Public Discourse on Neoliberal Reforms and Urban School Re/Segregation and "Choice" in Indianapolis

• In Event: 64.088 - Sheraton Roundtable 12 - Osgoode Ballroom
  In Roundtable Session: 64.088-4 - The Social Imaginary of Neoliberalism on the Public Discourse of Urban Education in Indianapolis

Abstract

The neoliberal agenda is often categorized by its economic implications, privatization, fiscal asceticism, deregulation, and free trade; economic policies that serve to increase privatization in the economy, and by extension, society as a whole (Anyon, 1997; Leyva, 2012; Lipman, 2011). Celebrated for its ability to maintain and grow wealth, the social implications of neoliberalism are easily overshadowed (Ambrosio, 2013; Giroux, 2003). This paper explores one of the larger implications of the neoliberal agenda, namely how the push for privatization, government deregulation, and free trade have created an environment where education is commodified (Kozol, 2005; Saltman, 2009). The effects of this can be seen in the re/segregation of many of America’s public schools and the dramatic increase in the number of charter schools being opened (Akers, 2012; Buras, 2015; Sikkink & Emerson, 2008). In the face of “failing” public schools, popular discourse would have us believe that charter schools will inspire competition for students and have a positive effect on school reforms. With more “choices” parents are able to take their children, and the money attached to them, out of public schools (Akers, 2012; Noguera, 2003; Shiller, 2011). Celebrated as a way to give parents choices and inspire public schools to “do better” under the threat of losing the money attached to each student, what we really find is that neither of these thing is happening, and the most visible result is an increase in schools segregated along race and socioeconomic lines (Chapman & Donnor, 2015; Eckes, 2015; Eckes & Trotter, 2007; Stein, 2015). Placing blame on limited options, poor accountability measures, union protection of bad teachers, and bureaucratic entanglements, proponents of “school choice” offer charter schools as a possible solution. The problem with this however is that the deeply embedded systemic racism that has always governed economic and political movement in the U.S. is largely dismissed. Yet, elected officials, business leaders, and education entrepreneurs continue to market charter schools as a vehicle to close the proverbial Black-White achievement gap (Chapman & Donner, 2015). Indianapolis opened its first charter schools in August of 2002. Four schools were selected to open in this inaugural year, and only two of those original charters remain open at the time of this writing. Moreover,, one of the two that remains open serves a student population that is only 12% Black and 68% White. More discouraging, one of the charters that was closed was due to a wide-spread cheating scandal that saw a 41.3% gain on the state’s standardized test (Weddle, 2014). The other charter was closed due to “chronic under performance” (Weddle, 2015).

This paper examines how the discourse of school choice has served as a proxy for school quality and an impetus to facilitate a neoliberal agenda. The results of our analysis indicate that the public discourses on charter schools in Indianapolis remains absent of achievement data, community impact and deeper analysis of institutionalized racism.

Authors

• Elena Hatton Silverman, Indiana University - IUPUI

• Sherman J Woodard, Indiana University - Indianapolis