A much-needed examination of the impact on teachers and parents of the effort to improve our schools through restructuring, this book looks at professionalization and parent empowerment programs from the ground level rather than from the large-scale policy level. The editor, active in both policy setting and monitoring implementation, approaches the subject with an overarching view that weaves together a set of diverse case studies that examine some of the most notable efforts in this area of school reform.

The first section demonstrates the tremendous difficulties involved in...