Jurisdictional Politics: A New Federal Role in Education

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Education Policy and Politics

Abstract

Recent events suggest a challenge to the longstanding structure of American schooling. Existing institutions are being challenged across the board: charter schools and public schools, alternative teacher providers and traditional routes to certification, new teacher training institutes like Teacher U and traditional education schools. We theorize that these networked efforts are a case of a “jurisdictional challenge” to the established institutional structure, which has the potential to replace or transform the infrastructure of American education. In this paper, we explain the concept of jurisdictional competition, briefly discuss its origins and development in American education, outline a series of mechanisms by which the government can empower an alternate governing coalition, and examine the record of the Obama administration through this lens.

Authors

• Jal David Mehta, Harvard University

• Steven Teles, Johns Hopkins University