Privatized Input: The Influence of Public Commentary on School Closure Decisions in Three Urban Districts

• In Event: Public Power and Opinion in Education Reform

Abstract

his paper investigates the role of public input in the school closure decisions of three major U.S. cities (New Orleans, Oakland, and Denver). Data consisted of in-person and virtual observations of public meetings, and the examination of district distributed documents related to enrollment and closure plans. Findings indicate that the level and influence of educational privatization in each district is associated with the amount of public commentary solicited and received from the general public. Given that school closures disproportionately impact low income students (and families) of color, this study’s findings identify the democratic mechanisms in which these decisions can be affected and how those democratic possibilities can be limited by privatization and decentralized school governance systems.

Authors

• Danielle Greene, Stanford University
  Presenting Author

• Amanda Lu, Stanford University
  Presenting Author