The Futures of School Reform - Softcover

The Futures of School Reform represents the culminating work of a three-year discussion among national education leaders convened by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Based on the recognition that current education reform efforts have reached their limits, the volume maps out a variety of bold visions that push the boundaries of our current thinking. Taken together, these visions identify the leverage points for generating dramatic change and highlight critical trade-offs among different courses of action. The goal of this book is not to present a menu of options. Rather, it is to surface contrasting assumptions, tensions, constraints, and opportunities, so that together we can better understand—and act on—the choices that lie before us.

“Our country is faced with an absolutely frightening crisis and challenge: we must radically improve our education system or our children will simply be unable to compete in the global economy. The diverse voices in this book demonstrate that there is no single solution, but the writers are united in their urgency. This eye-opening book should be required reading for educators and policy makers across America.” — Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone

“Essays in this volume do more than add another layer to the contemporary school reform debate. The book’s unique contribution is the mixture of alternatives that it offers for the future of American school reform.” — Pasi Sahlberg, director general of CIMO in Finland, and author of Finnish Lessons

“American education is at a crossroads. In The Futures of School Reform, Mehta, Schwartz, and Hess present six essays on education reform strategies that will spark a provocative discussion on how to transform our education system.” — Jeb Bush, governor of Florida from 1999–2007, and chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education

“Most literature on education reform is like a lighthouse, shining a beacon from a distant, perhaps unreachable place. This book offers readers a compass to point the way forward. It sets the true north for improvement in this most important American institution.” — John Deasy, superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District

Jal Mehta is an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Robert B. Schwartz is the Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Frederick M. Hess is a resident scholar and director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.