Making of an American High School : The Credentials Market and the Central High School of Philadelphia, 1838-1939 by David F. Labaree (1992, Trade Paperback)
The struggle between these two goals-one leading to political equality and the other reinforcing economic inequality-has characterized its history ever since, says Labaree. In order to achieve its original democratic goals, he argues, the public high school must abandon its longstanding links to the market.