Description
Book SynopsisDescribing how charter schools often lead to community renewal, this book takes the reader on an imaginary tour of a charter-based school system. It suggests that their legacy consists not only of helping millions of families obtain a better education for their children but also in renewing American public education itself.
Trade Review"A book that is masterful for its clarity of purpose, organization, and at times humor ... This is a book that anyone with an interest in seriously reforming public education will find useful."--Nina Shokraii Rees, Philanthropy "The best book yet on charter schools."--David Osborne, Washington Post Magazine "A book that anyone interested in learning how charter schools have changed American education needs to read."--Martin Morse Wooster, The Washington Times "[The authors] offer a thorough and evenhanded overview of the good, the bad and the confusing of the charterschool movement."--Rebecca Jones, American School Board Journal
Table of ContentsList of Tables vii List of Interviews and Profiles ix Preface to the Paperback Edition xi Introduction 3 PART I: CHARTER SCHOOLS IN ACTION Chapter 1: What's a "Charter School"? 13 Chapter 2: Field Trips 23 Chapter 3: Where Did They Come From? 53 Chapter 4: How Are They Working? 74 Chapter 5: Trials by Fire 100 Chapter 6: The Accountability Puzzle 127 PART II: RENEWING PUBLIC EDUCATION Chapter 7: The Case against Charter Schools: A Ten-Count Indictment 151 Chapter 8: Political Battlegrounds 169 Chapter 9: Beyond the Schoolhouse Door: Changing Systems 192 Chapter 10: Beyond the Schoolhouse Door: Building Communities 220 Chapter 11: The Great Issues 237 Chapter 12: Will Charter Schools Save Public Education? 248 Epilogue 265 Appendix: Survey Results and Methodology 269 Index 281
