School boards spend almost $500 billion in taxpayer-provided funds, they employ more than 6 million people, offering pensions and lifetime health benefits that have helped build the obligation that has put state governments in fiscal peril. This book lifts the veil of obscurity from school boards and makes readers think about the issues.

Autorentext
GENE I. MAEROFF Senior Fellow at the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media at Teachers College, Columbia University, USA, where he was the founding director. He is also a former national education correspondent for the New York Times. He is the author of over a dozen books including The Guide to Suburban Public Schools, Team Building for School Change, School Smart Parent, Altered Destinies, and A Classroom of One.

Inhalt
A Cradle of Democracy The School Board's Impact on the Content of Learning Inherent Inequities Jobs, Jobs, Jobs Teachers: The Glory and the Agony The Mirage of Local Control The Special Burden of Special Education The Inner Workings of School Boards Accepting Responsibility Alternatives to School Boards Do School Boards Have a Future?