What is the relationship of gender to the micropolitics of school reform? The timely research question is explored in this book which will open the 'black box' of secondary school reform. Teachers are asked to play an increasingly active role in school reform. Datnow reveals the everyday struggles that happen between different factions of teachers with different definitions of what school means for students. The focus of this struggle may not be on education but the underlying issues such as gender. The author shows gender politics can be used by teachers to head off reform and, using three case study schools, explains the condition sunder which factionalism occurs.