Decentralization, distribution, and democracy: Problems in local control of public education

One of the most powerful idealized images in American politics is that of the local community governing its public schools. Many citizens and public officials identify local control of public education as the essence of democracy in school governance. This study examines the reality behind the ideal and argues for a new understanding of what it means for a system of public education to be democratic. One necessary characteristic of a democratic system of education is that it contribute to the construction and maintenance of a social order in which equality of opportunity prevails over hierarchies of privilege. The existing system of local control fails to create equal educational opportunity because local school districts reinforce racial and class segregation. Redistributive policies that support equal opportunity require greater centralization of school governance.;A second component of democracy in school governance is openness of the process itself to citizen participation. Centralization measures often inspire opposition because of the threat they pose to democratic processes and local participation. This study uses close observation of school politics in four Connecticut districts to assess the quality and quantity of participative opportunities that existing local institutions actually provide. In addition to its failure to support equal opportunity, the existing system of local control also does not deserve its reputation for fostering citizen participation. Public involvement in the schools is circumscribed by professional administrators and by the belief that schools should be sheltered from "politics." The conclusion reached here is that democracy in school governance would be well-served by centralizing control over resources while decentralizing most authority over schools to the level of the schools themselves.