In "City Schools," Robert Rothman and his colleagues at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University put forward a vision of "smart education systems" that link a highly functioning and effective school district with a comprehensive and accessible web of supports for children, youth, and families. One-third of the nation's children are educated in city schools. Many of these schools face tremendous challenges--rapid teacher turnover, poor academic performance, high concentrations of low-income children, children with disabilities, and English language learners. How can they engage the talents, resources, and support of other community institutions to serve students more effectively? The book describes ways that urban districts around the country are becoming "smarter" and outlines the components of a smart education system. Drawing from dozens of examples, the authors show how districts can build relationships with cultural institutions, businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits to support student achievement and offer multiple pathways to education for urban youth. The book opens with Acknowledgments and an Introduction. Twelve chapters with respective authors are divided over five parts as follows. Part 1: Urban Education: The Challenge and the Promise, contains: Chapter 1: The Real Achievement Gap (Robert Rothman); and Chapter 2: City Kids, City Families: City Commitments (Dennie Palmer Wolf and Heather A. Harding). Part 2: Districts and Schools in Smart Education Systems, continues with: Chapter 3: Smart Districts as the Entry Point to Smart Education Systems (Marla Ucelli, Ellen Foley, and Jacob Mishook); Chapter 4: Teaching and Learning in Urban Districts (Deanna Burney and Kenneth Klau); and Chapter 5: Expanding the Possibilities: The Diverse-Provider Model in Urban Districts (Kenneth K. Wong and David Wishnick). Part 3: Communities in Smart Education Systems, continues with: Chapter 6: The Role of Community Engagement in a Smart Education System (Richard Gray and Lamson Lam); Chapter 7: Leveraging Reform: Youth Power in a Smart Education System (Kavitha Mediratta, Amy Cohen, and Seema Shah); Chapter 8: Civic Capacity and Education Reform: The Case for School-Community Realignment (Jeffrey R. Henig and Clarence N. Stone); and Chapter 9: What Mayors Can Do to Help Build Smart Education Systems (Michael K. Grady and Audrey Hutchinson). Part 4: Getting Smarter: Two Case Studies, contains: Chapter 10: Creating a Smart District in Hamilton County (Jesse B. Register); and Chapter 11: "We Are Each Other's Business": The Place of Partnership in Smart Education Systems (Dennie Palmer Wolf and Jennifer Bransom). Part 5: A Vision for the Future, contains, Chapter 12: From Smart Districts to Smart Education Systems: A Broader Agenda for Educational Development (Warren Simmons). Also included are Notes, a section about the authors, and an Index.