About this Event
230 S Bouquet St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Title: "The Presence of Neoliberal Ideology in State Charter School Policies"
Student: Rebecca Daugherty, M.A. student in Education Policy
Commitee Members: Dr. Maureen Porter, Dr. Hayley Weddle, Dr. Emily Rainey
Dissertation Abstract: The United States’ public education system is no stranger to robust efforts of educational reform. The past 50 years have seen various forms of local and institutional attempts to reform the public education system, but perhaps no reform has been as extensive and successful as the charter school movement. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately run schools of choice that prioritize autonomy and accountability above all else. On the surface, they seem harmless to the public education system—simply a reform that puts the power of choice back into parents’ and students’ hands. But charter schools as an institutional reform represent a new kind of threat to our public education system: neoliberalism. Neoliberalism as an ideology postulates free-market ideals, such as competition, individualism, and deregulation, as necessary means for social well-being in all aspects of life, not just the economic sphere. This study uses content analysis with literature-based a priori codes to examine the presence of neoliberal ideals in state charter school policies. All state charter school policies were found to have some level of neoliberal ideology. The results of this study are consistent with previous literature and demonstrate a compelling account of the connection between neoliberalism and charter schools.
Please let us know if you require an accommodation in order to participate in this event. Accommodations may include live captioning, ASL interpreters, and/or captioned media and accessible documents from recorded events. At least 5 days in advance is recommended.