The first two-thirds of this book, an adaptation of the 1984 television documentary "To Save Our Schools, To Save Our Chldren," reports on an ABC News Closeup study of the challenges facing education in the United States. The book discusses the vast dispartities between educational ideals and realities, suggests that the future of American children is in jeopardy, and offers plans for educational reform. The first three parts (under the respective section titles of "Students,""Teachers," and "Public Faith") are subtitled as follows: "The Alarm Now"; "The Waning of the Middle-Class Family"; "The Tribal World of the Young"; "The Imperiled Profession"; "Distracted and Hostile Students"; "Lowered Public Esteem--Poor Pay"; "The Places and the Players"; "The Rising Mediocrity";"Desertion by the Middle Class"; "Decreased Financial Support"; and "Curriculum Consensus." Part 4, "The Final Peril," warns of the dangers of educational inequalities stemming from economic imbalances in our society. Part 5, "Candles in the Darkness," describes various reform policies emerging from many segments of society. The final third of the book consists of extensive appendices that describe the following programs: assisting latchkey children, aiding disadvantaged pupils, dealing with older students, restoring teacher confidence and competence, and regaining public support. Seven pages of source notes are appended. The foreword and introduction were written by Peter Jennings and Robert Coles, respectively. (IW)