In this groundbreaking book, David Mathews reports the results of more than a

decade of. research studies carried out by the Kettering Foundation on the

relationship between the public and public education. As Mathews makes clear,

these studies have uniformly pointed to a deterioration of that relationship,

suggesting that the historic commitment of Americans to their public schools is in

danger of disappearing. He goes on to argue that fhndamcntal, lasting improvement

of the schools will be achieved only when citizens reclaim them and take

responsibility for their well-being. In the final chapter of Is There a Public.for Public

Schools? Mathews proposes a strategy whereby interested citizens might accept that

challenge, a strategy based on the assumption that healthy community life is

essential to good public schools.