Research Into The Privatization Reform Of The American Public Schools

The American public schools are the foundation of US elementary education, and a sign of the democratic system that Americans regard as an honor too. Since the public school movement in middle period of the 19th century, the contributions of the public schools are indelible. However, with the development of times, the drawbacks of the public schools are exposed day by day. The American public schools lack the competition mechanism and consciousness because of the government's monopoly. Bureaucracy makes its management system stiff, lacks mobility, and causes efficiency to be low and overstaffing in organizations. In 983, "Country In Crisis, Education Reforms Imperative" pointed out the quality crisis of American public schools with a large number of datas and facts. After the report was issued, various kinds of reports and investigations emerge in an endless stream. Americans were greatly shocked by it. From then on the education reform has been raised in the US. In addition, in the 1970s, government's scale was expanded constantly in the US, productivity was dropping constantly. In result, people queried the ability of the government and public departments. Therefore, the privatization reform was put out to improve the service of the public departments. Under the push of these trends, in the 1980s, American educational circle carried on a series of reforms to the public schools along the privatization road too. The experience and lesson of these reforms have important reference and practical value to the Chinese education reform.This thesis is divided into four sections:Section one, foreword: The concepts are defined. This part mainly defines the main concepts involved to this thesis, explaining with the theory. Privatizations, privatization of education, privatization of public schools are the central concepts of this thesis. The relation between them is close. This thesis has adopted American privatization reform master Savas' key view about privatization, namely privatization points to depend on the folk organizations more, rely on government's function less to meet the public demands. Based on the privatization concept, the writer puts out the concepts of privatization of education and privatization of the public schools.Section two, the backgrounds of the privatization reform of the American public schools. The privatization reform of the American public schools started in the eighties of the 20th century. The reform is influenced by factors in many aspects. This thesis describes from the following aspects mainly: First of all, the theoretical foundation of the privatization reform of the American public schools, including: New public management theory, consumer's theory with sovereign right and new liberalism thought; Secondly, the realistic crises of the American public schools promote the public schools to carry on the reform. Their crises mainly come from the government's financial crisis, management crisis and quality crisis of the public schools, crisis of funds, management crisis and morals crisis.Section three, the modes of the privatization reform of the American public schools. The modes of privatization of American public schools are varied. This thesis has explained four kinds of more outstanding modes mainly:1, Charter schools. It emerged at the beginning of 1990s.lt is a new-type public school, distinguished from traditional public schools. Since it is supported by public funds, and managed by the folk organizations. It has promoted the improvement of the management system of the American public schools with its own characteristics.2, The private educational company. American educational company is profitable. It makes a contract with the school districts to take over the traditional public schools. It reduces the management and administration costs through its own management style, and gains profits from it.3, Education voucher. Education voucher thought was most early proposed by American economist Friedman. It aims at changing the way of replenishing of the government in the form of educ...