Districts are struggling to accelerate students' learning, support their health and wellness, and close the achievement gap. Labeled "worst" in 1987, by 2017 Chicago Public Schools was among the nation's most improved school systems. Chicago's story embeds many lessons about system change. Sharon Greenberg and Anthony S. Bryk illustrate…

To strategically manage human capital in education means restructuring the entire human resource system so that schools not only recruit and retain smart and capable individuals, but also manage them in ways that support the strategic directions of the organization. These management practices must be aligned with a district's education improvement…

This article discusses the issues that teachers have with pursuing strategies that have repeatedly failed. It re-assures teachers that there are simple, proven, affordable structures that exist right now and could have a dramatic, widespread impact on schools and achievement--in virtually any school. The author suggests that the most promising…

Adults participating in a Los Angeles "school family" network will be engaged for the next several years in the Annenberg Challenge--a national reform initiative aimed at improving student performance. Participation offers opportunities to develop a coherent K-12 education plan, access extra resources, and pursue collaborative…

Education is an integral part of the urban crisis. The shape of urban education in the 1980s will be determined by the extent to which education planners and decision makers relate their activities to other facets of "the larger urban problems." (Author)

Current strategies for school renewal are based on outdated concepts emphasizing family involvement in schools. The function of the family has been fundamentally altered culturally, demographically, and economically. New strategies necessitate changing school governance structures and crossing the boundaries of private and public sectors. (MD)

Explores problematic charter-school characteristics that must be changed to improve American education: lack of innovative practices and improved academic outcomes; disproportionate administrative costs; segregation of students by ethnicity, income level, and special needs; and deplorable physical learning environments. More competition, planning,…