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Pulling Together: Civic Capacity and Urban School Reform

Teachers College, Columbia University

Educators often ignore the political requirements of urban reform in their focus on the research and models that guide it. Conversely, political scientists frequently miss the differences among reforms in their focus on coalitions and resources. Integrating Clarence N. Stone’s concept of "civic capacity" with an educator’s view of reform types creates a typology of urban school regimes that helps to explain which local political arrangements and coalitions are compatible with various versions of reform. This article applies the typology to Chicago schools, revealing that the civic capacity associated with some reform agendas involves narrow, rather than broad, coalitions; that multiple coalitions compete for the same civic resources; that subtle coalition changes can alter a reform agenda; and that reform itself produces unpredictable political consequences.

Key Words: civic capacity • urban school reform

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