Corporate involvement in public education is nothing new. This book offers a critique of the growing corporate control and commercialization of public schools. Chapter 1 describes the history of business influence on American education with a focus on the case of Wisconsin, in which the corporate-led restructuring of the American economy has defined the terms of the current national debate over school reform. The chapter outlines current trends that strengthen the link between the provision of public education and the ability of schools to deliver corporate profits. Chapter 2 examines how a multibillion-dollar market that employs large numbers of high-priced corporate talent (advertising) is transforming America's schools. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the development of Channel One and other privatization efforts for profit, including the Edison Project and Education Alternatives, Inc. (EAI). Chapters 5 and 6 provide a history of private school vouchers and charter schools. The seventh chapter summarizes the social costs of privatization, arguing that it fails to redistribute power and economic opportunity and contributes to increased intolerance by creating economic insecurity. The appendix lists several standards developed to guide corporate involvement in the schools and resource organizations. An index and endnotes are included. (LMI)