Public Agenda, November 14, 2001
The ever-valuable research organization named Public Agenda has just opened another fascinating window onto contemporary education policy debates. At a time when school reformers are rightly concerned about school leadership, Public Agenda (this time underwritten by the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds) surveyed 1800 public school principals and superintendents. The data are fascinating and sobering, many of them tantamount to a strong endorsement of policies akin to charter schools. Here (in Public Agenda's words) are some of the main conclusions: "Superintendents and principals...voice confidence that they can improve public education, but say their effectiveness is hampered by politics and bureaucracy....What superintendents and principals need most, they say, is more freedom to do their jobs as they see fit - especially the freedom to reward and fire teachers....School leaders are far less worried about standards and accountability than about politics and bureaucracy....." You will almost surely want to see for yourself. You can download a summary (and, until November 30, the entire report) from Public Agenda's website, http://www.publicagenda.org. You can also buy a hard copy for $12.50 from Public Agenda, 6 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016. E-mail [email protected] or phone (212) 686-6610.
