Charms to Regulate Charters? Applying Organizational Theory to Charter Regulation by State Departments of Education

• In Event: Situating Organizational Theory in Schools, Districts, and State Departments of Education

Abstract

In many states, the task of regulating charter schools is the responsibility of the State Department of Education (SDE). However, state and federal auditors across the country have cited inadequate SDE control of charter schools in certain areas, such as creation of new and authorization of existing charter schools, as well as financial relationships with charter management organizations. This conceptual paper, drawing from evidence from Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, will apply two lenses from organizational theory to the problem of state regulation of charter schools: bureaucracy and institutional theory. In so doing, we contribute to the literature on charters and organizational theory. Additionally, we provide suggestions for future scholarship on the interface of SDEs and the charter sector.

Authors

• Robert Cotto, Trinity College

• Sarah L. Woulfin, University of Connecticut