Mobilizing Support in a Market Context: The Case of an Independent Charter School

• In Event: 81.024 - Market Discourses and the Realities of Choice in Urban Contexts

Abstract

Although initially oriented around diverse goals, the charter school movement is increasingly aligned with the market values of accountability, choice, and privatization. Scholars have examined the political factors undergirding the marketization of charter schools. However, little is known about how leaders of independent charter schools oriented around unique pedagogical or sociopolitical missions mobilize political and financial support in an environment heavily informed by market values. This qualitative case study of one independent charter school investigates this phenomenon. Findings suggest that the broader market context compels school leaders to think and act in terms of the market when mobilizing support, hence undermining their equity-centric mission. This study broadly illuminates the limits of the market in facilitating equitable and democratic public education.

Author

• Elise Castillo, Trinity College