In this class we explore how external forces (like politics, financial support, and demographics of the population) shape how schools work, how internal institutional arrangements sort and channel students in different directions, what factors shape student achievement and behavior, and how schooling influences where individuals end up in society. The course is designed around a number of case studies of K-12 schools, as well as post-secondary institutions. These will serve as springboards for our discussions about educational theory, inequalities based on social class, race, gender, and sexuality, and possibilities for school reform.