Shaping Culture of Schooling

The author uncovers the messy business of school change and its deep roots in the values of the local community and economy. Grounding the story historically and theoretically, Desmond analyzes the reshaping of the Johnson City schools from a production mill for blue collar workers to a development center of technologically minded, middle-class, well-educated citizens. She argues that the heart of successful, synergistic school reform lies in the consensus that children have unlimited learning capacity and a long-term moral leadership that is committed to caring, reciprocal relationships of power.