Education and democratic theory : finding a place for community participation in public school reform /

The authors provide an examination of how various persons and groups interact and compete within a local context. The underlying conflict deals with the very different ideas concerning democracy, education, class, race, participation/representation, authority, and accountability. These events are described and analyzed in reference to the politics of site-based decision making in specific schools. A key example tells the story of the voluntary organization "Project for Educational Democracy," which called for direct, rather than representative, democratic processes in an attempt to increase the influence of working-class and minority communities. Relating detailed descriptions of everyday occurrences to explanatory theoretical interpretations is difficult. However, this sober and fair account of conflict and some resolution contributes to the rich literature committed to more democratic empowerment, social justice, respect for difference, and a school and society wherein it would be safer to act altruistically. Recommended for graduate, research, and professional collections in education and public policy. R. A. Brosio University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee

Can participation and inclusion be part of school reform? University of Illinois professors Fields (political science) and Feinberg (educational policy studies) believe so. In this detailed study, they analyze the process by which an educational reform group the Project for Educational Democracy attempted to increase awareness as well as access to decision making in the public school system to render it more democratic and more inclusive of racial groups that have hitherto been neglected. Drawing upon interviews and observations conducted over four years, the authors challenge the reader to consider such significant concepts as participation, representation, democracy, and the especially challenging concept of authority. Fields and Feinberg ought to be praised for not glossing over the very sticky problems associated with bringing members of previously excluded segments of the community into educational decision making. Teachers, administrators, educators, and parents seeking dialog on public school reform will find much here for reflection and mutual analysis. Recommended for education reform collections in both public and academic libraries and an essential title for colleges of education. Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach P.L., FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.