Published: August 1, 2000

Resigned To Defeat

Every now and then, when I begin to think we're improving schools, I'm painfully reminded that public education is a government-controlled, political institution subject to the vicissitudes, whims, ineptness, bureaucratic rigidity, and corruption that often characterize politics, particularly at the local level. David Hornbeck's abrupt resignation this summer as school superintendent in Philadelphia demonstrates again the power of petty politics to trump constructive leadership and thwart reform.

Even when educators, parents, and students are doing what it takes to fix schools, the odds are against them. Governors, legislators, city councilmen, and especially, school board members—acting collectively or even sometimes alone—often obstruct positive change and feather their own nests at the expense of children. And we wonder why there is so much apathy and cynicism...