Future of the American School System

Irving H. Buchen is Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Director of International Programs for IMPAC University, a member of the doctoral business faculty of Capella University, a Senior Principal of Canis Learning Systems, and training editor of The Futurist, the official publication of the World Future Society.

Irv Buchen represents the most hopeful aspect of education: Teaching that will empower both young and old for our rapidly changing world, which will be very different in the future than the world we now know. Teachers can and must learn to prepare students for the world in which they will be living—not for a world that has largely disappeared. Readers of THE FUTURIST magazine have found his work enormously enlightening. His new book presents the latest thinking of this dynamic educator and futurist.

• Part 1 PrefacePart 2 Part One: The Past, the Present, and the FutureChapter 3 1. The Record of the PastChapter 4 2. The Laws of the FutureChapter 5 3. The System of SystemsPart 6 Part Two: Teachers as Major PlayersChapter 7 4. Hiring TeachersChapter 8 5. The Teacher CultureChapter 9 6. The Economics of Education 101Chapter 10 7. Money and TeachersChapter 11 8. Teachers and TechnologyPart 12 Part Three: Educational Administrators as Major PlayersChapter 13 9. Leadership Expectations and Job DescriptionsChapter 14 10. Survival Skills for New PrincipalsChapter 15 11. Principals as Instructional LeadersChapter 16 12. Models of Intergrative LeadershipChapter 17 13. The Principal as PlatoChapter 18 14. The Principal as CLO (Chief Learning Officer)Chapter 19 15. The Principal as BrokerChapter 20 16. The Principal as Outsourcer: Economically Driven School ReformPart 21 Part Four: Parents as Major PlayersChapter 22 17. Parents and Educational ChangeChapter 23 18. Teacher-Parent PartnershipsPart 24 Part Five: Students as Major PlayersChapter 25 19. Parents and School ReformChapter 26 20. The Student-Centered CurriculumPart 27 Part Six: Introduction to the Major Drivers of ChangeChapter 28 21. The Impact of the Global Economy on Education and WorkChapter 29 22. Competition and School ChoiceChapter 30 23. Accountable Accountability: Curing the CureChapter 31 24. Research-Based LearningChapter 32 25. Optimizing CurriculaChapter 33 26. Turnaround: What Education Has to Offer BusinessChapter 34 27. Accountability and Role Change: Persuading Lone Rangers to Be Team PlayersChapter 35 28. The World Citizen: Facilitating a Future Global Identity for StudentsPart 36 Part Seven: Teacher ScenariosChapter 37 29. A Major Change Takes HoldChapter 38 30. "Who Is in Charge?"Chapter 39 31. The Teacher Leadership Collaborative: A Structural ScenarioChapter 40 32. TMs (Technology Managers)Chapter 41 33. The Future May Be in the Past: Creating a Universal CurriculumPart 42 Part Eight: Administrator ScenariosChapter 43 34. The Principal and Strategic ConversationsChapter 44 35. The MBA PrincipalChapter 45 36. Principals as FuturistsPart 46 Part Nine: Parent ScenariosChapter 47 37. The Coffee NetworkChapter 48 38. The Educational Planning NetworkChapter 49 39. Electronic PartnershipsPart 50 Part Ten: Student ScenariosChapter 51 40. Tiny Tot Independent LearningChapter 52 41. K-16Chapter 53 42. Small Is BetterPart 54 Part Eleven: Solution SummariesChapter 55 43. Open-Ended ConclusionsPart 56 ReferencesPart 57 About the Author