Local Democracy in Education: The Current Situation and Future Prospects.

In recent years, scholars have explored the relationship between local democracy and education from two distinct perspectives. The first perspective assumes democratic practice to be inherently good. Studies adhering to this perspective have been motivated by a desire to deepen the practice of democracy. They have considered the implications for democratic practice of many aspects of schools, from governance arrangements to classroom management to community engagement. The second perspective has questioned the merits of democratic school governance. Starting from the view that good outcomes for students - especially academic outcomes - should be paramount, contributors to this literature have explored tensions between democratic governance and the pursuit of improved student outcomes. This paper examines the extent to which trade-offs exist between the pursuit of deepened democratic practice and improved student outcomes. Contemporary challenges for educational policy-makers are assessed, with emphasis given to how policy design might simultaneously support the pursuit of local democracy in education and the pursuit of improved student outcomes. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]