Peter W. Cookson, Jr., is senior research associate in the Department of Sociology at New York University. Caroline Hodges Persell is professor and chairperson in the Department of Sociology at New York University. Kristina Berger has worked in New York City's educational and nonprofit sector for more than ten years, and is currently the Director of Planning and Grants at the national office of the "I Have a Dream" Foundation in New York City. Berger holds a Masters Degree in Sociology of Education and Education Policy from Columbia University's Teachers College, and BA degrees in History and Political Science from Northwestern University.

• Prologue: Faith Versus Reason in Educational Reform, Charter Schools: Created in the Image of Their Founders, The Charter School Promise, The Politics of Hope and Despair, Part One: The Landscape of Charter Schools, The Educational and Social Context of the Charter School Movement, How Charter Schools Work, Turning Dreams into Reality: Building a Charter School, The Many Faces of Charter Schools: Six States, Six Scenarios, Projections Versus Actuals: Have Charter Schools Fulfilled the Promise, Conclusion, Part Two: The Social and Political Geology of Charter Schools, Postscript: The Goodness of America-An Education for Democracy, Curriculum as Stewardship, The Goodness of America,