The One Best System presents a major new interpretation of what actually happened in the development of one of America's most influential institutions. At the same time it is a narrative in which the participants themselves speak out: farm children and factory workers, frontier teachers and city superintendents, black parents and elite reformers. And it encompasses both the achievements and the failures of the system: the successful assimilation of immigrants, racism and class bias; the opportunities offered to some, the injustices perpetuated for others. David Tyack has placed his colorful, wide-ranging view of history within a broad new framework drawn from the most recent work in history, sociology, and political science. He looks at the politics and inertia, the ideologies and power struggles that formed the basis of our present educational system. Using a variety of social perspectives and methods of analysis, Tyack illuminates for all readers the change from village to urban ways of thinking and acting over the course of more than one hundred years.

In this fascinating collection, some of the foremost historians of education--including Barbara Beatty, Larry Cuban, Linda Eisenmann, Yoon K. Pak, John L. Rury, and Jonathan Zimmerman--debunk commonly held myths about American schooling. Each short, readable chapter focuses on one myth, explaining what the real history is and how it helped shape education today. Contributors take on a host of tall tales, including the supposed agrarian origins of summer vacation; exaggerated stories of declining student behavior and academic performance; persistent claims that some people are born to be teachers; idealistic notions that the 1954 Brown decision ended segregation in American schools; misleading beliefs that classrooms operate in ways designed to fit the industrial era; and more. 23 Myths About the History of American Schools will awaken the inner history nerd of everyone who ever asked, "How did we get this irrational school system?" It will affirm the truth that its readers are as entitled to think critically about schooling as anyone else. Book Features: Examines how the history of American education has been distorted and misrepresented, either intentionally or unintentionally. Provides important stories that can help guide discussion about the future of education. Anticipates what local and state politicians are likely to say (and misstate) about schooling. Provides engaging chapters that highlight why real history is important and more fascinating than the myths. Accessible to a wide range of readers from undergraduates to career educators.

An analysis of the origins and development of Central High School, the first public high school in Philadelphia. Using Central as a case study, Labaree argues that the public high school is the product of the struggle between egalitarianism and meritocracy that is endemic to a democratic society.