This book offers a collection of cases that provide preservice teachers with opportunities for realistic decision making. It describes a hypothetical city (Edge City), residential communities, a school district, and school buildings, and within this setting, students, teachers, administrators, parents, and board members are all introduced and portrayed. Preservice teachers are asked to step into their shoes to solve their problems. The book's four parts include: (1) "Context" (a description of the school and discussion of affirmative action); (2) "Instruction and Classroom Management" (instructional decision making, grading and evaluation, classroom environment, special needs students, embracing diversity, and cheating); (3) "Issues in Education" (sexism; socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural differences; religion in the schools; and student rights and responsibilities); and (4) "Finance, Organization, and Governance" (school finance, professionalism and control of schools, the school curriculum, and community efforts in education). Each chapter includes an introduction to the case, focus questions related to issues in the case, the case itself, questions for reflection and discussion, related class and individual projects, additional teaching and learning activities, and ways to examine issues in students' local school communities. Two appendixes offer Edge City biographies and cumulative folders and the United States Constitution. (SM)