Traces developments in American education from its inception in colonial days when the public schools were intended to be "above politics, free of contamination produced by political controversy, disagreement, and discord." Discusses the current state of education, with stress on the loss of consensus. Journal available from American Academy of…

This paper examines the history of school governance in the U.S. It discusses four major shifts in education governance that have occurred over the past 150 years, describing how control was firmly anchored in local communities throughout most of the 19th century. By the end of the century, Americans decided that schooling should serve public…

Using data from the 1800s, this article demonstrates how the study of state government actions vis-a-vis education can reveal a variety of useful insights on the politics of schooling and the ideology and structure of public education in the United States. (JDH)

This essay explores the complex relationship between policy talk and institutional change in educational reform. Bursts of reform rhetoric must be distinguished from long-term trends in educational practice. The case study of a comprehensive reform effort helps illustrate why some kinds of reform last and others do not. (SLD)

Reviews the history of providing noneducational services to children in a school setting from the perspective of past and present reform efforts. Argues that urban school reform should be based on a "children-at-risk" model rather than a "nation-at-risk" model and should incorporate lessons from the past. (SLD)