Book review: David Rogers on mayoral control
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Forty years after David Rogers published the landmark study, 110 Livingston Street, considered a major catalyst for decentralizing the school system, he revisits this debate in his latest book, Mayoral Control of the New York City Schools
Rogers’ book analyzes the steps the Department of Education took to arrive at its current administrative structure. Rogers concludes that without mayoral control important changes could not have been accomplished. These include a new citywide curriculum and methodology with emphasis on teacher training, standardized access to citywide programs, including admission to gifted and talented programs; bolstering school leadership, leading to principals’ autonomy in budget and other decisions made at the school level.
Rogers details how these and other changes were pursued through corporate management techniques, with an emphasis on data and top down managerial decisions. He also points out that the alienation of teachers, principals, parents and other stakeholders engendered by the aggressive business model approach, may undermine long term sustainability of the mayor’s reforms. He suggests that mayoral control should be retained but its effectiveness depends on finding a way to “… establish a relationship of trust between city hall and the educators (teachers and principals) and between it and parent and community groups.”
Whether or not you agree with its conclusions, Mayoral Control of the New York City Schools is a valuable history of the Bloomberg-Klein era and an equally valuable basis for further discussion of the issues.
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Wow, sounds like an interesting and useful book, but at $81, I probably won’t be buying it any time soon.
Comment by Anonymous — June 5, 2009 @ 9:27 pm
Thanks to Judy Baum for the review. One additional comment. The price of the book is $29.95, provided the purchaser indicates to
Springer, my publisher, that s/he wishes to buy the book at that “promotional price.” Telephone Springer at 1.800.springer and indicate that the author has informed you to use the code word Rogers in making this purchase.
Comment by David Rogers — June 11, 2009 @ 5:25 pm