Reviews current governance problems in education and details the range of possible governance models for post-industrial schooling. After describing problems that governance must address, the paper describes various possibilities for school governance in the future. Five types of control processes are considered. Ideological foundations of an…

A brief discussion of the growing conflict between teachers, administrators, school board members, legislators, and citizen groups over who should have how much control over various aspects of education. (JG)

According to popular analysis, parental objections to busing are generated by a perceived "loss of control" over the education of their children. It is the thesis of this essay that this loss of control began well before the current dispute over busing. It is helpful to view the process of parental political disenfranchisement as one that has…

This report describes a British local government's role in the provision of schooling. It identifies the benefits and limitations of that involvement, and draws out the implications for South Africa. The document focuses on the Birmingham City Council, its committees, departments, and services, and their current role in the city's schools. It is…

This book offers a comprehensive analysis and description of the political aspects of American education, utilizing both empirical data and case studies on the politics of education. Included are two case studies of recent school policies, which focus on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 and the school desegregation…

Elected school boards' skeptical eyes can guard against bad management practices and ensure that different voices get heard. Problems with board governance are a product of too little democracy. A democratic reform strategy would make board elections partisan, hold them on the same day as elections for more prominent state or national offices,…

Focusing on problem-solving organizational structures, this report traces the history of the community education project of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District, which sought to involve neighborhood communities in the education process. After a brief profile of Austin, the report describes how the project started in a poor inner-city…

After presenting an overview of metropolitan schools, described as not successful in providing an adequate education for economically disadvantaged students, the authors examine four critical issues: compensatory education, educational accountability, decentralization and community control, and desegregation. While compensatory education has not…

This study examined a school district before and after its school board changed from appointed status to elected status to determine if there were significant differences in the board's handling of constituent demands. School board minutes were examined and demands were analyzed for a six-month period under the appointed school board, then…

This paper examines the determinants of systemic education reform in the American states. Socioeconomic, political, and cultural variables are all found to affect the level of systemic education policy in each state. Unlike many studies of policy determinants, urbanization is negatively associated with this particular policy. The political factors…

This book is an introduction and guide to school-based management, a decentralized form of organization in which decisions that have traditionally been made by a superintendent or school board are made by the local school. Chapter 1 provides an overview of decision-making in public school systems starting with a brief history of the trend toward…

Even though public school districts are structured with the expectation of responsive governance, most school boards are not particularly responsive to their constituents. School boards from politically contentious districts tend to be more responsive, but they have even less success challenging the dominance of the superintendent than do less…

Many educators react defensively to demands for student assessment, accountability, and so forth. Rather than being defensive, we must turn these challenges to our advantage. If I am responsible in my work, then I ought to also be accountable for my work. We must describe what schools are expected to accomplish and show publicly whether these…

Argues that local school districts in California have been rendered essentially obsolete by state funding and control due to the combined effects of the "Serrano" decision (requiring statewide school expenditure equalization) and Proposition 13. One board president and two superintendents take issue with this judgment. (TE)

Local control is emphasized in this examination of the roles of state, federal, and local governments in education policy and change. Federal and state role priorities should be to provide resources and stimulation for the major decisions and changes at the school site. The role of the state in school district governance, which has steadily been…