Investigating Coalitions in Education: The Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren

• In Event: Educational Equity and Local Politics

Abstract

In December 2014, the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren was formed to make sweeping educational reform recommendations regarding the provision and governance of public education in Detroit. Spearheaded by community organizations, labor unions, and business interests representing an array of stakeholders in the Detroit area, the coalition provided a unique opportunity for collective action to transform a very troubled education system. For this study, we draw from the Advocacy Coalition Framework and theories of urban regimes to guide our analysis of interview data with ~30 coalition members to understand the processes through which the coalition was formed, how recommendations were determined, and whether efforts made to influence State and local policy are likely to produce intended outcomes.

Authors

• Sarah Winchell Lenhoff, Wayne State University

• Jennifer M. Lewis, Wayne State University

• Ben Pogodzinski, Wayne State University

• Bobby Dorigo Jones, Michigan State University