Third, districts can bring substantial resources to bear in schools. In many cases, they can raise and spend tax dollars, providing a steady stream of revenue. School districts can also recruit, retrain and re-deploy teachers, principals and administrators. Most important, school districts offer a natural venue to seek an effective solution to the problems of equity and urban schools. Too often, the schools that are allowed to fail serve minorities, the poor and recent immigrants.
Districts are responsible for all schools.
Without some such entity accountable for a city's entire student population, the gaps between the succeeding and failing schools will widen. The failures of many urban school systems have chipped away at their legitimacy. Nonetheless, recent studies of reforming districts suggest that they can provide the support schools need and narrow the achievement gap. President Bush does not have to look far to see a prominent example of a school district at the vanguard of reform. His secretary of education, Rod Paige, has led improvements in the Houston Independent School District by focusing on accountability, teamwork, efficiency and experimentation.