Community education once was an educational philosophy aimed at improving public schools and the communities they served. Today, community education may well offer a promise of salvation for American education. This book, containing six chapters, questions the present authoritarian, hierarchial American public school establishment. Beginning with a brief history of the first democratically inspired community schools in Flint, Michigan, chapter 1, "A Vision as a Target That Beckons," portrays the original vision and goals of the Flint movement and the unintended consequences of the community school concept as it spread across the country. In chapter 2, "The Search for Educational Excellence," the current wisdom expressed in most of the excellence studies is challenged. The emphasis in chapter 3, "What to Do about America's Schools?" is placed on returning public educational to the public. Chapter 4 asks: "Government Schools or Public Schools?" The establishment's wisdom regarding school organization and management is addressed in chapter 5, "Myths and Other Obsolete Notions." The final chapter is dedicated to champions of community education from 1935 to the present, highlighting the rich history of articles, monographs, newsletters, books, and films on community education. An epilogue is included, and the bibliography contains 77 references. (KM)