Beginning with a brief history of public education in the U.S., Public Schooling in America examines traditional and progressive movements and the current goal of combining educational excellence with equality of access. The author discusses major contemporary issues such as how schools are financed, safety and order, creationism and secular humanism, censorship, trends in enrollment, and many other topics.

Coverage includes a chronology describing salient events since 1635; biographical sketches of past and present key individuals; an annotated guide to education centers, associations, organizations, and agencies; and annotated bibliographies of reference materials and journals in education.