ABSTRACT
Chicago is a “dual city” of increasing inequality and social segregation. In this regard it is like other U.S. cities and U.S. society as a whole. It is my contention that this trend has everything to do with education policies based on accountability, centralized regulation, and differentiated schooling. Chicago’s downtown development strategy, its global city agenda, its changing labor force, and the political, economic, and spacial implications of these trends are the context for its 1988 and 1995 school reforms. In this chapter I describe this context and summarize the reforms. I also examine why the policies of the 1995 reform resonate with some teachers, parents, and the broader public.
