The Mechanics of Closed Governance: Charter Networks, Board Meetings, and Microlevel Barriers to Public Engagement

• In Event: Governance, Markets, and Teachers Unions: Political (Dis)Engagement in Education

Abstract

As scholars investigate charter schools’ ability to innovate and improve outcomes, others interrogate the closed decision-making practices that characterize charter governance, demonstrating how community voice is often limited despite a demand for inclusion. As scholars investigate the democratic character of charter governance, one arena for community input remains under-investigated: charter board meetings. Charter board meetings are spaces where citizens can make public comment and influence decision making, yet little research exists on these forums or how they foster democratic, community responsive practices at the local level. In this study, I examine the board meeting practices of ten charter management organizations in one mid-sized school district to explore the accessibility of these gatherings and how they facilitate or inhibit public participation.

Author

• Laura Elena Hernandez, Learning Policy Institute