EDUCATIONAL FLAWS ARE MAGNIFIED IN BIG CITY SCHOOL SYSTEMS BECAUSE (1) THE SIZE OF URBAN SYSTEMS CREATES BUREAUCRACIES WHICH CAUSE A PHILOSOPHICAL AND PROCEDURAL RIGIDITY, AND (2) URBAN SYSTEM PUPILS ARE UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO CONFORM TO EDUCATORS' COMPLACENT NOTIONS OF WHAT CHILDREN AND SCHOOLS SHOULD BE. PROGRAMS AIMED AT THE CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED FAIL BECAUSE THEY ARE TACKED ON TO A DYSFUNCTIONAL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. DECENTRALIZATION WITH A CONCOMITANT CLIMATE FOR CHANGE IS NEEDED. ASIDE FROM AN INCREASED RESPONSIVENESS AND EMPHASIS ON INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY NEEDS, THIS CLIMATE WOULD CHANGE TEACHING CAREER PATTERNS AND REWARD SYSTEMS AND MAKE GREATER USE OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES. DECENTRALIZATION MAY BE A WAY TO TRANSFORM BOTH THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND THE PROCESSES OF EDUCATION WHICH IT DETERMINES. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN "EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP," VOLUME 25, NUMBER 1, OCTOBER 1967. (AF)