Little substantive reform or improvement in public education, particularly in urban schools, has occurred during the past decade nor is it likely to transpire in the near term. In looking to the causes for the crisis in public schools, parents are guilty of not allocating sufficient time and effort to prepare their children to assume a self-disciplined attitude in school. Parents are the key to their children's understanding of the purpose of and behavior expected in attending school. Student dropouts has become a major issue confronting public schools today. Those students who are apathetic and hostile, truant, and fail to do homework are a counterproductive element in the school by making it difficult for teachers to teach and for other students to learn. The people who serve on school boards rarely have management experience or training and do not look at schools from a needed management perspective. School superintendents should provide the leadership in reshaping the school program, yet there is high turnover for the position due to high pressure, long hours, low salaries, and the lack of job satisfaction. More parental involvement, funding, responsive academic and vocational education programs, and collaboration with the employment community is needed to improve public schools.