The Micropolitics of Charter Management Organization Charter Teacher Union Organizing

• In Event: Teachers' Experiences in Highly Marketized Educational Contexts

Abstract

Although charter school unionization is a growing phenomenon, scant research on charter school unionization exists. In particular, little is known about why charter school teachers are unionizing and what contextual factors shape this process. Our study attempts to address this research gap through a cross-case comparison of charter teacher unionization efforts across four charter management organizations (CMOs). We draw on the ecological-political framework to understand 1) the reasons for and genesis of unionization efforts in the CMO and 2) how charter teachers and leaders navigated the unionization process and why some efforts succeeded and failed.

Authors

• Kate Kennedy, University of Southern California

• David S Woo, University of Utah

• Bradley Marianno, University of Nevada - Las Vegas