Reforming Reform: From “Autonomy” to “Compromise” in Charter School Advocacy

• In Event: Navigating the Educational Marketplace: Identity, Advocacy, and Competition

Abstract

The decades-long bipartisan support for charter schools has weakened in recent years. Issues like high turnover, limited academic gains, and school closures in Black and Brown communities have forced charter advocates to rebrand. This qualitative case study of charter school advocacy in Oakland, California draws on strategic dissembling and cultural political economy concepts to examine the evolution of education reform. Findings indicate that charter school advocates have responded to growing criticism by adapting market concepts through the district’s portfolio of school choice management. Calls for “compromise” bridged new racial justice discourse with familiar allies and strategies from the private sector.

Author

• René Espinoza Kissell, University of California - Santa Cruz