Unless educators engage in thorough planning, in making the most efficient use of economic resources, and in interpreting to the public why education deserves high priority, public education is in for a long period of gradual decline. The central thrust of the current administrative era is the management of decline, or decremental planning. The author briefly describes the impact of declining enrollment and financial shortages on New York schools. He also discusses the descent of education in the ladder of public priorities and the pressure for accountability, including the importance currently attached to minimum competencies and state testing for minimum academic standards. (Author/DS)