The End of Public Schools? Or a New Beginning?

Abstract

Public education is becoming increasingly privatized as private philanthropic organizations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and corporations, such as Pearson, dominate the policy-making process, and more students enroll in publicly funded but privately administered charter schools. The privatization of education results from the dominance of neoliberal ideals promoting market competition, individualism, and standardized testing. In response, we call for replacing neoliberalism with social democratic policies emphasizing community, trust, and democratic deliberation.

Key words:

• high-stakes testing
• markets
• neoliberalism
• political aspects/governmental influence
• privatization

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Warner School students Brittany Adams, Daniel Baker, and Emily Schultz for their insightful comments on this article.