Accountable Schools

The majority of students are required to attend their neighborhood public school unless their parents apply to an alternate program such as private and charter schools. Seldom is a comprehensive measurement program in place for parents to assist them in determining whether their local school is providing quality educational services and, when a reporting system is in place, an unbiased evaluation is lacking. This book demonstrates how parents can make informed choices regarding their local school or others within their community. The accountability model presented was highly rated by the U.S. Department of Education and its approach is used in Alberta and California. Fixed boundaries should be replaced and all schools labeled as "magnet centers" with locally developed mission statements to attract students without transportation costs. Democratizing the workplace is as necessary as democratizing our schools so that workers are recognized and rewarded according to their team's performance.