Although the break-up of the unresponsive school bureaucracy in New York will be a move toward greater accountability, the basic question is: will this raise achievement levels? Its possible advantagees include: the increase in both the operating efficiency of the schools and the responsiveness of schools to the lay public; increased student fate control following from increased parent control; and, the release of creative energies following the synthesis of community and school. The possible dangers include the establishment of a number of small, inefficient bureaucracies, and the abandonment of school integration as a paramount goal. The latter may decrease fate control by emphasizing the child's dependence on his social origins for his educational opportunities. An alternative to both the extreme neighborhood schools policy and the complete integration policy which would preserve and enhance educational quality is typified by the More Effective Schools program. Decentralization must proceed, but a strong central agency will always be needed. (JM)