Reviews books on progressive education and educational change. "Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms," (D. Ravitch) traces the history of American school reform movements and shows how and why they failed to produce better educational outcomes. "When Schools Compete: A Cautionary Tale," (E. Fiske and H. Ladd) addresses…

In an essay-review of "Lucy Sprague Mitchell: The Making of a Modern Woman," four themes which are important to teachers today are discussed. These themes (teacher as educator, as autobiographer, as citizen, and as researcher) are discussed in their biographical, historical, and current contexts. (JL)

Reviews "The Politics of School Reform 1870-1940" by Paul Peterson, and "Power and the Promise of School Reform: Grassroots Movements During the Progressive Era" by William J. Reese. Notes that these two studies serve to bring politics, and political variables, back into the debate over educational policymaking, but are…