August 4, 2005 | Read Time: 1 minute
Mobilizing Citizens for Better Schools, by Robert F. Sexton, tells the story of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, a grass-roots group of parents and activists that formed in the early 1980s to advocate improvements in Kentucky’s public schools. Mr. Sexton describes how the committee, which he directs, organized town forums, built alliances with companies, and won attention from the news media to get the public and legislators on its side. He also notes how, since passage of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990, the organization has focused on monitoring the legislation as it takes effect in classrooms. Intending the book more as a hands-on guide for community activists than an examination of educational policy, the author also includes recommendations for establishing a group’s credibility and using data to bolster its case.
Publisher: Teachers College Press, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10027; http://www.teacherscollegepress.com; 144 pages; $18.95; ISBN 0-8077-4441-7.
