Lea Hubbard

This book examines how parent activism and White Christian nationalism are reshaping public schools and, in doing so, threatening democracy. This book examines how parent activism and White Christian nationalism are reshaping public schools and, in doing so, threatening democracy. Drawing on in-depth case studies from California and New York, and examples of events occurring in states throughout the nation, it shows how local school boards have become key sites of political struggle, where debates over curriculum, LGBTQ+ rights, and parental authority reflect the broader, increasingly powerful influence of national polarization. The book traces the historical roots of these movements and shows how contemporary, organized networks of activists, political actors across all three branches of government, and religious groups are shaping education policy. By connecting local developments to national trends, it reveals how public education—long understood as a cornerstone of democratic life—is being transformed in ways that challenge shared governance and inclusive civic values. This book will appeal to scholars, educators, policymakers, parents, and anyone concerned about the future of public education and democracy in the United States.

Looks at the process of educational change and examines how a successful school reform project at one institution can be applied to other schools to achieve similar levels of improvement.

In an effort to improve student achievement, thousands of US schools have adopted school reform models devised externally by universities and other organizations. Such models have been successful in improving individual schools or groups of schools, but what happens when educational reform attempts to extend from one school to many? Through qualitative data from several studies, this book explores what happens when school reform 'goes to scale'. Topics covered include:why and how schools are adopting reformsthe influence of the local context and wider constraints on the implementation of reformteachers and principals as change agents in schoolsthe evolution of reform design teamsthe implementation, sustainability and expiration of reform, and its impact on educational changeEach chapter concludes with guidelines for policy and practice. This book will be of interest to educational leaders and staff developers, educational researchers and policy makers, in the US and internationally.

How can we bolster the academic success of low achieving students and provide a more egalitarian classroom setting? This book describes the process of ‘untracking’, an educational reform effort that has prepared students from low income, linguistic, and ethnic minority backgrounds for college. Untracking offers all students the same academically-demanding curriculum while varying the amount of institutional support they receive. Helpful institutional ‘scaffolds’ teach the hidden curriculum of the school, allowing students to develop an academic identity and build bridges between high school and college. There have been many plans and attempts to reform schools, but few detailed investigations of such efforts. This book is a highly readable account of a successful school reform effort. It provides systematic research results concerning the educational and social consequences of untracking previously low achieving students.

How can we bolster the academic success of low achieving students and provide a more egalitarian classroom setting? This book describes the process of ‘untracking’, an educational reform effort that has prepared students from low income, linguistic, and ethnic minority backgrounds for college. Untracking offers all students the same academically-demanding curriculum while varying the amount of institutional support they receive. Helpful institutional ‘scaffolds’ teach the hidden curriculum of the school, allowing students to develop an academic identity and build bridges between high school and college. There have been many plans and attempts to reform schools, but few detailed investigations of such efforts. This book is a highly readable account of a successful school reform effort. It provides systematic research results concerning the educational and social consequences of untracking previously low achieving students.