Organization of SchoolsOrganization of Schools

School organizationSchool organizationBureaucracyBureaucracyCentralizationCentralizationDecentralizationDecentralization

School OrganizationSchool Organization A regular function of schools is to sort and A regular function of schools is to sort and

categorize students as successes and categorize students as successes and failuresfailures

How do students get access to the How do students get access to the courses, teachers, and schools that help courses, teachers, and schools that help ensure success and prevent failureensure success and prevent failure

School OrganizationSchool Organization Success and failure may result from Success and failure may result from

student teacher, or course matches that student teacher, or course matches that are are ““capricious, unintentional, or irrelevant capricious, unintentional, or irrelevant to the educational interests of proponentsto the educational interests of proponents

Schools are Schools are ““messymessy”” places in that there is places in that there is a degree of turbulence in the a degree of turbulence in the organizational processes that disrupts the organizational processes that disrupts the smooth function of this matching functionsmooth function of this matching function

School OrganizationSchool Organization Schools do make an effort to place Schools do make an effort to place

students according to rational criteria. But students according to rational criteria. But it doesnit doesn’’t always happent always happen

Students find themselves in particular Students find themselves in particular classes because there was nothing else classes because there was nothing else open or availableopen or available

This is an outgrowth of bureaucracyThis is an outgrowth of bureaucracy

BureaucracyBureaucracy Vertical or hierarchical authority patternVertical or hierarchical authority pattern Maximum specializationMaximum specialization Roles governed by rulesRoles governed by rules Decisions based on expertiseDecisions based on expertise Impersonal administrationImpersonal administration

CentralizationCentralization Early 19Early 19thth century schools were informally century schools were informally

organized: ungraded, precarious financial organized: ungraded, precarious financial support, no organized curriculum, ill-support, no organized curriculum, ill-trained teacherstrained teachers

Some teacher organization—1795 Society Some teacher organization—1795 Society of Associated Teachers—an informal of Associated Teachers—an informal group of teachers that accredited texts, group of teachers that accredited texts, maintained a professional library, maintained a professional library, maintained discipline recordsmaintained discipline records

CentralizationCentralization New York CityNew York City’’s first formal school system s first formal school system

was the Free School or Public School was the Free School or Public School SocietySociety It was a private organization of upper class It was a private organization of upper class

individuals with philanthropic interests in individuals with philanthropic interests in educating the pooreducating the poor

It wasnIt wasn’’t a public school system although by t a public school system although by 1820 it became quasi-public (received public 1820 it became quasi-public (received public monies)monies)

Religious ConflictReligious Conflict Public School Society was challenged by Public School Society was challenged by

NYCNYC’’s Catholics because of its bias and s Catholics because of its bias and refusal to hire Catholic teachersrefusal to hire Catholic teachers

Bishop John Hughes attempted to use this Bishop John Hughes attempted to use this situation to set up a Catholic school situation to set up a Catholic school systemsystem

Became a larger political between the Became a larger political between the Governor of New York William Seward Governor of New York William Seward and city Democrats and city Democrats

Religious ConflictReligious Conflict Conflict was settled by the replacement of Conflict was settled by the replacement of

the PSS with a central board of education the PSS with a central board of education that served the entire city and local or that served the entire city and local or ward boards that managed schools within ward boards that managed schools within sections of the citysections of the city

Pitted a central board appointed by the Pitted a central board appointed by the mayor (upper and upper middle class mayor (upper and upper middle class Protestants) against working class Protestants) against working class Catholics who dominated the ward boardsCatholics who dominated the ward boards

ResolutionResolution Central board enlisted the support of urban Central board enlisted the support of urban

reformers who were committed to ending what reformers who were committed to ending what they claimed was the corruption of the ward they claimed was the corruption of the ward boardsboards

Reformers sought to replace the ward board Reformers sought to replace the ward board with professional administrators who would with professional administrators who would manage the schools manage the schools ““scientificallyscientifically””

1896-the creation of a single, central board of 1896-the creation of a single, central board of education appointed by the mayoreducation appointed by the mayor

Why Centralization?Why Centralization? Model the school after what was perceived Model the school after what was perceived

to be the efficiency of the modern to be the efficiency of the modern corporationcorporation

Centralization would provide business Centralization would provide business leaders greater control over the schoolsleaders greater control over the schools

Business techniques as a way of asserting Business techniques as a way of asserting the professional status of administrators the professional status of administrators and their control over the schoolsand their control over the schools

DecentralizationDecentralization For much of the 20For much of the 20thth century the century the

centralized school board was the dominant centralized school board was the dominant mode of school organizationmode of school organization

Beginning in the 1960s a trend toward Beginning in the 1960s a trend toward decentralizationdecentralization

A response to the racial and class conflict A response to the racial and class conflict between citizens and school between citizens and school administrationadministration

Black-White ConflictBlack-White Conflict Blacks saw urban schools that were Blacks saw urban schools that were

largely controlled by whites as denying largely controlled by whites as denying their children a quality educationtheir children a quality education

Urban whites saw the presence of blacks Urban whites saw the presence of blacks in the city as a threat to their safety, their in the city as a threat to their safety, their property values, and quality education for property values, and quality education for their childrentheir children

Black power and community controlBlack power and community control

Black-White ConflictBlack-White Conflict New York CityNew York City’’s 1968 teacher strikes 1968 teacher strike Break-up of the city schools into 32 Break-up of the city schools into 32

community districtscommunity districts Black led citiesBlack led cities RecentralizationRecentralization

DetroitDetroit New York CityNew York City

PartnershipsPartnerships