|
Structural effect |
On the one hand … |
On the other hand … |
|
Creates a single point of electoral accountability for public
schools |
Pressures for improvement can be focused instead of diffused |
Mayors have a broad range of electoral issues, diluting the
impact of public education issues |
|
Concentrates power in a single point of authority |
Superintendent reports to one person, not a group of individuals
Can protect the superintendent and reform plan and strengthen
support to implement reforms
Enables greater integration of city services with schools;
pooling greater resources and political capital of city |
Can protect incompetence, corruption and ineffective fad reforms,
with less likelihood of corrective action
Can permit patronage and other decisions based on political
advantage rather than educational needs |
|
Broadens the constituency, making a citywide perspective dominant |
Helps overcome resistance from established interest groups |
Diminishes representation of particular areas of city and accords
more influence to people less involved with and knowledgeable of
schools |
|
Shifts the locus of power to those with the ear of the mayor |
Brings in new supporters with energy, enthusiasm and resources |
Improvement often bypasses low-income schools and neighborhoods |
|
Moves decision-makers further from school operations and
constituencies |
Reduces likelihood of micromanagement |
Reduces access for parents, community and others most affected by
schools
Decision-makers are likely to have limited knowledge of schools
and little time to devote to them |
|
Diminishes number of veto points for change |
Enables jump-starting reform over resistance |
Fewer checks on incompetence, corruption and ineffective fad
reforms |
|
Ties school leadership to mayoral election cycle |
Mechanism for accountability |
Relatively short time frame invites simplistic solutions that do
not work or cause damage
Superintendent likely to change when mayor does
Not long enough to sustain reform |
By Mary Levy, Washington Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights and Urban
Affairs
March 26, 2004
