In Striving in Common, Jennifer Jellison Holme and Kara S. Finnigan seek to build a bridge between two largely disparate, yet interconnected, conversations-those among education reformers on the one hand, and urban reformers on the other. In this carefully considered volume, the authors show how the challenges faced by urban schools are linked to issues of regional equity and civic capacity. Drawing on examples from a range of cities, including St. Louis, Milwaukee, Palo Alto, Rochester, Omaha, and Minneapolis, Holme and Finnigan trace the policy decisions that have fostered competition for scarce resources between cities and suburbs as well as patterns of segregation by race and income. They highlight the limited ability of technical education reforms and interdistrict desegregation programs to counter the resulting educational inequities. The authors then examine existing regional governance initiatives aimed at promoting equity and reducing inefficiency through city/suburban cooperation. Finally, Holme and Finnigan outline a framework for cross-sector, regional governance mechanisms that would incorporate taxbase sharing, targeted investments in high-poverty communities, and mobility policies to help students and families access better opportunities. The book concludes with a discussion of the political opportunities and challenges presented by such a strategy. At a time of increasing concern over inequality in education and society, Striving in Common sets forth an ambitious agenda for rethinking the parameters of education policy and connecting education reform to broader efforts at urban reform.

Deepening disaffection with conventional public schools has inspired flight to private schools, home schooling, and new alternatives, such as charter schools. Barely a decade old, the charter school movement has attracted a colorful band of supporters, from presidential candidates, to ethnic activists, to the religious Right. At present there are about 1,700 charter schools, with total enrollment estimated to reach one million early in the century. Yet, until now, little has been known about the inner workings of these small, inventive schools that rely on public money but are largely independent of local school boards.

"Inside Charter Schools" takes readers into six strikingly different schools, from an evangelical home-schooling charter in California to a back-to-basics charter in a black neighborhood in Lansing, Michigan. With a keen eye for human aspirations and dilemmas, the authors provide incisive analysis of the challenges and problems facing this young movement.

Do charter schools really spur innovation, or do they simply exacerbate tribal forms of American pluralism? "Inside Charter Schools" provides shrewd and illuminating studies of the struggles and achievements of these new schools, and offers practical lessons for educators, scholars, policymakers, and parents.

In Striving in Common, Jennifer Jellison Holme and Kara S. Finnigan seek to build a bridge between two largely disparate, yet interconnected, conversations-those among education reformers on the one hand, and urban reformers on the other. In this carefully considered volume, the authors show how the challenges faced by urban schools are linked to issues of regional equity and civic capacity. Drawing on examples from a range of cities, including St. Louis, Milwaukee, Palo Alto, Rochester, Omaha, and Minneapolis, Holme and Finnigan trace the policy decisions that have fostered competition for scarce resources between cities and suburbs as well as patterns of segregation by race and income. They highlight the limited ability of technical education reforms and interdistrict desegregation programs to counter the resulting educational inequities. The authors then examine existing regional governance initiatives aimed at promoting equity and reducing inefficiency through city/suburban cooperation. Finally, Holme and Finnigan outline a framework for cross-sector, regional governance mechanisms that would incorporate taxbase sharing, targeted investments in high-poverty communities, and mobility policies to help students and families access better opportunities. The book concludes with a discussion of the political opportunities and challenges presented by such a strategy. At a time of increasing concern over inequality in education and society, Striving in Common sets forth an ambitious agenda for rethinking the parameters of education policy and connecting education reform to broader efforts at urban reform.