Large urban school systems have been the weakest link in American education driving middleclass families into the suburbs while contributing mightily to the racial learning gap. Activist mayors in several major cities have responded by taking control of their public schools. When Mayors Take Charge is the most uptodate assessment available on this phenomenon. It brings together the topicampaposs leading experts to analyze the factors and people driving the trend its achievements and shortcomings its prospects for the future and ways to improve it. Part One of the book assesses the results of mayoral control nationwide. The second section details the experience in three key cities Boston and Chicago the major prototypes for mayoral control and Detroit where mayoral control ended in disaster. The final section provides the first indepth examination of New York City where the law installing mayoral control sunsets in 2009. Viterittiampaposs opening essay and postscript frame the analysis to shed light on the significance and limitations of governance reform. Contributors include Clara Hemphill formerly NewYork Newsday Jeffrey R. Henig Columbia University Michael Kirst Stanford University John Portz Northeastern University Diane Ravitch NYUWilbur C. Rich Wellesley College Robert Schwartz Harvard University Dorothy Shipps Baruch College and Kenneth K.Wong Brown University.