Employing a social justice framework, this book provides educational leaders and practitioners with tools and strategies for grappling with the political fray of education politics. The framework offers ways to critique, challenge, and alter social, cultural, and political patterns in organizations and systems that perpetuate inequities. The…

The question of quality has become one of the most important framing factors in education and has been of growing interest to international organisations and national policymakers for decades. "Politics of Quality in Education" focuses on Brazil, China, and Russia, part of the so-called emerging nations' BRICS block, and draws on a…

In this book, eight contributors examine issues related to the likely effects of the decentralization of school governance on educational practice. Two major themes emerge in the book. The first (chapters 1 through 4) is that governance reforms in education may have little to do with what actually happens in schools, but have much to do with…

The role of politics in education is undeniable. It appears as though the influence of governing agents, from the White House to the local school board, is growing. During this time of increased calls for accountability and reform, a growing list of educational mandates is being handed to local education entities--increased use of testing,…

With partnerships between universities and corporations has come an intrusive focus on the bottom line. Traditional bodies like departments, faculty councils, and senates become less important in setting academic priorities. The university is moving toward a model in which producing and disseminating knowledge is efficiently targeted to specific…

A study of 188 superintendents and 379 school board members in districts with student enrollments above 25,000 sheds light on several factors affecting the working relationships between superintendents and their local boards. Board members tended to follow personal judgment rather than constituent preferences when making decisions, and received…

The high tuition/high student aid approach will not only change how higher education is financed, it will also have powerful political and educational consequences, using student and parental contributions as a means of redistributing income. Current economic conditions offer an opportunity to more clearly define shared responsibilities for higher…

This book examines issues in designing coherent education policy for public elementary and secondary schools. It seeks to expand the policy discussion by refining the definition of coherence and considering a number of complex questions raised by the notion of coherent policy. The book offers an in-depth look at systemic school reform and offers a…

The debate about political correctness on college campuses focuses not on the goals of diversity and equity but on strategies to attain them. Underlying the debate are different assumptions about our society's nature. Synthesis is needed in alternative models of campus order and openness, curricula, and admissions and hiring policies. (MSE)

Examines the overriding aims and purposes underlying the University of California's forms of governance and administration, viewed in terms of two broadly shared and mutually reinforcing principles: maximization of the university's autonomy and pursuit of its preeminence in every possible department, service, and activity. It is suggested that the…

Argues that with the increasing complexity of American college and university governance, the presidency should be strengthened, and the president's goal should be to use the powers of the office in serious, not cosmetic, collaboration with others who have responsibility and interests in the institution, and to bring partial views together in a…

In view of the expanding powers of college governing bodies, it appeared timely to take stock of developments to date; and this paper examines such issues as the roles, responsibilities, and liabilities of individual governors, discussing them in the context of, and as they relate to, the emerging corporate style and strategy of the board. Also…

Suggests how to use legal guidelines for drafting educational policies. Analyzes the political context in which present policymaking and governance initiatives exist. Two assumptions frame this article. First, good law makes for good administrative practice. Second, administrator policymaking is more important than the content of the policy…

Describes the different systems of formal governance in the U.K.'s old universities and in the public sector, the pressures on the system which led to the shift from elite to mass education, and consequent concerns about maintaining high academic standards while at the same time expanding access. Differences in management and governance between…

A discussion of university autonomy and institutional image is presented with reference to politics at the newly established University of New England (Australia). Elements of institutional image or identity are examined, including (1) symbolic issues such as logo and location of administration; (2) leadership and management structures; (3)…