January 10, 2002 is the deadline to submit papers to the Sociology of Education Section for the 2002 Annual Meeting. Submissions are invited in all areas of sociology of education for three paper sessions and a roundtable session. Contact: Steve Plank, Johns Hopkins University, splank@csos.jhu.edu . Please consult the American Sociological Association webpage to submit electronically.
The deadline for the next issue of the newsletter is January 31, 2002. Please send articles to: dlevinson@bergen.cc.nj.us .
Finally, looking for that last minute holiday gift? Please encourage your colleagues to join the Section. A yearly membership is $12.00, $7.00 students, and $10.00 low-income.
Happy holidays!

David L. Levinson

A Note from the Section Chair

Hi All.

Anaheim seems a lifetime away. As I write this, those of us in the academic sector already are into midterms-hard to believe. But that part of it could be anticipated, a return to normalcy after an exhilarating weekend at the very edge of Fantasy Land. This year is different though, owing to the unexpected. My wife and I barely had time to catch up on news after Anaheim (I went, she didn't) before heading off to Europe for a long overdue and much delayed vacation. The three weeks touring about Northern Italy and the Swiss Alps were glorious indeed, but all that turned 180 degrees when a curious sight on a TV screen toward the back of a little café in the Alps caught our eye. From a distance, it didn't seem right; close up it was dreadfully wrong. We spent much of the rest of our time in Switzerland glued to the tube, and much the same during our four days stuck in England trying to get home. About the only relief was our one afternoon in London, when we made a pilgrimage, along with many others, to the makeshift memorial site in Grovsner Square, opposite the U.S. Embassy. It was extraordinarily touching, and for the first time we felt really connected to events back home- in one respect, sadly, too close to home: one of the remembrances was a basketball inscribed with the names of two 1984 Hopkins graduates, lost in the WTC attack.

Well, we made it home eventually, much relieved that our circle of family and friends had been spared personal tragedy. But our hearts go out to those who suffered and are suffering still. There isn't much a scattered community such as ours can do, but if anyone would find it helpful, please feel to share your thoughts on the Section listserve.

That's why I say Anaheim seems such a far remove-it's hard even to recover the fun memories of an awesome vacation. But Anaheim in fact was a great success, and Chicago awaits. It's not exactly business as usual, but business it is and we have to get on with it.

The sessions I attended in Anaheim were terrific, the roundtables were wonderful (and well attended) and your section officers worked hard, with lots of help, to make it happen. Thanks are due especially to my predecessor, Dave Baker. Dave had overall responsibility for Section planning in Anaheim and certainly he deserves kudos for a job well done! But beyond that, and on a personal note, I am forever indebted to Dave for helping get me up to speed for my duties this year as Section Chair. I said this at the
Business meeting and repeat it here-there is no elaborate Section infrastructure to help newcomers learn their way through the maze. Very little of the Section's work is codified; there aren't files, archives or a staff of helpers to bail you out. It's volunteer-driven and held together by good will and a cooperative spirit. Dave answered innumerable questions, always with grace and good humor. It would have been impossible without him. My responsibilities include returning the favor to my successor, Barbara Schneider. Dave sets a high standard, but I'll try my best.


The section's work isn't all drudgery, though. We're a remarkably cordial group, what with the animated hallway conversations, an overflow crowd at the reception and, of course, the always memorable Section dinner (thanks this year to Meredith Phillips' good effort). Can't mix business with pleasure? -phooey, I say!!

This year's army of volunteers already is hard at work preparing for another great success in Chicago. Consider this: everyone I asked stepped forward to pitch in. That's quite remarkable, and to me it speaks volumes about our membership and the health of the section. Many of the things they are working on are discussed elsewhere in this newsletter, so here I'll just sketch the landscape.

Those of you who have been around the section for a while will recognize many of the names that follow, but perhaps not all. Among the familiar are several who shoulder continuing responsibilities: Gary Dworkin with membership; David Levinson with the Newsletter; and, Carl Schmitt with the Section's Website and now its listserve. All three eagerly "re-upped" when asked-how about that for devotion!

There also are four new committees that require steering, and I'm pleased to report that each is in good hands. Council, acting in Anaheim, authorized their creation. Richard Arum is leading a group to determine whether a poster session can be added to the Section's mix of vehicles for sharing our work; Steve Brint and Kathy Borman are heading up an ad hoc committee to consider Section sponsorship of a mini-conference sometime down the road; a small group is working with Sam Lucas to explore ways to elevate the visibility of the Willard Waller Award in the context of the Section's other activities; and, Shana Pribesh is heading up a new standing Committee during this its inaugural year, the Committee to Support Early Career Scholars (Shana being one herself!). An important new initiative, the Early Career Committee was recommended by an Ad Hoc Committee Dave Baker had set up the year before. For background please look over Shana's Newsletter write-up.
session can be added to the Section's mix of vehicles for sharing our work; Steve Brint and Kathy Borman are heading up an ad hoc committee to consider Section sponsorship of a mini-conference sometime down the road; a small group is working with Sam Lucas to explore ways to elevate the visibility of the Willard Waller Award in the context of the Section's other activities; and, Shana Pribesh is heading up a new standing Committee during this its inaugural year, the Committee to Support Early Career Scholars (Shana being one herself!). An important new initiative, the Early Career Committee was recommended by an Ad Hoc Committee Dave Baker had set up the year before. For background please look over Shana's Newsletter write-up.

I've also made several appointments that are of a recurrent nature: Suet-Ling Pong is chairing the Willard Waller Award Committee; Meredith Phillips is heading up the David Stevenson Graduate Student Paper Award Committee; and, Nominations is in Ralph McNeal's capable hands. To round out the line-up, I've enlisted Steve Plank and Aaron Pallas to help me organize the Chicago program (each is recruiting a small working group at his respective institution) and Susan Dauber is heading up Local Arrangements for Chicago (which means, first and foremost, attending to our sustenance needs!).

What more can I say-it's an awesome supporting cast and I look forward to working with them all as we advance on the Windy City. And I look forward to hearing from you also- with ideas about initiatives the Section might undertake; with offers to help out.

Finally, for now, as a salutation I wish each and every one of you peace, security and tranquility. Those words are heartfelt, and in these turbulent times not to be taken for granted.

Karl Alexander, Chair

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