Democracy and Reform in Public Schools

Saul Rubinstein is a professor in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University and director of the Collaborative School Leadership Initiative. Charles Heckscher is a distinguished professor in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University and codirector of the Center for the Study of Collaboration. John McCarthy is an associate professor at Cornell University's ILR School, where he studies management and labor relations in U.S. public education.

“Failed leadership can be linked to a multitude of traits and characteristics. In my experience, I see this lack of collaboration as a core association of failure. With a tremendous investment in stakeholder collaboration, Rubinstein, Heckscher, and McCarthy have statistically demonstrated success that has resulted in improvements in both student achievement and teacher retention. While working together and building mutual respect seem intuitive, it can be a prodigious undertaking. Rubinstein and his coauthors establish the environment to successfully facilitate these conversations and partnerships with the ultimate goal of building an educational system where all children can achieve their full potential.”—Timothy Purnell, executive director and CEO, New Jersey School Boards Association“Democracy and Reform in Public Schools is a powerful research-based antidote to failed neoliberal, top-down school reform. The authors’ careful research and convincing evidence demonstrate the value of a collaborative pathway to sustainable improvements in education outcomes. Every education leader and policymaker should use this as a guide for action.”—Thomas A. Kochan, George M. Bunker Emeritus Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management“The authors offer a compelling critique of education reform efforts over the last forty years and provide powerful research and case studies that argue for collaborative partnerships to improve teaching and learning. I strongly encourage teacher union leaders and school administrators as well as other stakeholders to build on the lessons in this book to improve our public schools.”—Jo Anderson, Jr., founder of the Consortium for Educational Change, retired executive director of the Illinois Education Association-NEA, and senior consultant with the Collaborative Leadership Consulting Group