Charter School Advocacy Networks in the Trump Era: New Rifts and Shifting Alliances

• In Event: Educational Privatization: Examining Contexts, Policies, and Partners

Abstract

Since their inception, charter schools have enjoyed bipartisan support. However, since Donald Trump was elected president, new rifts have emerged within charter school advocacy and philanthropic networks, as many charter advocates across the political spectrum disagree with the Trump administration’s views on education reform. The media has begun to cover the shifting alliances among charter school advocates, but empirical research has yet to address this issue. This qualitative case study, focusing on New York City, employs social network theory to examine how, if at all, charter school leaders have seen shifts in their networks of political and financial supporters. Findings carry implications for the future of the charter sector and extend the scholarship on how national politics shape local reforms.

Author

• Elise Castillo, University of California - Berkeley