Philosophy & Social Aspects, Reform & Policy, Instruction Methods 

Originally published in 1996, there still remains a public for Is There A Public For Public Schools? In this book, David Mathews reports on troublesome trends in public education, which suggest that the historical compact between Americans and their public schools is rapidly eroding. School reform efforts often fail because they assume a public commitment that may no longer exist, he writes. Real improvement of the schools can only be achieved when citizens reclaim ownership of them as part of an effort to build community. The Kettering Foundation published a new book reporting on Kettering research in 2006, titled Reclaiming Public Education by Reclaiming Our Democracy. David Mathews, secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the Ford administration and a former president of The University of Alabama, is president of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.