The Education Mayor: Improving America's Schools (American Government and Public Policy)

A major recent development in education reform is the full or partial takeover of urban school districts by mayors. While the Progressive movement of the last century created independent school boards to provide professional oversight and protection from political exploitation by unscrupulous mayors, a current trend is for mayors to take back control of schools to centralize accountability for public education in an increasingly complex political context. Yet relatively little is known about what actually happens to school systems and students when mayors assume responsibility. Does mayoral takeover work--do test scores improve, do schools get more resources? What factors can facilitate its success or failure? This book analyzes data on the 100 largest school districts in forty states and looks at the results as well as the broader context of school governance, including financial and organizational operations, use of human capital (especially teachers and and leadership), and public opinion. The authors conclude that mayors are most successful when they integrate school governance into that of the city, focus on student outcomes, and are mindful of timing, critical partnerships, and the need for flexibility. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act rocked America's schools with new initiatives for results-based accountability. But years before NCLB was signed, a new movement was already under way by mayors to take control of city schools from school boards and integrate the management of public education with the overall governing of the city. "The Education Mayor" is a critical look at mayoral control of urban school districts, beginning with Boston's schools in 1992 and examining more than 100 school districts in 40 states. The authors seek to answer four central questions: What does school governance look like under mayoral leadership? How does mayoral control affect school and student performance? What are the key factors for success or failure of integrated governance? How does mayoral control effect practical changes in schools and classrooms? The results of their examination indicate that, although mayoral control of schools may not be appropriate for every district, it can successfully emphasize accountability across the education system, providing more leverage for each school district to strengthen its educational infrastructure and improve student performance. Based on extensive quantitative data as well as case studies, this analytical study provides a balanced look at America's education reform. As the first multidistrict empirical examination and most comprehensive overall evaluation of mayoral school reform, "The Education Mayor" is a must-read for academics, policymakers, educational administrators, and civic and political leaders concerned about public education. "Clearly, parents, policymakers, and researchers are all keenly interested in the relationship between mayoral leadership and city school performance. Some analysts have pointed out that there are not enough data yet for proper evaluation. Others have speculated that it may simply not be possible to connect governance reforms to district improvement. For policymakers faced with real-time decisions, however, these justifications are not sufficient. This study is motivated by a desire to take the best available data, whatever their limitations, and to produce the best possible empirical analysis of the pressing question: What impact does mayoral control have on school system performance?..." (From Preface) The historical and political context of integrated governance The new style education mayors Evaluating the effects of mayoral control Integrated governance as a strategy to improve school performance Considering the gap between high and low performing schools Accountability and urban high schools : the challenge of improving instructional practices Toward strategic deployment of resources The political dynamics in building public support for education Mayoral governance of schools as laboratories of democracy. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act rocked America's schools with new initiatives for results-based accountability. This work takes a critical look at mayoral control of urban school districts, beginning with Boston's schools in 1992 and examining more than 100 school districts in 40 states. Title 5 Contents 7 Tables 9 Preface 11 Acknowledgments 15 Introduction 16 Chapter 1 26 Chapter 2 43 Chapter 3 67 Chapter 4 91 Chapter 5 114 Chapter 6 128 Chapter 7 155 Chapter 8 176 Chapter 9 202 Appendix 216 Notes 222 References 234 Index 252