督学与美国城市学校制度的变革:纽约市的历程(1898-1918)

Superintendents and the Evolution of American City School Systems:The New York City Experience(1898-1918)

19世纪末20世纪初,美国城市学校体系内集中涌现出一大批知名督学,他们乘着改革的东风,一跃成为教育董事会的代理人,积极地推行大刀阔斧的改革,在进步主义时期城市学校体系的现代转型中发挥了重要的作用。被誉为"大纽约市学校体系的奠基人"的麦克斯维尔,担任纽约市督学近20年,其变革纽约市学校的历程正是这一时期美国大城市学校变革的缩影。在众多改革团体的支持下,通过推动教育立法,以麦克斯维尔为首的专业管理者废除了双重教育管理体制,获致了大部分的教育管理权力;而借由细化管理层级和促进教师专业化,麦克斯维尔进一步在实践中确证并扩展其权力,形塑了高度科层化的现代学校管理体制。在此基础上,麦克斯维尔不断地丰富并分化学校课程,引入体检制度、活动中心等一系列福利项目,致力于扩大学校的社会功能,以适应转型时期的工业化城市发展。

The late 19 th and early 20 th centuries witnessed the emergence of a wave of brilliant superintendents within the American city school system. Following the trend of reform, they became agents of the Board of Education,vigorously carried out reforms, and played a significant role in the modern transformation of American city school system during the progressive era. Lauded as ＂the founder of the Great New York City School System＂, William Henry Maxwell served as the superintendent in New York for nearly 20 years. His experience was the epitome of the school reforms in American big cities during that period. With the support of many reform groups, professional superintendents led by Maxwell abolished the dual educational management system and obtained most of the educational management power by pushing educational legislation. By means of specifying the management hierarchy and promoting the professionalization of teachers, Maxwell further confirmed and expanded his power in practice, and thus shaped the highly hierarchical modern school management system. On this basis, Maxwell enriched and differentiated the school curriculum, introduced a series of welfare programs such as the physical examination system and recreation centers, and committed to expanding the social function of the school so as to adapt to the industrial city development in the transition period.