3.0

Average Course Rating

This course will explore contemporary issues in education policy, with a focus on the evolving relationships between federal, state, and local governments in guiding America’s schools. Topics will include the successes and failures of the soon-to-be-reauthorized federal No Child Left Behind Act, debates over the wisdom of national academic standards, the legal environment for public school finance, the growing role of nongovernmental organizations like Teach for America and national charter school networks in public education, collective bargaining in education, and the political dynamics of education reform. The course will include group discussions and papers in which students will be required to select and defend specific policy positions in the areas discussed. (Recommended elective for MA in Public Management)