District-Charter Collaboration Compacts: Reframing "Equity" Under Privatization

• In Event: Structures, Systems, and Practices of Districts

Abstract

As the charter school sector continues growing, districts are grappling with ways to oversee and regulate these semi-autonomous schools, particularly with respect to equitable access and management practices. With support from the Gates Foundation and the Center for Reinventing Public Education, District-Charter Collaboration Compacts have emerged as one solution in over twenty-three cities. As non-binding formal agreements between school districts and charter schools, these compacts outline how both sectors share resources and responsibilities while ensuring equal access to high-quality schools for all students. This case study examines Oakland's district-charter compact by drawing on urban regime theory and ethnographic methods to locate the policy actors driving its creation and implementation. Findings carry implications for understanding the evolution of portfolio district governance.

Author

• René Espinoza Kissell, University of California - Berkeley