Democracy, chaos, and the new school order

School reform is a hot issue among educators, administrators, politicians, and parents. Reform theories abound and are debated by these groups on a daily basis. Some are being implemented today in our schools, and only time will tell which works best. Democracy, Chaos, and the New School Order takes an investigative look at these various theories. Author Spencer Maxcy challenges competing and contradictory views of educational organization and social change. He contends that current educational reform is incomplete and ill-suited to democratic nations because it lacks inspiration, moral purpose, and heart. Forces such as the American educational bureaucracy, the resistance of teacher unions, an entrenched administration, and the threat of external pressure groups to change schools into self-serving enterprises are proving to be obstacles to today's reform efforts. Democracy, Chaos, and the New School Order is more than a theoretical study; it offers unique solutions that go beyond the simple reordering of status quo educational components of the system. Maxcy presents a useful set of recommendations for changes in administrative practice that create a "new school order," where school reform in a democratic society results from leadership merging with moral and ethical processes.