Urban Education

<p>Many factors complicate the education of urban students. Among them have been issues related to population density; racial ethnic cultural and linguistic diversity; poverty; racism (individual and institutional); and funding levels. Although urban educators have been addressing these issues for decades placing them under the umbrella of urban education and treating them as a specific area of practice and inquiry is relatively recent. Despite the wide adoption of the term a consensus about its meaning exists at only the broadest of levels. In short urban education remains an ill-defined concept. </p><p>This comprehensive volume addresses this definitional challenge and provides a 3-part conceptual model in which the achievement of equity for all -- regardless of race gender or ethnicity – is an ideal that is central to urban education. The model also posits that effective urban education requires attention to the three central issues that confronts all education systems (a) <em>accountability</em> of individuals and the institutions in which they work (b) <em>leadership</em> which occurs in multiple ways and at multiple levels and (c) <em>learning</em> which is the raison d'être of education. Just as a three-legged stool would fall if any one leg were weak or missing each of these areas is essential to effective urban education and affects the others. </p>