include:

* "Beyond the Myths," a backgrounder for the TV special
* A map following the trail from the midwest out to the west coast
* A timeline for key dates on the Trail
* Teacher resources and a challenging trivia quiz

      http://www.pbs.org/oregontrail/


LIFE ON THE INTERNET: SOUNDS FROM CYBERSPACE
In space there is no sound. Not so in cyberspace, where new audio Net
technologies promise to let us hear the world's chorus and become our own
broadcasters. The fifth week of this 13-week series continues the
exploration of how the Internet is changing our lives. Online resources
include a story about online sound, hyperlinks to related sites, a
transcript, and the entire 30-minute program available via video-streaming
technology using VDOlive.

      http://www.pbs.org/internet/ (available after 5pm on 4/29)


THE PILGRIMAGE OF JESSE JACKSON
Frontline's upcoming web site will chronicle the life of Jesse Jackson.
Highlights include:

* An in-depth interview with biographer Marshall Frady about his new book
on Jackson
* An excerpt from a chapter in Frady's book about Jackson and Martin Luther King
* Transcripts of two of Jackson's most stirring speeches (plus RealAudio
excerpts)
* Candid interviews with friends and advisors
* A biographical chronology

      http://www.pbs.org/frontline/ (available after 9pm on 4/30)


EVEREST QUEST
During the month of May, Nova Online invites Internet visitors to tackle
the thin air and unpredictable weather of the world's highest peak, Mount
Everest. From the heights of the Himalayas, where rock and ice meet plume
clouds on Everest, Nova will introduce an extensive web site featuring
in-depth coverage of a scientific Himalayan journey, an international
expedition to the summit, and the first efforts to make an IMAX film on
Everest.

      http://www.pbs.org/nova/ (available on 5/1)


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PBS NEWS (http://www.pbs.org/insidepbs/news/)

PBS DEBATE NIGHT
What is at stake as Americans elect a new Congress this fall? Do they want
the changes offered by the Republican Revolution or will they choose the
Democrats' agenda in November? On September 29, the Public Broadcasting
Service will offer PBS Debate Night: The Future Congress, a unique evening
of congressional debates, to illuminate the important choices the voters
face in this fall's House and Senate races. PBS Debate Night will combine
national and local debates across the country, outlining the different
visions offered by GOP and Democratic Congressional leaders. For more
information, read the press release at:

      http://www.pbs.org/insidepbs/news/debatenights.html


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PRIMETIME TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK
(http://www.pbs.org/programs/whats_on_pbs/)

The following primetime programs are scheduled to be broadcast by many PBS
member stations this week. Please always check with your local station for
a complete schedule with exact dates and times. As public broadcasting
expands its presence on the Internet, many programs have companion web
sites for users to extend their experience beyond a TV broadcast and for
international visitors to begin to experience the quality programming
associated with PBS.

**Broadcast times are in Eastern Time (ET)**
(CC) Indicates programs with closed captions
(STEREO) Indicates programs in stereo
(DVS) Indicates programs with descriptive video


* IN SEARCH OF THE OREGON TRAIL
Monday, 4/29 (8-11:00 pm ET)
While the popular story of the Oregon Trail is well known from Hollywood
films and television, the actual experience of this great migration is far
more complex. This documentary challenges the most commonly held myths
about this remarkable journey. The program is based on the original
writings of the pioneers and analysis by contemporary historians. Stacy
Keach narrates.(CC) Visit the In Search of the Oregon Trail web site from
PBS ONLINE (http://www.pbs.org/).

* NOVA
"Roller Coaster!"
Tuesday, 4/30 (8-9:00 pm ET)
The opening of Disneyland in 1955 revived a flagging entertainment industry
and inspired many imitators. Nearly 40 years later, theme parks and ride
designers, from Euro Disney to Universal Studios, are engaged in a
high-tech battle to fulfill people's dreams and create the ultimate leisure
experience. (CC, Stereo, DVS). Visit the Nova web site from PBS ONLINE
(http://www.pbs.org/).

* FRONTLINE
"The Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson"
Tuesday, 4/30 (9-10:30 pm ET)
Drawn from journalist Marshall Frady's upcoming biography, this program
takes an in-depth look at Jesse Jackson and offers a portrait of race and
politics in post-war America. (CC). Visit the Frontline web site from PBS
ONLINE (http://www.pbs.org/).

* LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER
"Pavarotti Plus!"
Wednesday, 5/1 (8-10:30 pm ET)
In celebration of Live from Lincoln Center's 20th anniversary season,
Luciano Pavarotti, one of the world's best-loved singers, stars in a
spectacular evening of opera with an exciting roster of colleagues. The
program features arias, duets, trios and quartets from the operas of Verdi,
Puccini, Mozart, Rossini and others, sung in concert with the New York City
Opera Orchestra conducted by Marco Armillato. The specially invited guests,
both established and up-and-coming stars of the opera stage, include
sopranos Carol Vaness, Cynthia Lawrence and Maria Ewing; mezzo-soprano
Elena Zaremba; baritone Dwayne Croft; and bass James Morris. (Stereo)

* WHO PLAYS GOD? MEDICINE, MONEY & ETHICS IN AMERICAN HEALTHCARE
Friday, 5/3 (9-11:00 pm ET)
This two-hour special examines the underlying assumptions that drive our
healthcare system - assumptions that determine, implicitly or explicitly,
who will live and who will die. The program combines compelling documentary
sequences about patients and their families coping with health care crises
and studio segments in which Host George Strait and a panel of experts
discuss the issues raised. (Note: This program should be previewed for
content before classroom use.) (CC, Stereo)

* NATURE
"The Call of Kakadu"
Sunday, 5/5 (8-9:00 pm ET)
Against backdrops of scenery made famous by Crocodile Dundee, a small cast
of characters presents an intimate portrait of life in the great Australian
National Park of Kakadu. A family of kookaburras with a new baby in their
nest, large crocodiles that haven't eaten in weeks, and sex-changing fish
called barramundi are all part of an intricate web that links all the
animals and plants that live in this remarkable "down-under" setting. (CC,
Stereo, DVS). Visit the Nature web site from PBS ONLINE
(http://www.pbs.org/).

* MOBIL MASTERPIECE THEATRE
"Prime Suspect: Scent of Darkness"
Sunday, 5/5 (9-11:00 pm ET)
Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison has established a promising
relationship with psychiatrist Patrick Schofield when a series of murders
takes place resembling those she investigated in the first "Prime Suspect."
Are they copy-cat crimes or is George Marlow innocent, as he has always
maintained? (CC, Stereo, DVS). Visit the Mobil Masterpiece Theatre web site
from PBS ONLINE (http://www.pbs.org/).


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Internet Publishing Group                      Fax: [phone]
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End of NEWSLTR Digest - 25 Apr 1996 to 27 Apr 1996
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