A FUNDAMENTAL CAUSE OF THE BEHAVIORAL BREAKDOWN IN URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS BELIEVED TO BE THE DISPARITY IN RESOURCES AND DIFFERENCES IN ENVIRONMENT BETWEEN URBAN, PREDOMINANTLY BLACK SCHOOLS AND SUBURBAN, PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SCHOOLS. A RELATED CAUSE OF SCHOOL CRIME IS REPORTED TO BE THE OPERATION OF AN ELITIST OR CLASS DISTINCTION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY THAT GIVES PRIORITY IN THE USE OF FUNDING AND HUMAN RESOURCES TO THOSE COMMUNITIES COMPOSED OF FAMILIES OF HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC LEVELS. THE ECONOMIC DEPRESSION WEIGHING UNEQUALLY ON BLACKS AND OTHER MINORITIES IS CITED AS ANOTHER REASON FOR AN URBAN CLIMATE UNDERMINING QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION. A NATIONAL MOOD OF RETREAT FROM THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPREME COURT DECISIONS REQUIRING EQUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR ALL CITIZENS IS VIEWED AS A FOURTH FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE DECLINE IN URBAN PUBLIC EDUCATION. A FINAL FACTOR DISCUSSED IS THE PRESENTATION OF BLACKS IN THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA AS NONINTELLECTUALS WITHOUT SERIOUS STRIVINGS FOR ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT WHICH TENDS TO JUSTIFY THE PREVALENT BELIEF THAT BLACKS NEITHER WANT NOR NEED QUALITY EDUCATION. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INVOLVING ECONOMIC, CURRICULAR, AND SOCIAL REFORM ARE PRESENTED. IT IS ADVISED THAT WHAT IS NEEDED MOST IS THE STIMULATION OF A NATIONAL MOOD AND WILL TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO STRUCTURE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL FACILITATE THE ACQUISITION OF THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY FOR ALL CITIZENS TO FIND MEANINGFUL AND POSITIVE INVOLVEMENT IN OUR SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM. (RCB)