A Socially Critical View of the Self-managing SchoolJohn Smyth This book argues that school-based management appears to be primarily concerned with dismantling centralized education systems (which have traditionally supported the work of teachers, students, and parents) and replacing them with a free-market ideology of competition and choice. School-based management separates elite policy makers and interest groups from those who implement policy. The movement promises more democratic community involvement, more parental choice, and better managed and more effective schools. What has occurred, the chapters argue, is a rhetoric of devolution in a context of centralism. The shift to school-based management justifies the state's avoidance of its social responsibility to provide an equitable quality education for all; promotes greater inequality; detracts from educational issues; may lower teacher quality; and cuts resources for education. Following the introduction, chapters include: (1) "Democratic Participation or Efficient Site Management: The Social and Political Location of the Self-Managing School" (Lawrence Angus); (2) "The New Right and the Self-Managing School" (Jack Demaine); (3) "Paradigm Shifts and Site-based Management in the United States: Toward a Paradigm of Social Empowerment" (Gary L. Anderson and Alexandra Dixon); (4) "Culture, Cost and Control: Self-Management and Entrepreneurial Schooling in England and Wales" (Stephen J. Ball); (5) "Reinventing Square Wheels: Planning for Schools to Ignore Realities" (Marie Brennan); (6) "The Evaluative State and Self-Management in Education: Cause for Reflection?" (David Hartley); (7) "The Politics of Devolution, Self-Management and Post-Fordism in Schools" (Susan L. Robertson); (8) "Pushing Crisis and Stress down the Line: The Self-Managing School" (Peter Watkins); (9) "Managerialism, Market Liberalism and the Move to Self-Managing Schools in New Zealand" (John A. Codd); (10) "Teaching Cultures and School-based Management: Towards a Collaborative Reconstruction" (Andrew C. Sparkes and Martin Bloomer); (11) "'And Your Corporate Manager Will Set You Free...': Devolution in South Australian Education" (Brendan Ryan); (12) "Managerialism and Market Forces in Vocational Education: 'Balkanizing' Education in the 'Banana Republic'" (Peter Kell); and (13) "Self-Managing Schools, Choice and Equity" (Geoffrey Walford). One figure and an index are included. References accompany each chapter. (LMI) |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
School | 11 |
The New Right and the SelfManaging School | 35 |
Paradigm Shifts and Sitebased Management in | 49 |
SelfManagement | 63 |
Planning for Schools | 83 |
The Politics of Devolution SelfManagement | 117 |
Managerialism Market Liberalism and the Move | 153 |
And Your Corporate Manager Will Set You Free | 191 |
SelfManaging Schools Choice and Equity | 229 |
Notes on Contributors | 245 |
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Common terms and phrases
accountability achieved activities agenda argued autonomy become budget bureaucracy Caldwell and Spinks central collaborative collegiality competition concern conservative context corporate crisis cultural Deakin University decentralization decision-making decisions democratic devolution discourse economic rationalism economic rationalist Education Department Education Policy education system education voucher educational administration effective efficiency equity evaluation Falmer Falmer Press fourth Labour government funding governors groups Habermas headteacher ideological implementation increased increasingly individual industry institutions interests involved Labour London managerial managerialist market liberalism ment national curriculum organization participation perspective planning political Post-Fordism post-Fordist practice principal problems professional pupils relations relationships responsibility restructuring rhetoric Right role school council school level school management school-based management scientific management sector Self-Managing School shift site-based management social staff strategies structures TAFE Taylor Report teachers teaching top-up fees voucher Walford Western Australia Zealand