Integrated Governance as a Reform Strategy in the Chicago Public Schools: A Report on System-Wide School Governance Reform

Integrated governance holds promise as a strategy to improve urban school systems. It reduces the competing authorities that tend to constrain urban schools, thereby allowing the board and administration to implement their educational vision. Appointed administrators and board members often have an advantage over elected officials because they bring their management expertise to the school system. Moreover, they are less accountable to particular constituencies and are, therefore, better able to put system-wide concerns above constituency demands. Whether integrated governance can be widely adopted in other urban districts depends on several conditions…. Firstly, the political capital of the mayor is a key element…. Secondly, the appointment of competent administrators and board members by the mayor is a political process…. Third, successful management of a big-city system is dependent on the top administration using the authority and influence of the office effectively…. Finally, while the current administration has made tremendous stride in improving the management and operations of the school system, there have been few educational improvements.