Revolution at the Margins: The Impact of Competition on Urban School Systems by Frederick M. M. Hess

From the Publisher

Urban school systems have a difficult mandate: to educate large numbers of disadvantaged children under the heavy hand of often dysfunctional managerial, accountability, and regulatory systems. Over the past decade they have also been challenged -- in some cases threatened -- by competition from school vouchers and charter schools. Revolution at the Margins examines how urban school systems are responding to education competition. Drawing on case studies conducted in three school districts at the center of the school choice debate, the book seeks to clarify how competition is likely to play out in urban education; shed light on the ways in which system structure and practice hamper efforts to improve urban schooling; and better understand what promise market-driven reform holds for the future of children's education. Given the likelihood that conventional public systems will educate most students for the foreseeable future, the impact of choice-induced competition is likely to be an issue of concern for years to come. Revolution at the Margins explores whether the "cleansing" force of competition can lead to a more focused and effective model of governance.

Booknews

For the vast majority of American children, the effects of market- based "reforms" on public schooling, are likely to be more significant than individual schools of choice, notes Hess (government and education, U. of Virginia). He examines the response of three urban public school systems to competition from market forces. From his findings, he argues that schools may be too encumbered by culture and bureaucracy to effectively respond to competition. Even if they do, they may respond with merely superficial responses that correlate to measurable outcomes that may not be educationally desirable. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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