Alternative Schools: A Conceptual Map

The unrest and ferment of the 1960s spawned a number of social and educational movements. Poverty was attacked through vigorous and well-funded federal programs. Racial segregation was assaulted by marches, sit-ins, legislation, and economic boycottts. Underdeveloped countries were introduced to American ingenuity and technology via the Peace Corps. Educational tradition was challenged by critics calling for the reform of existing institutions, by advocates of revolutionary strategies such as "deschooling," and by the rise of new institutions which claimed to offer an alternative to regular public schools.