Chapter 11 Notes

The state legislatures are the most influential actors in establishing school policy. The governor’s office has the power to affect educational policy but often chooses to do so only on limited basis. Governors and state legislatures have the tremendous influence over educational policy and expenditures.

State Board of Education: exercised general control and supervision of schools within the state. It also establishes and enforces minimum standards for the operation of all phases of elementary and secondary education from the state to the local school system level.

Chief state school officer: also known as the superintendent, is responsible for serving as the chief administrator of the state department of education.

State department of education: responsible for carrying out the policies of the state board of education and the laws passed by the state legislature. Most schools, school districts, colleges of education are strongly affected by the policies and actions of the state department

The state creates local school districts to facilitate local control of education. their purpose is to carry out education in a manner that conforms with state policy

Local school board: represents the citizens of the district in setting up a school program, hiring school personnel to operate the schools, determining organizational and administrative policy and evaluating the results of the programs and performance of personnel.

Superintendent of schools: is undeniably the most powerful officer in the local school organization. The most important function is gathering and providing information to the local school board so its members can make informed decision.

School Principals: are generally considered to be a part of the administrative organization, directly accountable to the superintendent and the local school boards. Principals usually interview prospective faculty members and make faculty assignments, supervise and evaluate staff members, schedule students and classes,  manage school budget, administer district discipline policies and procure and dispense supplies. Most importantly, principals are expected to function as instructional leaders for their schools.

Among the most influential forces on the schools are professional education organizations
such as the National education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. State politicians pay attention to these organizations because of their power to influence.
Site based decision making: tended to increase teachers power. The key is that most changes needed to occur at the school level.

Parents are their children's first and primary teachers and the only ones who follow a child’s progress from year to year. PTA or PTO serve as a communications link between parents and the formal school organization with teachers usually acting as representatives of the school. Most PTO are comparatively impotent in achieving educational aims. Strategies to improve partnership between parents and teachers are: frequent parent teacher conferences, homework hotlines, email, workshops and volunteer programs.

Business: have been at the forefront of efforts to restructure public education. They have become both the strongest critics and the staunchest advocates for public schools. Business have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to improve elementary and secondary schools. One major effort on the part of business is to influence school reform is the business roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of the leading U.S. corporations. Many Business leaders are convinced that education reform is essential to the health of U.S. economy

Federal government: The U.S. supreme court has played a particularly important role in changing educational policy in the country. Because of its ruling have altered or reduced the power of state and local educational authorities. In the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the U.S. supreme court ruled that the doctrine of “separate but equal” had no place in public education.

Categorical grants: money that must be spent for designated purposes. Stated generally in the legislation and more percisely by the federal agency administering the funds.
Block grants: are sums of money that come with only minimal federal restrictions and are transferred from the federal government to the state governments as a block of money rather than by categories.

The federal government's most significant efforts have sought to address the needs of children from high poverty areas which are at risk for educational failure. The Compensatory education, is an approach to creating more equal educational opportunities for disadvantaged children.