This book is composed of six separate but interrelated chapters. The first presents a historical view of education through an exposition of four propositions: (1) success produces problems, (2) historically, people have supported schools because it was in their self-interest, (3) the schools' success and the serving of the public's self-interest has liquidated the values that allowed the public to support education, and, (4) the search for new goals must and will lead directly to a search for the changing basis of self-interest that will cause the public to continue to support education. The second chapter details two cases of the moment--busing and teacher strikes. The third points out that people generally have come to look for and listen to the specialist and have downplayed or ignored the citizen. The fourth describes the concern of business with the schools, stressing the views of those who must absorb the products of the schools. The fifth explains that if there ever was a separation of politics and education, that separation is over, particularly on the state level. The last chapter deals with a series of action alternatives for the consideration of state boards of education. (Author/IRT)