Three Researchers Reflect: Vignettes and Verities

Abstract

This article is a little different from the others in this yearbook. The editors asked three senior policy researchers to discuss their own work and experiences in the politics of education research. In these narratives, they reflect about their personal experiences in the political arena of education research and consider what sense they make of it. James Cibulka (University of Maryland) discusses his confrontation with the State of Wisconsin in his investigation of the role of the state superintendent and the state teachers’group. Betty Malen (University of Maryland) reviews her experiences with research on site-based management. Paul Peterson (Harvard University) provides a personal view of his involvement in doing research on choice and markets.