Handbook of Education Politics and Policy

by Cooper; Bruce S.

• ISBN13: 9780805861112
• ISBN10: 0805861114
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-06-24
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Written by a mix of established and rising stars in school politics, policy, law, finance, and reform this comprehensive handbook provides a 3-part framework that helps organize this relatively new and loosely organized field of study. Part 1 examines the macro-level (structural and institutional) backdrop to our educational system: democracy, federalism, political parties and elections. Part 2 examines the micro-level political behaviors and cultural influences operating within schools and among interest groups, and Part 3 looks at the major ideological and philosophical positions that frame discussions of educational equity and excellence. A central theme running through the book is how to harness politics to school equity and improvement. Key features include... Thematic Discussions - detailed discussions of key topics in educational politics are organized by themes and competing perspectives. The overarching themes are 1) the goals of the U.S. political system (justice, equity, opportunity, efficiency andchoice); 2) the means and resources for reaching these goals; and 3) the political behaviors and compromises that seek to mitigate ideological differences and conflicts of interest. Research Oriented - in addition to summarizing the latest research connected to key topics, each chapter exemplifies and reports on the methods and techniques for further exploration of these topics. Reform Oriented - throughout the book and especially in the summarizing chapter, authors provide suggestions for improving the political behaviors of key educational groups and individuals: unions, superintendents, politicians, school boards, teachers, and parents. It is hoped that an understanding of political goals, governance processes and policy outcomes may contribute to ongoing reform.

Table of Contents

Preface: The Need for a Politics of Education Handbook	p. vii
Editors	p. xi
Contributors	p. xiii
Introduction: Researching Toward a New Politics of Education	p. 1
Federal, State, and Local Politics of Education
Federalism, Equity, and Accountability in Education	p. 19
Understanding Education Policy Change in the American States: Lessons from Political Science	p. 30
Political Cultures in Education at the State and Local Level: Views from Three States	p. 52
Understanding School Board Politics: Balancing Public Voice and Professional Power	p. 73
Urban Regime Theory and the Reform of Public Schools: Governance, Power, and Leadership	p. 89
Judicial Impact on Education Politics and Policies	p. 109
Hitting a Moving Target: How Politics Determines the Changing Roles of Superintendents and School Boards	p. 126
Beyond Pluralistic Patterns of Power: Research on the Micropolitics of Schools	p. 148
The Evolving Political Role of Urban Mayors in Education	p. 179
Interest Groups and Institutional Effects on Educational Politics
Politics of Interest: Interest Groups and Advocacy Coalitions in American Education	p. 195
Institutional Agility: Using the New Institutionalism to Guide School Reform	p. 217
Religious Faith and Policy in Public Education: A Political and Historical Analysis of the Christian Right in American Schooling	p. 232
The Ideological and Political Landscape of School Choice Interest Groups in the Post-Zelman Era	p. 246
The Collective Politics of Teacher Unionism	p. 263
The Politics of Equity and Excellence
Feminism and Education Politics: No Longer for Women Only	p. 283
Politics, Empirical Evidence, and Policy Design: The Case of School Finance and the Costs of Educational Adequacy	p. 311
The Shifting Notion of "Publicness" in Public Education	p. 338
The Politics of Coordinated Services for Children: Interinstitutional Relations and Social Justice	p. 350
Excellence versus Equity: Political Forces in the Education of Gifted Students	p. 374
The Politics of (De)Segregation	p. 388
Towards a New Political Leadership Praxis in the Rescaled Space of Urban Educational Governance	p. 411
Index	p. 431
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