Journal of Education & Social Policy

Changing Opportunities for Parent Participation in New York City Public School Governance
Tracy Steffy

Abstract
Locally elected school boards are part of a deeply rooted tradition of school governance in the United States. In much of the country, elected boards are the primary mechanism of democratic participation in the administration of schools. In the late 1960s, Ocean Hill-Brownsville in Brooklyn, New York was the epicenter of parent and community activism demanding decentralization. Parent protests, boycotts, and teacher strikes ultimately resulted in the creation of locally elected school boards. Changes in New York City since 2003, have recentralized public school administration under the New York City Department of Education and the Mayor. New York and other large urban school systems have moved away from elected boards, leaving little opportunity for parents and communities to participate in the formulation of education policy, curriculum, and administration. These changes in New York and other areas, raise serious questions about the possibilities for parent and community participation in school governance.

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