How Power Works in Schools and Why It Matters for Maximizing Students' Learning - Paperback

by Jacob W. Neumann (Author)

People typically misunderstand how power works in schools. Common thinking says that things like high-stakes testing, school reform efforts, and political mandates exert the most power on schools. The reality, however, is that power comes from everywhere. It isn't a thing that only certain people possess, nor does it operate linearly, as in simple actions and reactions. Instead, power acts more like a web: if you exert power in one part of a school, the effects often spread across the rest of it. The usual emphasis on big, easy-to-see influences causes schools to focus on the wrong concerns (the big public ones) instead of the ones which make the most impact (the small daily ones). This book examines everyday phenomena inside schools to reveal the complexity and nuance of power and makes practical suggestions for how schools can manage power more effectively to maximize students' learning.

Author Biography

Jacob W. Neumann, Ed.D, is professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Neumann currently teaches in the doctoral program for curriculum and instruction. Dr. Neumann has taught at all levels of schooling: elementary, middle, and high school, as well as community college and university. His research has been published in journals such as Teachers College Record, Educational Theory, and Phi Delta Kappan.