The widely accepted notion that the management of resources in schools involves merely strategic decisions about the deployment of finances, staff, and materials must be contested. The school effectiveness movement ignores the social and political context of schools and, through emphasis upon superficial managerial matters, teaches pupils to strive for success within the status quo and to accept their positions if they fail. After an introduction, this essay examines Australian education at midcentury, the study of organization and schools, the school effectiveness movement, educational gains worth protecting and extending, and social responsibility in schools. A conclusion and 98 references are included in the essay. Four readings complete the monograph, including (1) "Education and Change in South Australia" (Malcolm Skilbeck); (2) "High School Reform: A Critique and a Broader Construct of Social Reality" (C. C. Yeakey and G. S. Johnston); (3) "Rethinking the Language of Schooling" (Henry A. Giroux); and (4) "Class, Ideology, and the Basic Skills Movement: A Study in the Sociology of Educational Reform" (H. Svi Shapiro). Each chapter provides relevant notes and references. An annotated bibliography and information about the author are included. (WTH)