Cultura, Capital, y Charters: Latinx Experiences in Mecklenburg County

• In Event: Voices of Charter School Families and Students

Abstract

Reflecting national trends of charter school proliferation, Mecklenburg County’s student enrollment in charters has increased by 26% in just five years. Researchers, however, have revealed the highly segregative and disproportionate enrollment patterns in the state as well as local setting. In this paper, I investigate the charter school sector of school choice in Mecklenburg County as experienced by Latinx families. By doing so, I aim to extend the conversation of inclusion and equity with a critical examination of documents, experiences, and interviews of Latinxs. Through these findings I offer new ways of considering the complex intersectionality of class, culture, and forms of capitals, and advocate for more equitable approaches and policies for our American public school system.

Author

• Laura Katherine Handler, University of North Carolina - Charlotte