This collection of essays scrutinizes needs in urban educational reform, and systematically analyzes curriculum, the urban school child, the language patterns of disadvantaged black children, teacher training, compensatory education, community control, and educational separatism. It is contended that the urban school should be redesigned to interest all children and to reflect life as urban children see it. Textbooks incorporating the contributions of minority group Americans, innovation and experimentation with new mathematics and reading materials, and adequate program evaluation techniques are considered necessary. Employment of paraprofessional personnel from the community is cited as beneficial for the child as well as for the parents. (KG)