The Politics of Local School Districts

Catalog description

Theory and practice of the politics and governance of local school districts; issues and methods in studying political decision making. EDLDR 533 The Politics of Local School Districts (3) "The Politics of Local School Districts" focuses on the theory and practice of politics in local school districts, with attention to the study of political decision-making and influence. The rationale underlying the course is that citizens and educators need to understand the social and political factors affecting school-community relations and the factors affecting the Relihood school-community conflict. Although communities vary greatly, rural, urban, and suburban communities each tend to have some distinctive features that influence the character of school-cornmunity relations and politics. At the same time, communities in general vary in the extent to which they possess characteristics that promote or inhibit the incidence and intensity of community conflict. The governance of education in local communities is heavily influenced by such factors. Consequently, educational leaders need to be knowledgeable and perceptive in this area. This course is intended to provide the knowledge and analytical skills needed for effective leadership in local school districts. Student performance is assessed through group and individual activities and projects, students' contributions to class discussions, and exams.