Contentious Politics of Public Charter Accountability

• In Event: Leadership, Policy, and Politics

Abstract

Examined in this paper are the contentious politics of public charter accountability in the District of Columbia. Findings are reported of a documentary analysis of contentious politics of accountability confronting faculty and parents of ELPCS, an “expeditionary learning” focused elementary public charter school during a five year period from its authorization in 2004 to reauthorization in 2009. The paper describes contentious exchanges of ideas about the publicness of charter schools articulated by interests (interest groups, advocacy coalitions, and social movements) in the institutional fields where charter school accountability is negotiated and enacted in DC. Conclusions suggest that subtle and complex institutional dynamics are now operating in maturing regimes of public charter school accountability.

Author

• Hanne B. Mawhinney, University of Maryland - College Park