Redesigning Schools

?This very probing analysis exposes deep-seated barriers to all school reform and makes powerful and challenging suggestions for overcoming the problems. It is a very important contribution, and a must read for all concerned about schooling in America.?--James P. Comer, M.D., Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry, and director, School Development Program, Yale University Child Study CenterWhat would it take to educate all children to use their minds well? In this unique book, Joseph P. McDonald provides us with a comprehensive view of the issues that lie at the heart of serious school reform--laying out the attitudes, concepts, and tools needed to redesign American education for the coming century. For five years, McDonald charted the progress of ten schools in the Coalition of Essential Schools as they immersed themselves in the hard work of school reform. He also visited many other schools, both elementary and secondary, in an attempt to understand serious school reform and its prospects. By describing the efforts of real schools in real places and by recognizing that no two schools occupy the same position on the educational landscape, McDonald has assembled an invaluable guide for tackling the challenge of improving schools.