Who Governs Our Schools?

This book provides valuable insights into a dynamic structural change that is being experienced but not completely understood by educators and policymakers alike—the transfer of power from the local to the state and national levels. What will become of our public schools in this new era of leadership? The author traces the origins of this process, examines the implications, and considers where these changes might lead. This extremely timely volume:

• Explores the direction of education policy and the ways in which both policymakers and educators can adapt and provide leadership in this new landscape.
• Offers a concise, accessible summary of a multitude of specific programs and policies, helping us to think more systematically about the shifts in power relationships among education governance levels.
• Presents an outline of actions that can be taken at the local, state, and national levels to help facilitate better working relationships and to help improve schools.
• Examines the new federal role and recent federal legislation, including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

David T. Conley is an Associate Professor of Educational Policy and Leadership at the College of Education, University of Oregon.

“Provides a panoramic overview of trends concerning who controls our schools—and highlights the relentless growth of state and federal power. It leaves me with an uneasy feeling that the nation has incrementally changed control of schools without understanding the profound consequences, or considering its preferred alternatives.”
—Michael W. Kirst, Professor, School of Education, Stanford University

“This is a provocative and timely book….Conley argues that local school systems must acknowledge and adapt to the ‘new realities of the local/state/federal relationship,’ and recommends ways to restructure the roles and responsibilities of states, school districts, and schools to create new state-local partnerships in support of school change.”
—Margaret E. Goertz, Co-Director, Consortium for Policy Research in Education, University of Pennsylvania