SIPA PUAF U6231
CHALLENGES AND IMPERATIVES OF URBAN SCHOOL SYSTEMS
Course Syllabus - Fall 2013
Instructor: Harold Levy
Date and Time: Tuesdays 4:10-6:00 pm
Office Hours: IAB Room 1317; Tuesdays 2:00pm-4:00 pm. By appointment only. Please e-mail
harold@harold-levy.com for an appointment
Location: Room 405 IAB
Maximum Enrollment: 35 students; additional students may be admitted with the consent of
the instructor
Course Description:
Education remains one of the critical issues in American politics. The Obama Administration’s Race to
the Top initiatives and the conditional waivers it has granted to states from the requirements of the No
Child Left Behind Act have further pushed the issue to the forefront of the political agenda. Dramatic
reductions in financial support for Kindergarten-grade 12 as well as relentless tuition increases for
higher education have resulted in a public outcry. Simultaneously, online and for-profit courses,
Common Core Standards and new assessment tools are further changing the educational landscape.
This course will familiarize students with the challenges and imperatives that a large diverse city like
New York faces in educating both its children and adult residents while navigating these regulatory,
funding and pedagogical changes. In order to understand the larger socio/political context, the course
will explore contemporary issues confronting large urban school system administrators, higher
education leaders and elected officials in managing the conflicting interests and priorities. Students will
learn about the organization, politics and finance of education, teacher union, college faculty and
principal collective bargaining, management and accountability systems, curriculum, privatization,
capital projects, the role of such factors as ethnicity and attendance in student performance, the
“culture wars,” the power of big data analysis and the impact of the new technologies.
Instructor’s Biography:
Adjunct Prof. Levy was the New York City Schools Chancellor 2000-2002, including during 9/11. He is a
former member of the New York State Board of Regents. Prior to holding those positions he served as
Director of Global Compliance and Associate General Counsel of Citigroup. He subsequently was
Executive Vice President of Kaplan, Inc., where he started Kaplan University’s online School of
Education. He is currently managing director of Palm Ventures, LLC, a family investment office, where he
leads the education practice. He is also a trustee or advisory board member of several colleges and
universities. Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan appointed him to be a member of the Department of
Education’s Committee on Standards of Student Success. He is a graduate of Cornell and Oxford
Universities and holds honorary degrees from Baruch, Bard and St. Francis Colleges.
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Requirements of the Course:
Students will be required to take a take-home midterm exam and submit a 15 page final paper.
Required Texts:


Bowen, W.G., Kurzweil, M. A., Tobin, E. M. (2006) Equity and Excellence in American
Higher Education
Ravitch, D. (2001) Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reform.
Recommended subscriptions:
The following are sites that offer free weekly or daily subscriptions to education-related news
services aimed, variously, at general education news, higher education, education technology
and education news specific to New York City. Students are encouraged to sign up for one or
more of these services and read them at their convenience during the course; knowledge of
current issues will inform discussion of abstract concepts and enrich class discussions.
The Hechinger Report. http://hechingerreport.org/
Inside Higher Ed. http://www.insidehighered.com/
Gotham Schools. http://gothamschools.org/
Edsurge. https://www.edsurge.com/
Education Dive. http://www.educationdive.com/
Education Gadfly Weekly. http://www.edexcellence.net/commentary/education-gadflyweekly/
Edukwest. http://ent.edukwest.com/
The following are popular education blogs students may also wish to monitor.
Jay Mathews, The Washington Post education reporter.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle
Diane Ravitch. NYU Professor of History of Education. http://dianeravitch.net
Fred Hess. Educator associated with the American Enterprise Institute.
http://www.frederickhess.org/
Articles in traditional outlets for news and scholarly research will be referred to throughout the
course, such as Education Week, The Chronicle of Higher Education and Teachers College
Record.
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Guest Speakers:
There will be three guest speakers visiting during the semester. Two are already scheduled, as
indicated on the syllabus. The order of individual lectures may be changed during the course
to accommodate scheduling.
Grading:
Your grade in the course will be based on individual work.
25% - Take-home Midterm Exam
60% - Final Paper
15% - Class Participation and Attendance
Although this is in part a lecture-style course, it is expected that all students will participate in
weekly class discussions. As a result, students are expected to come to class prepared -- having
read required materials, viewed video lectures (when applicable), completed pre-class activities
(also when applicable), and prepared questions and ideas for discussion. Attendance in class is
mandatory unless you notify the instructor or TA in advance.
Midterm:
The midterm questions will be placed online either Week 6 or 7. Students will submit papers
online; there will be 3 questions; length of each answer will be limited to 3 pages, double
spaced, 12 point type.
Final Paper:
Topics for the final paper will be provided online, although students may choose a different topic
with the consent of the instructor. Papers will be submitted online, limited to 15 pages, inclusive
of footnotes, double spaced, 12 point type.
Laptop Policy:
Laptop computers are integral to this course. It is strongly recommended that students bring
their laptops to class. When class is in session, students must use their laptop only as directed
by the Professor or TA. Students will avoid any activities such as checking email, accessing social
networking sites, or completing other course work, that diminish their -- or their classmates’ -engagement with the instructional activity. In general, students should keep in mind that the
use of laptops should add to the classroom environment, not detract from it. Students should
refrain from laptop use during student discussion and guest lecturer presentations.
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Academic Integrity Statement:
The School of International and Public Affairs does not tolerate cheating and/or plagiarism in
any form. Students who violate the Code of Academic and Professional Conduct will be subject
to the Dean’s Disciplinary Procedures. The Code of Academic and Professional Conduct can be
viewed online at:
http://sipa.columbia.edu/resources_services/student_affairs/academic_policies/deans_discipli
ne_policy.html
Please familiarize yourself with the proper methods of citation and attribution. The School
provides some useful resources online; students are strongly encouraged to familiarize
themselves with these various requirements before conducting research:
http://sipa.columbia.edu/resources_services/student_affairs/academic_policies/code_of_
conduct.html
Violations of the Code of Academic and Professional Conduct will be reported to the Associate
Dean for Student Affairs.
Facilities Accessibility Statement:
Columbia is committed to providing equal access to qualified students with documented
disabilities. A student’s disability status and reasonable accommodations are individually
determined based upon disability documentation and related information gathered through
the intake process. For more information regarding this service, please visit the University’s
Health Services website at: http://health.columbia.edu/services/ods/support
Topics Covered:
Week 1 – Tuesday, September 3, 2013
1. Overview: Politics of Education
a. Issue: Why isn’t the US educational system doing better?
b. Philosophical perspectives
c. Potential remedies and their champions
d. Structure of K-12 and higher ed systems
e. DISCUSSION OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Required Readings:
Bowen, W.G., Kurzweil, M. A., Tobin, E. M. (2006) Equity and Excellence in American Higher
Education. Pp. 1-96.
Fruchter, N. et al. (2012) Is Demography Still Destiny? Annenberg Institute for Social Reform.
http://annenberginstitute.org/sites/default/files/Demography%20is%20Destiny.pdf
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Additional Readings:
Ermisch, J., Jäntti, M., and Smeeding, T. (2012) From Parents to Children: The Intergenerational
Transmission of Advantage. Pp.3-31. 53-83.
Botticini, M. and Eckstein, Z. (2012) The Chosen Few: How Education Shaped Jewish History, 701492. Chapter 10. 1492 to Today: Open Questions. Pp. 261-273.
Bowen, W.G., Kurzweil, M. A., Tobin, E. M. (2006) Equity and Excellence in American Higher
Education. Pp. 224-259.
Carter, P. L. (2005) Keepin’ It Real. Chapter 2. “Black” Cultural Capital and the Conflicts of
Schooling. Pp.47-76.
Gornick, J.C. and Jäntti, M. (2013) Income Inequality: Economic Disparities and the Middle Class
in Affluent Countries. Pp. 288-289, 326-327.
Kozol, J. (2012) Savage Inequalities; Children in America’s Schools.
Ravitch, D. (1974) The Great School Wars, New York City, 1805-1973, A History of the Public
Schools as a Battlefield of Social Change.
Kuper, S. How to raise a Winning Child. Financial Times (July 6, 2013)
Tyack, D. and Cuban, L. (1995) Tinkering Toward Utopia: A Century of Public School Reform. Pp.
60-84.
The following are links to key US statistical data bases.
National Center for Education Statistics. Fast Facts. (2013)
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372
National Center for Education Statistics. The Nation’s Report Card. (2013) Reading 1971-2012 /
Mathematics 1973-2012.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/main2012/pdf/2013456.pdf
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Week 2 – Tuesday, September 10, 2013
2. Management
a. Issue: What’s the best structure?
b. Hierarchy, distributed leadership or collaborative decision-making
c. Accreditation
d. State- and country-based supervisory bodies and the Internet
Required Readings:
Corcoran, T. and Goertz, M. (2005) The Governance of Public Education, in Fuhrman, S. and
Lazerson M. The Public Schools. Pp.25-56.
Ravitch, D. (2009) A History of Public School Governance in New York City, in Viteritti, J. P.
When Mayors Take Charge. Pp. 171-186.
Vitteriti, J.P. (2009) New York: Past, Present Future in Viteritti, J. P. When Mayors Take Charge.
Pp. 206-234.
Additional Readings:
Macchiarola, F. J. (1988) Making the Schools Work, in Salins, P. New York Unbound: The City
and the Politics of the Future. Pp.153-169.
Purnick, J. (2009) Mike Bloomberg: Money, Power, Politics. Pp. 214-218.
Ravitch, D. (2010) The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and
Choice Are Undermining Education. Chapter 5. “The Business Model in New York City.” Pp. 6991.
Week 3 – Tuesday, September 17, 2013
3. Labor Management – Collective Bargaining
a. Issue: Is collective bargaining hurting education?
b. Interest group analysis:
i. Higher ed: adjuncts, non-tenure track and tenured professors
ii. K-12: part-time, newly-hired, high seniority, high school and retired teachers
c. Negotiating tactics and gaming arbitrations
d. The contract, rubber rooms and teacher turnover
Required Readings:
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Brunner, E.J, and Squires, T. (July 2013) The Bargaining Power of Teachers’ Unions and the
Allocation of School Resources. Journal of Urban Economics (76). Pp. 15-27.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094119013000120 [check cite]
Cohen-Vogel, L., Feng, L., Osborne-Lampkin, L. (September 2013) Seniority Provisions in
Collective Bargaining Agreements and the “Teacher Quality Gap.” In Educational Evaluation and
Policy Analysis. http://epa.sagepub.com/content/35/3/324 [check cite]
Lindy, B.A. (2011) The Impact of Teacher Collective Bargaining Laws on Student Achievement;
Evidence from a New Mexico Natural Experiment. Yale Law Journal. Pp. 1130. [insert cite]
Additional Readings:
Marinell, W. H. and Coca, V. M. (2013) Who Stays and Who Leaves? Findings from a Three-Part
Study of Teacher Turnover in NYC Middle Schools.
Ehrenberg, R. G. (2012) Independent Colleges and Universities in a Time of Transition. Paper
presented at the Council of Independent Colleges Presidential Institute, January 2012 meeting.
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/cheri/upload/cheri_wp144.pdf
Dau-Schmidt, K.G. and Lin, W. (April 2013) The Great Recession, the Resulting Budget Shortfall,
the 2010 Elections and the Attack on Public Sector Collective Bargaining in the United States.
Hosfstra Labor and Employment Journal, 29(2).P. 407-432.
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2253984## [check cite]
Ripley, A. (August 3, 2013) The $4 Million Teacher; South Korea’s students rank among the best
in the world, and its top teachers make a fortune. Can the US learn from this academic
superpower? Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324635904578639780253571520.html?mod=
WSJ_hps_LEFTTopStories
Week 4 – Tuesday, September 24, 2013
4. Teachers (Guest Lecturer: NYC Deputy Chancellor David Weiner)
a. Issue: Does teacher quality matter?
b. Pedagogy in extremis: 9/11 and Sandy Hook
c. Teacher effectiveness debate
d. Recruitment and retention
e. Teacher capacity and Common Core
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Required Readings:
The New Teacher Project (2009), The Widget Effect.
http://tntp.org/ideas-and-innovations/view/the-widget-effect
Additional Readings:
Ensuring Fair and Reliable Measures of Effective Teaching, MET Project
http://www.metproject.org/downloads/MET_Ensuring_Fair_and_Reliable_Measures_Practitio
ner_Brief.pdf
The Irreplaceables, TNTP
http://tntp.org/assets/documents/TNTP_Irreplaceables_2012.pdf
Fair to Everyone: Building the Balanced Teacher Evaluations that Educators and Students Deserve,
Education Trust
http://www.edtrust.org/dc/publication/fair-to-everyone-building-the-balanced-teacherevaluations-that-educators-and-student
Valuing Teachers, Eric Hanushek
http://hanushek.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Hanushek%202011%20EdNext%
2011(3).pdf
The Long Term Impacts of Teachers, Chetty, Friedman, and Rokoff
http://obs.rc.fas.harvard.edu/chetty/value_added.pdf
Good Teaching Matters…A Lot, Kati Haycock
http://www.cftl.org/documents/K16.pdf
Identifying Effective Teachers Using Performance on the Job, Gordon, Kane, Staiger
http://www.brookings.edu/views/Papers/200604hamilton_1.pdf
Senechal, D. (2012) Republic of Noise. The Loss of Solitude in Schools and Culture. Chapter 6.
“The Workshop Model in New York City. Pp. 77-93.
Papay, J.P. (March 2012) Refocusing the Debate: Assessing the Purpose and Tools of Teacher
Evaluation. Harvard Education Review. Pp. 123-141.
Kelly, S. (Ed.) (2012) Assessing Teacher Quality: Understanding Teacher Effects on Instructions
and Achievement.
These articles are more along the lines of implementation guides, but they offer some interesting ideas:
Observing Classroom Practice, Charlotte Danielson
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http://www.danielsongroup.org/ckeditor/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Observing%20Classroom%20
Practice%20-%20Educational%20Leadership%20article%20by%20Charlotte%20Danielson.pdf
The Balancing Acts of Teacher Evaluation, Supt Cindy Weber
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov12/vol70/num03/The-BalancingActs-of-Teacher-Evaluation.aspx
It’s Elemental, American Federation of Teachers
http://www.aft.org/pdfs/tools4teachers/IE_itselemental_110112.pdf
Measuring Student Achievement in Non-Tested Grades and Subjects, Analysis for DCPS
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/peac/pdf/slo_dcps_10-11.pdf
Teachers Matter: Rethinking How Public Schools Identify, Reward, and Retain Great Educators, Marcus
Winters
Slater, H., Davies, N.M., Burgess, S. (2012) Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 74(5). Pp.
629-645.
Week 5 – Tuesday, October 1, 2013
5. School finance (Guest Lecturer: NYC DOE Chief Operating Officer Andrew Buher)
a. Issue: Who pays for education and is it a good investment?
b. Magnitude of expenditure
c. Sources and uses
d. Cost effectiveness measures
Required Readings:
Baumol, W. J. (2012) The Cost Disease: Why Computers Get Cheaper and Health Care Doesn't.
pp. 3-76.
Roza, M. (2010) Educational Economics: Where do School Funds Go?
Additional Readings:
Webber, D.A. (2013) The Lifetime Earnings Premia of Different Majors: Correcting for Selection
Based on Cognitive, Noncognitive, and Unobserved Factors. Cornell Higher Education Education
Research Institute. http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/cheri/upload/cheri_wp152.pdf
Week 6 – Tuesday, October 8, 2013
6. Technology and Big Data
a. Issue: Does “edtech” work or is it just another educational fad?
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b.
c.
d.
e.
History and politics
Devices, software and algorithms
Traction ƒ (marketing + efficacy + technology)
Analysis of cutting edge solutions
Required Readings:
Matsudaira, J. (2013) “Summer School and Student Achievement” in John Hattie and Eric
Anderman, editors. International Guide to Student Achievement. P.164
Matsudaira, J. (2008) “Mandatory Summer School and Student Achievement: A Regression
Discontinuity Analysis.” Journal of Econometrics, 142(2). Pp. 829-850.
Learning in the Digital Age. (August 2013). Scientific American. Pp. 48-71, including Scientific
American Editors, Big Data Goes to School; Bartholel, J. Hype and Hope; Norvig, P. Massively
Personal; Khan, S. No More Lockstep Learning; Agarwal, P. An Opportunity for India; Lue, R.A.
Experimentation is Key; Fletcher, S. Machine Learning; Vesterbacka, Education is for the (Angry)
Birds; Duncan, A. Why We Need High-Speed Schools.
Additional Readings:
Bowen, W. G. (2013) Higher Education in the Digital Age. Pp. 43-77.
Karp, M. M. (July 26, 2013) Review of Bowen, Higher Education in the Digital Age. Teachers
College Record. http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=17192
Black, S. E., Devereux, P. J. and Salvanes, K. G. (May 2011) Too Young to Leave the Nest? The
Effects of School Starting Age, in The Review of Economics and Statistics XCIII(2). Pp.455-467.
The following are press releases and news reports big data, connectivity and MOOCs:
Stephens-Davidowitz, S. How Googling Unmasks Child Abuse. New York Times. (July 14, 2013)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/opinion/sunday/how-googling-unmasks-childabuse.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Shumski, D. The 6 Biggest MOOC Stories of 2013 So Far. Education Dive. (August 9, 2013)
http://www.educationdive.com/news/the-6-biggest-mooc-stories-of-2013-so-far/159148/
Slack, M. The White House Blog. What is ConnectED? (June 6, 2013)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/06/06/whatconnected?utm_source=Digital+Promise+General&utm_campaign=108352255d10
June_Action_Report6_20_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0844f35441-108352255d319089421
Rivard, R. MOOC Bill Dead for Now. Inside higher Education. (August 1, 2013).
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/01/controversial-california-bill-outsourcestudent-learning-dead-until-2014-or-later
The following are edtech reference resources:
Refseek. Multimedia.25 best online resources. Aggregates free course listings, educational
software and news sites. http://www.refseek.com/directory/educational_videos.html
Edudemic. The 100 Best Video Sites for Educators. http://www.edudemic.com/2012/08/bestvideo-sites-for-teachers/
Week 7 – Tuesday, October 15, 2013
7. Procurement
a. Issue: Are the schools spending their non-personnel budgets well?
b. Market impact of purchasing decisions.
c. Edtech, consultants and interest group politics.
d. Process and expertise: buying the wrong stuff expensively and late
e. Remedies
Required Readings:
Duncombe, W. and Searcy, C. (2005) Procurement Practices in New York State School Districts.
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/uploadedFiles/cpr/people/faculty/duncombe/exec-summary.pdf
Education Industry Association. (2013) Fostering Market Efficiency in K-12 Procurement.
http://www.educationindustry.org/assets/documents/2013%20fostering%20market%20efficie
ncy%20in%20k-12%20procurement_eia%20revised%20concept%20paper4-1-2013.pdf
Pines, S. Fixing School District Procurement (2013) Press release.
http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/voice-from-the-industry/fixing-school-districtprocurement.html
Education Superhighway. Report on K-12 Procurement Gap and the Digital Divide.
http://www.educationsuperhighway.org/procurement-gap.html
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Additional Readings:
American Association of State Colleges and Universities. (2010) Public College and University
Procurement.
http://www.aascu.org/uploadedFiles/AASCU/Content/Root/PolicyAndAdvocacy/PolicyPublicati
ons/aascunaepfinal(1).pdf
McCrudden, C. Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Procurement. Oxford Legal Studies
Research Paper No. 9/2006. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=899686
Week 8 – Tuesday, October 22, 2013
8. For-profits
a. Issue: Is the private sector helping student performance?
b. Market segmentation analysis
c. Pseudo public institutions
d. Udacity v. Coursera and Edx
Required Readings:
Silber, J. M. and Condra, P. (2012) Education and Training (BMO Capital Markets Equity
Research) [pdf will be posted; 2013 edition will be made available on release September 16,
2013]
Additional Readings:
Christensen, C. M., Eyring, H.J. (2011) The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher
Education from the Inside Out. Pp.206-219, 325-346.
Week 9 – Tuesday, October 29, 2013
9. Attendance
a. Issue: Why is fighting chronic absenteeism not a national priority?
b. Under-reporting
c. Truancy and persistence
d. Predictors and strategies
Required Readings:
Levy, H. (July 2008) “The Great Truancy Cover-Up,” The Yale Review.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120084594/issue [check cite]
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Balfanz, R., Herzog, L. and MacIver, D.J. (2007). Preventing Student Disengagement and Keeping
Students on the Graduation Path in Urban Middle-Grades Schools: Early Identification and
Effective Interventions. Educational Psychologist, 42(4). Pp. 223–235.
The Campaign for Fiscal Equity. (2011) Taking Attendance Seriously: How School Absences
Undermine Student and School Performance in New York City.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/nyregion/20110617attendancereport.pdf
Additional Readings:
Nauer, K, White, A. and Yerneni, R. (2008) Strengthening Schools by Strengthening Families:
Community Strategies to Reverse Chronic Absenteeism in the Early Grades and Improve
Supports for Children and Families.
http://www.newschool.edu/milano/nycaffairs/documents/StrengtheningSchoolsReport.pdf
Romero, M. and Lee, Y. (2007) A National Portrait of Chronic Absenteeism in the Early Grades.
http://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/13108/pdf
Chang, H. and Romero, M. (2008) Present, Engaged and Accounted For: The Critical Importance
of Addressing Chronic Absence in the Early Grades.
http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_837.html
Levy, H. (2007) “Mistaking Attendance,” New York Times (co-authored op-ed)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/opinion/02levy-1.html?_r=0
Konstan, E. (2012) NYC DOE Internal Memorandum: Attendance Law and Policy and School
Responsibilities.
http://cfn531.wikispaces.com/file/view/2012+Attendance+Law+%26+Policiy.pdf
National Center for Education Statistics. (2005) Absenteeism. Percentage distribution of 8 thgrade students. Indicator 3.1. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/nativetrends/ind_3_1.asp
The following are references to current attendance figures:




NY: 20% are absent a month each year. 15% of elementary school and 34% of high school
students miss a month of school. http://www.nyc.gov/html/truancy/downloads/pdf/task-forceinfographic.pdf
Chicago 13% of the 250,000 in K-8 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ct-mettruancy-galesburg-20121112,0,2012281,full.story
LA: 16% are truant (absent 10 days) http://dropoutnation.net/2010/09/16/dropout-nationamericas-truancy-problem-l-a-county/
DC: 20% miss 15 days http://www.examiner.com/article/truancy-goes-beyond-just-the-students
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Tuesday, November 5, 2013
NO CLASS – ELECTION DAY
Week 10 – Tuesday, November 12, 2013
10. Internationalization
a. Issue: Are educational systems converging?
b. Student migration and changing pattern of flows
c. Commoditization of curriculum
d. Transnational institutions
Required Readings:
Goldin, C. and Katz, L. F. (2008) The Race Between Education and Technology. Pp. 22-30, 324353.
Adamson, B. (2013) Appropriating Higher Education from neo-Liberalism. Comparative
Education Bulletin (15) Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong. Pp.1-12.
http://www.fe.hku.hk/cerc/ceshk/doc/CEB2013_15.pdf#page=5
Additional Readings:
Lindo-Fuentes, H. and Ching, E. (2012) Modernizing Minds in El Salvador: Education Reform and
the Cold War.
Week 11 – Tuesday, November 19, 2013
11. Privatization
a. Issue: Does privatization improve education?
b. From text book publishers to white label virtual school providers
c. Vouchers, charters and non-profits
d. Home schoolers
Required Readings:
Bone, D. (2013) Debate: Internationalization and privatization of higher education. Public
Money & Management 33(3). P. 217.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09540962.2013.785708?journalCode=rpmm20#
.UgBcRdLkt8E
Additional Readings:
National Center for Educational Statistics. (2013)

Private School Enrollment. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgc.asp

Charter School Enrollment. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgb.asp
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Week 12 – Tuesday, November 26, 2013
12. School Buildings and Why they Matter
a. Issue: Whose buildings are they?
b. Complexity of control
c. Funding and managing maintenance, construction and improvement
d. Impact on outcomes
Required Readings:
NYC Commission on School Facilities and Maintenance Reform. (1995) Final Reports.
http://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/20/nyregion/panel-calls-for-overhauling-schoolmaintenance-system.html [this is cite to NY Times article; report will be posted]
Week 13 – Tuesday, December 3, 2013
13. Sum-up discussion
a. Issue: What works?
b. Future issues
i. Assessment consortia: will they work?
ii. Special ed designation and financing
iii. Chancellor’s District redux
iv. Is civics antiquated?
v. Learn to earn: college or high school?
c. What’s feasible?
d. Politics of a technological age
Required Readings:
Kronman, A. T. (2007) Education’s End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on
the Meaning of Life. Pp. 1-35, 227-259.
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