Mapping the Terrain: Teach For America, Charter School Reform, and Corporate Sponsorship

• In Event: Critiquing Neoliberalism and Its Impact on Schooling

Abstract

In this paper we interrogate the relationships between Teach for America and the federal charter school reform movement. Recently, TFA has aligned to a myriad of initiatives that reflect neoliberal policies; or policies that promote the free market, personal responsibility, choice and private enterprise (Apple, 2006; Ball, 2007; Burch, 2009; Harvey, 2005; Lipman, 2011). Perhaps most significantly, TFA has become involved in the promotion of charter schools. Using policy network analysis, we created a social network map depicting relationships between TFA and corporate sponsors, venture philanthropists, non-profit organizations, charter management organizations, leaders, and policy advocates to develop a foundation for further investigation into how these networks engage with charter school and charter district reform policy at the federal level.

Authors

• Kerry Kretchmar, Carroll University

• Beth Leah Sondel, University of Wisconsin