Reforms in Urban School District Policy Making: Comparing the "Watchdog" and the "Think Tank"

Abstract

Imbalances in the relationships between boards of education, school superintendents, and the school district bureaucracy are perennial problems in large urban school systems. This article describes two recent urban district reforms, in Chicago and Los Angeles. and argues that the reform mechanisms in these cities are reflective of the particular kinds of imbalances needing correction. An examination of these two reform efforts helps to indicate promising strategies for changing and improving urban school district decision and policy making systems.