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In this article, the author assesses Mayor Michael Bloomberg's model of educational reform through dictatorial mayoral control. Many people give credit to Bloomberg's education policy, but it's anyone's guess why the 4th-grade scores rose 10% in 2005 at the same time that the 8th-grade reading and social studies scores went from bad to worse (with only 32.8% of city 8th graders meeting state standards in reading and 20% in social studies). It could well be due to broader educational forces or to changes in testing procedures. Either could explain why 4th-grade scores were up throughout the state, and student gains in Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers were even more impressive than in Gotham. In any case, no reputable researcher would rely on a one-year bump in some test scores to judge the efficacy of a new program. In the absence of independent confirmation by testing experts, one should remain highly skeptical of the claims of Mayor Bloomberg and his supporters that his instructional initiatives are working.

Describes impact of teacher contract language on efforts to improve the quality of education at Stuyvesant High School, one of New York City's elite exam schools. (PKP)

Stuyvesant High, one of New York City's elite exam schools, enjoys an ultramodern building, influential alumni, and the city's brightest students, If only it could also escape the corrosive rules [...]

Marcus Winters nicely nails the empirical and conceptual fallacies in Jonathan Kozol's tiresome jihads against the alleged institutional racism causing the unequal funding of schools ('Savage Exaggerations: Worshiping the Cosmology [...]

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has been accused of misrepresenting the relative comfort of the poor in America. The role of the Government and why many of the social programs are ineffective is discussed.

The article presents the clinical practice guideline for opioid therapy and chronic noncancer pain recommended by the National Opioid Use Guideline Group. Topics discussed include the purpose of the clinical practice guideline for the right prescription of opioids for chronic noncancer pain patients, the standards used for the guideline and the groups who had supported the development of the guideline such as the steering committee and guideline panel.

Assesses the efficacy of the educational reform imposed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the city's educational system. Claims that Bloomberg assumed a dictatorial mayoral control over the city's educational system; Efforts by Bloomberg to improve the city's schools through the imposition of progressive pedagogy; Effectiveness of Bloomberg's educational reforms.