From Disruption to Imitation: Rethinking Innovation in the Charter School Movement

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: The Impact of Policy and Politics in Education

Abstract

This paper interrogates the oft-repeated claim that charter schools are hubs of educational innovation. Drawing on a critical theoretical framework, it reframes innovation not merely as a pedagogical feature but as an ideological construct rooted in neoliberal reform. Through a thematic synthesis of empirical studies, policy documents, and mission statements, this study finds that while isolated examples of innovative practice exist, the dominant trend in charter schooling is toward standardization, test-driven instruction, and market mimicry. The paper situates these findings in the post-pandemic and AI-mediated educational moment, where calls for disruption and innovation often obscure deeper inequalities. It concludes by imagining alternatives that center community voice, equity, and democratic governance as more just forms of educational innovation.

Author

• Robert Niewiadomski, Fordham University