| Introduction | p. xi |
| Our Schools Are at Risk | p. 3 |
| The Context for Corporate Reform | p. 10 |
| Who Are the Corporate Reformers? | p. 19 |
| The Language of Corporate Reform | p. 32 |
| The Facts About Test Scores | p. 44 |
| The Facts About the Achievement Gap | p. 55 |
| The Facts About the International Test Scores | p. 63 |
| The Facts About High School Graduation Rates | p. 74 |
| The Facts About College Graduation Rates | p. 82 |
| The Facts About Teachers and Test Scores | p. 99 |
| Why Merit Pay Fails | p. 115 |
| Do Teachers Need Tenure and Seniority? | p. 124 |
| The Mystery of Michelle Rhee | p. 145 |
| Trouble in E-land | p. 180 |
| Parent Trigger, Parent Tricker | p. 198 |
| The Failure of Vouchers | p. 206 |
| Schools Don't Improve if They Are Closed | p. 214 |
| Solutions: Start Here | p. 224 |
| Begin at the Beginning | p. 227 |
| The Early Years Count | p. 230 |
| The Essentials of a Good Education | p. 234 |
| How Poverty Affects Academic Achievement | p. 91 |
| The Problem with Teach for America | p. 133 |
| The Contradictions of Charters | p. 156 |
| Class Size Matters for Teaching and Learning | p. 242 |
| Make Charters Work for All | p. 247 |
| Wraparound Services Make a Difference | p. 253 |
| Measure Knowledge and Skills with Care | p. 261 |
| Strengthen the Profession | p. 274 |
| Protect Democratic Control of Public Schools | p. 278 |
| The Toxic Mix | p. 290 |
| Conclusion: The Pattern on the Rug | p. 313 |
| Appendix | p. 327 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 353 |
| Notes | p. 355 |
| Index | p. 379 |
| Privatization of Public Education Is Wrong | p. 300 |