A study was done of recent district-initiated reform movements by analyzing different belief systems regarding schools and reform and by applying the analysis to a study of a district widely known for its leading role in implementing reforms. Belief System I is consistent with traditional organizational theory and top-down management. Belief System II sees reform as an internal process within each school with principals as genuine instructional leaders. This study of a southern urban school district explored the effect of teachers' involvement in decision making using a model of participation derived from the restructuring, school effectiveness, and participation literature. School teachers were administered a 19-item questionnaire. Findings were inconsistent with predictions of the restructuring movement; teachers were not as involved in decision making as they wanted to be. Analyses of the findings in light of the belief systems indicate that elaborate reform programs with an attendant set of rules and regulations will fail if the purpose of schooling (to have teachers educate children) is overlooked. Nevertheless, reform agendas consistently overlook the importance of teachers' work in the classroom, concentrating instead on supposedly more professional tasks outside the classroom. Includes 30 references. (JB)