Corruption and abuse of power in educational administration

Corruption and abuse of power in educational administration in K–12 and higher education institutions are important, though neglected, research topics. As such, they might rightfully be termed our profession's “dirty little secrets.” This article begins to uncover the range, if not the depth, of such corruption and abuse of power. It represents an initial ethnology of the topic. Examples are taken from several countries, most notably Mexico, China, and the United States, and discussion revolves around the relation between corruption and hierarchical, pyramidal bureaucracies.