The recent forced departure of Superintendent Creg Williams signaled to philanthropic groups and business leaders that problems were escalating within the St. Louis schools. Many believed Williams had a good plan and goals in place yet the St. Louis schools...

In a study by Langer, Blank, and Chanowitz, researchers found certain word choices could influence people to act against their own self-interests. The researcher would approach a copier where a long line of students stood. She would try three different word choices at different times to see how the other students would respond to each request. She didnt change what she was asking, only the word choice. When she said, Excuse me, I only have five pages. May I use the copy machine because I am in a rush? 94 percent complied.