This collection of materials from 1988 highlights Albert Shanker’s influential advocacy for a new kind of school reform rooted in teacher empowerment and educational experimentation. Through his “Where We Stand” columns in the New York Times and public addresses, Shanker proposed that teams of teachers be given the authority to create chartered schools-within-schools, a radical alternative to top-down reform.
He drew inspiration from Ray Budde’s “Education by Charter” concept and envisioned charter schools as laboratories for innovation—freed from many bureaucratic constraints, yet still held accountable to high standards. Shanker insisted that teachers, not just policymakers, should lead educational change by designing schools that respond to diverse student needs, encourage experimentation, and foster professional collaboration.
Throughout the material, Shanker juxtaposes two reform models:
- Top-down: State-imposed standards, testing, merit pay.
- Bottom-up: Teacher-driven proposals, site-based management, collaborative learning models.
He repeatedly argued for structural change to empower practitioners, cautioning that reform “from above” without teacher buy-in is insufficient. His proposals laid the groundwork for what would later become the charter school movement, though with more emphasis on professional autonomy and public accountability than many modern implementations.
Outline
I. Editorials from “Where We Stand” (NYT, 1988)
- “A Charter for Change” (July 10, 1988):
- Introduces the idea of chartering schools
- Lists 7 defining features of a charter school, including vision-driven teams, autonomy, competition, and accountability
- “Less Truth—Fewer Consequences” (July 17, 1988):
- Discusses ideological resistance to charter schools
- Emphasizes openness to experimentation and failure
- “Opting Out of the Old Stuff” (April 3, 1988):
- Critiques the incrementalism of traditional reforms
- Calls for local teacher teams to propose and run innovative programs within districts
II. AFT Press Release (March 31, 1988)
- Shanker calls on teachers to “opt for” creating new schools within districts
- Proposes a national strategy to solicit teacher-led reform proposals
- Emphasizes the importance of teacher-parent agreement and community support
III. Proposal Criteria and Conditions (March 1988)
- Proposals must:
- Have no adverse impact on others
- Be inclusive and equitable
- Promote high standards and innovation
- Conditions for district support:
- Union, school board, and principal approval
- Access to equal funding
- 5–10 year minimum guarantee of operational autonomy
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