#PathtoPossible: At the Intersection of Advocacy and Edvertising

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Marketing and Branding in Public Education

Abstract

Recent scholarship captures the efficacy of advocacy organizations in influencing educational policymaking (Anderson, 2009; Anderson & Donchik, 2016; Scott & Jabbar, 2014; Scott, Jabbar, LaLonde, DeBray, & Lubienski, 2015). This research highlights the effectiveness of corporations, foundations, education reform organizations, and policymakers in forming advocacy coalitions around their shared belief in market-based education reforms and in implementing these reforms in districts across the United States (Scott et al., 2015).

This paper shows how many privately-managed educational organizations use “edvertising”— the combined practice of marketing, branding, and advertising in education (Author A & Author B, forthcoming)— not only to attract parent consumers, but also as a way to promote political activities and influence policymakers to seek to ensure their organizational survival. These edvertising activities mimic political campaign branding and slogans, like “#Imwithher.”

Our research documents the ways in which pro-charter coalitions in New York City effectively use edvertising to further their political agendas— from getting legislation passed to influencing the state legislature’s granting of mayoral control (Harris & McKinley, 2017). We employ case study methodology (Stake, 1995) to capture the use of edvertising as a political activity in New York City. Sources of data include interviews, observations at events, such as rallies, and document analysis, including social media platforms and political statements.

Using sensemaking (Weick, 1995) as a lens to understand the role of edvertising in executing highly coordinated political campaigns, our findings reveal that edvertising campaigns are effective at both galvanizing parents and influencing policymakers. Charter management organizations and education advocacy organizations dominate the field of edvertising with a pro-charter agenda aimed at raising the charter school cap, equalizing funding, and obtaining physical space for charters. This trend is best exemplified by the activities of Success Academy (CMO) which has aligned with Families for Excellent Schools, Inc. (FES), whose stated goal is to “train and organize parents for sustained community action and to influence educational policy” (IRS 990, 2014). We observe how Success Academy (along with other CMOs) works together with Families for Excellent Schools to further a pro-charter agenda using edvertising for messaging. FES’ accompanying website, PathtoPossible.org, provides a seamless, “glossy” interface facilitating pro-charter advocacy. Here, pictures show families in branded charter T-shirts, and holding pre-printed signs at rallies which read “#PathtoPossible.” Numerous professionally developed videos on their branded YouTube site reinforce the agenda to expand charter capacity.

It is not only advocacy organizations that use edvertising to promote agendas. The branded “#PathtoPossible” hashtag is also used by prominent charter network leaders, such as Eva Moscowitz of Success Academy, in social media usage, and field observations at rallies indicate that CMOs distribute branded materials. In 2014, FES reported spending over $4.3 million dollars on marketing and advertisement (IRS 990 Form, 2014), and CMOs spend a significant portion of their budgets on edvertising (Author A & Author B, forthcoming).

Understanding the ways in which edvertising is being used, not just to attract consumers, but also to promote political agendas is critical, particularly as market-based policies proliferate.

Authors

• Sarah Butler Jessen, University of Southern Maine

• Catherine C. DiMartino, St. John's University