Leonard Covello and the Making of Benjamin Franklin High School

• Introduction Part One: Contexts and Social Forces 1 The Community School Idea; 2 East Harlem in the Early 1930s: Constraints and Opportunities; 3 Leonard Covello: The Heart of the Matter Part Two: The Making of Benjamin Franklin High School 4 The High School on East 108th Street; 5 Community Schooling for Cultural Democracy: Premises and First Steps; 6 The East Harlem Campaigns; 7 The High School on Pleasant Avenue Part Three: The Community School Idea since World War II 8 Drift and Renewal; 9 Covello in Contemporary Perspective: Learning from the Past

"This tightly packed treatise centers on the purpose and accomplishments of a distinctive public school, and the politically and intellectually astute principal behind it...[I]t is a refreshing reminder that schools are about making citizens as well as workers, and why John Dewey's ideas are still a beacon for those who value this tradition...The authors contend that its 'imperfect accomplishments,' which included envisioning schools as a primary agency for neighborhood revitalization, have lessons for the challenges urban high schools face today. An inspiring text and detailed notes equal a valuable contribution. Summing Up: Highly recommended." Choice