Corporate Elites and the Reform of Public Education

Corporate Elites and the Reform of Public Education

Author: Gunter, Helen M.

Publisher: Policy Press

Published: 2017-03-08

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1447326806

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Just what is the role of corporate elites in contemporary reforms of public universities and schools? Providing fresh perspectives on matters of governance and vibrant case studies on particular facets of education provision--such as curriculum, teaching, and professional practices--this book brings together contributions from the United States, Argentina, Australia, England, Indonesia, and Singapore to explore how corporate elites are increasingly influencing public education policy and service delivery locally, nationally, and across the world. Chapters by leading scholars like Patricia Burch, Tanya Fitzgerald, Ken Saltman, and John Smyth reveal the impact elite political and professional networks and organizations are having on opportunity, access, and outcomes.


Book Synopsis Corporate Elites and the Reform of Public Education by : Gunter, Helen M.

Download or read book Corporate Elites and the Reform of Public Education written by Gunter, Helen M. and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2017-03-08 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just what is the role of corporate elites in contemporary reforms of public universities and schools? Providing fresh perspectives on matters of governance and vibrant case studies on particular facets of education provision--such as curriculum, teaching, and professional practices--this book brings together contributions from the United States, Argentina, Australia, England, Indonesia, and Singapore to explore how corporate elites are increasingly influencing public education policy and service delivery locally, nationally, and across the world. Chapters by leading scholars like Patricia Burch, Tanya Fitzgerald, Ken Saltman, and John Smyth reveal the impact elite political and professional networks and organizations are having on opportunity, access, and outcomes.


Mapping Corporate Education Reform

Mapping Corporate Education Reform

Author: Wayne Au

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-04-10

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 131764820X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Mapping Corporate Education Reform outlines and analyzes the complex relationships between policy actors that define education reform within the current, neoliberal context. Using social network analysis and powerful data visualization tools, the authors identify the problematic roots of these relationships and describe their effects both in the U.S. and abroad. Through a series of case studies, each chapter reveals how powerful actors, from billionaire philanthropists to multinational education corporations, leverage their resources to implement free market mechanisms within public education. By comprehensively connecting the dots of neoliberal education reforms, the authors reveal not only the details of the reforms themselves, but the relationships that enable actors to amass troubling degrees of political power through network governance. A critical analysis of the actors and interests behind education policies, Mapping Corporate Education Reform uncovers the frequently obscured operations of educational governance and offers key insights into education reform at the present moment.


Book Synopsis Mapping Corporate Education Reform by : Wayne Au

Download or read book Mapping Corporate Education Reform written by Wayne Au and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-04-10 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mapping Corporate Education Reform outlines and analyzes the complex relationships between policy actors that define education reform within the current, neoliberal context. Using social network analysis and powerful data visualization tools, the authors identify the problematic roots of these relationships and describe their effects both in the U.S. and abroad. Through a series of case studies, each chapter reveals how powerful actors, from billionaire philanthropists to multinational education corporations, leverage their resources to implement free market mechanisms within public education. By comprehensively connecting the dots of neoliberal education reforms, the authors reveal not only the details of the reforms themselves, but the relationships that enable actors to amass troubling degrees of political power through network governance. A critical analysis of the actors and interests behind education policies, Mapping Corporate Education Reform uncovers the frequently obscured operations of educational governance and offers key insights into education reform at the present moment.


Corporate elites and the reform of public education

Corporate elites and the reform of public education

Author: Gunter, Helen M.

Publisher: Policy Press

Published: 2017-03-08

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 144733518X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Just what is the role and impact of corporate elites in contemporary reforms of public sector universities and schools? Providing fresh perspectives on matters of governance and vibrant case studies on the particular types of provision including curriculum, teaching and professional practices, Gunter, Hall and Apple bring together contributions from Argentina, Australia, England, Indonesia, Singapore and US to reveal how corporate elites are increasingly influencing public education policy, provision and service delivery locally, nationally and across the world. Leading scholars, including Patricia Burch, Tanya Fitzgerald, Ken Saltman, and John Smyth scrutinise the impact elites are having on opportunity, access and outcomes through political and professional networks and organisations.


Book Synopsis Corporate elites and the reform of public education by : Gunter, Helen M.

Download or read book Corporate elites and the reform of public education written by Gunter, Helen M. and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2017-03-08 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just what is the role and impact of corporate elites in contemporary reforms of public sector universities and schools? Providing fresh perspectives on matters of governance and vibrant case studies on the particular types of provision including curriculum, teaching and professional practices, Gunter, Hall and Apple bring together contributions from Argentina, Australia, England, Indonesia, Singapore and US to reveal how corporate elites are increasingly influencing public education policy, provision and service delivery locally, nationally and across the world. Leading scholars, including Patricia Burch, Tanya Fitzgerald, Ken Saltman, and John Smyth scrutinise the impact elites are having on opportunity, access and outcomes through political and professional networks and organisations.


Studying the Power Elite

Studying the Power Elite

Author: G. William Domhoff

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-08-04

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 1000032108

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book critiques and extends the analysis of power in the classic, Who Rules America?, on the fiftieth anniversary of its original publication in 1967—and through its subsequent editions. The chapters, written especially for this book by twelve sociologists and political scientists, provide fresh insights and new findings on many contemporary topics, among them the concerted attempt to privatize public schools; foreign policy and the growing role of the military-industrial component of the power elite; the successes and failures of union challenges to the power elite; the ongoing and increasingly global battles of a major sector of agribusiness; and the surprising details of how those who hold to the egalitarian values of social democracy were able to tip the scales in a bitter conflict within the power elite itself on a crucial banking reform in the aftermath of the Great Recession. These social scientists thereby point the way forward in the study of power, not just in the United States, but globally. A brief introductory chapter situates Who Rules America? within the context of the most visible theories of power over the past fifty years—pluralism, Marxism, Millsian elite theory, and historical institutionalism. Then, a chapter by G. William Domhoff, the author of Who Rules America?, takes us behind the scenes on how the original version was researched and written, tracing the evolution of the book in terms of new concepts and research discoveries by Domhoff himself, as well as many other power structure researchers, through the 2014 seventh edition. Readers will find differences of opinion and analysis from chapter to chapter. The authors were encouraged to express their views independently and frankly. They do so in an admirable and useful fashion that will stimulate everyone’s thinking on these difficult and complex issues, setting the agenda for future studies of power.


Book Synopsis Studying the Power Elite by : G. William Domhoff

Download or read book Studying the Power Elite written by G. William Domhoff and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-08-04 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book critiques and extends the analysis of power in the classic, Who Rules America?, on the fiftieth anniversary of its original publication in 1967—and through its subsequent editions. The chapters, written especially for this book by twelve sociologists and political scientists, provide fresh insights and new findings on many contemporary topics, among them the concerted attempt to privatize public schools; foreign policy and the growing role of the military-industrial component of the power elite; the successes and failures of union challenges to the power elite; the ongoing and increasingly global battles of a major sector of agribusiness; and the surprising details of how those who hold to the egalitarian values of social democracy were able to tip the scales in a bitter conflict within the power elite itself on a crucial banking reform in the aftermath of the Great Recession. These social scientists thereby point the way forward in the study of power, not just in the United States, but globally. A brief introductory chapter situates Who Rules America? within the context of the most visible theories of power over the past fifty years—pluralism, Marxism, Millsian elite theory, and historical institutionalism. Then, a chapter by G. William Domhoff, the author of Who Rules America?, takes us behind the scenes on how the original version was researched and written, tracing the evolution of the book in terms of new concepts and research discoveries by Domhoff himself, as well as many other power structure researchers, through the 2014 seventh edition. Readers will find differences of opinion and analysis from chapter to chapter. The authors were encouraged to express their views independently and frankly. They do so in an admirable and useful fashion that will stimulate everyone’s thinking on these difficult and complex issues, setting the agenda for future studies of power.


The Politics of School Reform, 1870 - 1940

The Politics of School Reform, 1870 - 1940

Author: Paul E. Peterson

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1985-07

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9780226662954

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Was school reform in the decades following the Civil War an upper-middle-class effort to maintain control of the schools? Was public education simply a vehicle used by Protestant elites to impose their cultural ideas upon recalcitrant immigrants? In The Politics of School Reform, 1870-1940, Paul E. Peterson challenges such standard, revisionist interpretations of American educational history. Urban public schools, he argues, were part of a politically pluralistic society. Their growth—both in political power and in sheer numbers—had as much to do with the demands and influence of trade unions, immigrant groups, and the public more generally as it did with the actions of social and economic elites. Drawing upon rarely examined archival data, Peterson demonstrates that widespread public backing for the common school existed in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco. He finds little evidence of systematic discrimination against white immigrants, at least with respect to classroom crowding and teaching assignments. Instead, his research uncovers solid trade union and other working-class support for compulsory education, adequate school financing, and curricular modernization. Urban reformers campaigned assiduously for fiscally sound, politically strong public schools. Often they had at least as much support from trade unionists as from business elites. In fact it was the business-backed machine politicians—from San Francisco's William Buckley to Chicago's Edward Kelly—who deprived the schools of funds. At a time when public schools are being subjected to searching criticism and when new educational ideas are gaining political support, The Politics of School Reform, 1870-1940 is a timely reminder of the strength and breadth of those groups that have always supported "free" public schools.


Book Synopsis The Politics of School Reform, 1870 - 1940 by : Paul E. Peterson

Download or read book The Politics of School Reform, 1870 - 1940 written by Paul E. Peterson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1985-07 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Was school reform in the decades following the Civil War an upper-middle-class effort to maintain control of the schools? Was public education simply a vehicle used by Protestant elites to impose their cultural ideas upon recalcitrant immigrants? In The Politics of School Reform, 1870-1940, Paul E. Peterson challenges such standard, revisionist interpretations of American educational history. Urban public schools, he argues, were part of a politically pluralistic society. Their growth—both in political power and in sheer numbers—had as much to do with the demands and influence of trade unions, immigrant groups, and the public more generally as it did with the actions of social and economic elites. Drawing upon rarely examined archival data, Peterson demonstrates that widespread public backing for the common school existed in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco. He finds little evidence of systematic discrimination against white immigrants, at least with respect to classroom crowding and teaching assignments. Instead, his research uncovers solid trade union and other working-class support for compulsory education, adequate school financing, and curricular modernization. Urban reformers campaigned assiduously for fiscally sound, politically strong public schools. Often they had at least as much support from trade unionists as from business elites. In fact it was the business-backed machine politicians—from San Francisco's William Buckley to Chicago's Edward Kelly—who deprived the schools of funds. At a time when public schools are being subjected to searching criticism and when new educational ideas are gaining political support, The Politics of School Reform, 1870-1940 is a timely reminder of the strength and breadth of those groups that have always supported "free" public schools.


The End of Public Schools

The End of Public Schools

Author: David W. Hursh

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-10-16

Total Pages: 138

ISBN-13: 1317619684

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The End of Public Schools analyzes the effect of foundations, corporations, and non-governmental organizations on the rise of neoliberal principles in public education. By first contextualizing the privatization of education within the context of a larger educational crisis, and with particular emphasis on the Gates Foundation and influential state and national politicians, it describes how specific policies that limit public control are advanced across all levels. Informed by a thorough understanding of issues such as standardized testing, teacher tenure, and charter schools, David Hursh provides a political and pedagogical critique of the current school reform movement, as well details about the increasing resistance efforts on the part of parents, teachers, and the general public.


Book Synopsis The End of Public Schools by : David W. Hursh

Download or read book The End of Public Schools written by David W. Hursh and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-10-16 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The End of Public Schools analyzes the effect of foundations, corporations, and non-governmental organizations on the rise of neoliberal principles in public education. By first contextualizing the privatization of education within the context of a larger educational crisis, and with particular emphasis on the Gates Foundation and influential state and national politicians, it describes how specific policies that limit public control are advanced across all levels. Informed by a thorough understanding of issues such as standardized testing, teacher tenure, and charter schools, David Hursh provides a political and pedagogical critique of the current school reform movement, as well details about the increasing resistance efforts on the part of parents, teachers, and the general public.


Tinkering toward Utopia

Tinkering toward Utopia

Author: David B. Tyack

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 1997-03-25

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 0674267877

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

For over a century, Americans have translated their cultural anxieties and hopes into dramatic demands for educational reform. Although policy talk has sounded a millennial tone, the actual reforms have been gradual and incremental. Tinkering toward Utopia documents the dynamic tension between Americans’ faith in education as a panacea and the moderate pace of change in educational practices. In this book, David Tyack and Larry Cuban explore some basic questions about the nature of educational reform. Why have Americans come to believe that schooling has regressed? Have educational reforms occurred in cycles, and if so, why? Why has it been so difficult to change the basic institutional patterns of schooling? What actually happened when reformers tried to “reinvent” schooling? Tyack and Cuban argue that the ahistorical nature of most current reform proposals magnifies defects and understates the difficulty of changing the system. Policy talk has alternated between lamentation and overconfidence. The authors suggest that reformers today need to focus on ways to help teachers improve instruction from the inside out instead of decreeing change by remote control, and that reformers must also keep in mind the democratic purposes that guide public education.


Book Synopsis Tinkering toward Utopia by : David B. Tyack

Download or read book Tinkering toward Utopia written by David B. Tyack and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1997-03-25 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For over a century, Americans have translated their cultural anxieties and hopes into dramatic demands for educational reform. Although policy talk has sounded a millennial tone, the actual reforms have been gradual and incremental. Tinkering toward Utopia documents the dynamic tension between Americans’ faith in education as a panacea and the moderate pace of change in educational practices. In this book, David Tyack and Larry Cuban explore some basic questions about the nature of educational reform. Why have Americans come to believe that schooling has regressed? Have educational reforms occurred in cycles, and if so, why? Why has it been so difficult to change the basic institutional patterns of schooling? What actually happened when reformers tried to “reinvent” schooling? Tyack and Cuban argue that the ahistorical nature of most current reform proposals magnifies defects and understates the difficulty of changing the system. Policy talk has alternated between lamentation and overconfidence. The authors suggest that reformers today need to focus on ways to help teachers improve instruction from the inside out instead of decreeing change by remote control, and that reformers must also keep in mind the democratic purposes that guide public education.


Failure of Corporate School Reform

Failure of Corporate School Reform

Author: Kenneth J. Saltman

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-11-17

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1317259734

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Corporate school reforms, especially privatization, union busting, and high-stakes testing have been hailed as the last best hope for public education. Yet, as Kenneth Saltman powerfully argues in this new book, corporate school reforms have decisively failed to deliver on what their proponents have promised for two decades: higher test scores and lower costs. As Saltman illustrates, the failures of corporate school reform are far greater and more destructive than they seem. Left unchecked, corporate school reform fails to challenge and in fact worsens the most pressing problems facing public schooling, including radical funding inequalities, racial segregation, and anti-intellectualism. But it is not too late for change. Against both corporate school reformers and its liberal critics, this book argues for the expansion of democratic pedagogies and a new common school movement that will lead to broader social renewal.


Book Synopsis Failure of Corporate School Reform by : Kenneth J. Saltman

Download or read book Failure of Corporate School Reform written by Kenneth J. Saltman and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-11-17 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Corporate school reforms, especially privatization, union busting, and high-stakes testing have been hailed as the last best hope for public education. Yet, as Kenneth Saltman powerfully argues in this new book, corporate school reforms have decisively failed to deliver on what their proponents have promised for two decades: higher test scores and lower costs. As Saltman illustrates, the failures of corporate school reform are far greater and more destructive than they seem. Left unchecked, corporate school reform fails to challenge and in fact worsens the most pressing problems facing public schooling, including radical funding inequalities, racial segregation, and anti-intellectualism. But it is not too late for change. Against both corporate school reformers and its liberal critics, this book argues for the expansion of democratic pedagogies and a new common school movement that will lead to broader social renewal.


Demythologizing Educational Reforms

Demythologizing Educational Reforms

Author: Arthur T. Costigan

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-08-21

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1317818334

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

There are dozens of myths surrounding educational reform today, maintaining the school’s role in economic competitiveness, the deficiency of teachers, the benefits of increased testing, and the worthiness of privatization. In this volume, the editors argue that this discussion has been co-opted to reflect the values and worldviews of special interest groups such as elites in power, politicians, corporate educational foundations, and the media. Prominent educational writers tackle contemporary issues such as neoliberalism, suburban schooling, charter schools and parental involvement. They expose the "logic behind the talk" and critically examine these problematic beliefs to uncover meaningful improvements in education which are better grounded in the social, economic, political and educational realities of contemporary society.


Book Synopsis Demythologizing Educational Reforms by : Arthur T. Costigan

Download or read book Demythologizing Educational Reforms written by Arthur T. Costigan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-21 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are dozens of myths surrounding educational reform today, maintaining the school’s role in economic competitiveness, the deficiency of teachers, the benefits of increased testing, and the worthiness of privatization. In this volume, the editors argue that this discussion has been co-opted to reflect the values and worldviews of special interest groups such as elites in power, politicians, corporate educational foundations, and the media. Prominent educational writers tackle contemporary issues such as neoliberalism, suburban schooling, charter schools and parental involvement. They expose the "logic behind the talk" and critically examine these problematic beliefs to uncover meaningful improvements in education which are better grounded in the social, economic, political and educational realities of contemporary society.


Race to the Bottom

Race to the Bottom

Author: Michael V. McGill

Publisher: Teachers College Press

Published: 2015-04-03

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 0807756377

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

How did the country that invented the moderm public school end up embracing policies that weaken it? What alternatives are there to current corporate reform policies? How can we give America's children an education that will truly prepare them and our nation for the challenges of tomorrow? In Race to the Bottom McGill successfully traces the emergence of corporate reform and describes how its tenets run counter to what he believes are the key elements of a high-quality education. McGill draws from a wealth of experience as a school superintendent for over 40 years, including his tenure in Scarsdale during the 2001 district-wide boycott of New York State standardized tests. Showing how strong leaders working with teachers and the community have been able to strengthen schools, the author offers a model of school reform that will prepare students for the 21st Century.


Book Synopsis Race to the Bottom by : Michael V. McGill

Download or read book Race to the Bottom written by Michael V. McGill and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2015-04-03 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did the country that invented the moderm public school end up embracing policies that weaken it? What alternatives are there to current corporate reform policies? How can we give America's children an education that will truly prepare them and our nation for the challenges of tomorrow? In Race to the Bottom McGill successfully traces the emergence of corporate reform and describes how its tenets run counter to what he believes are the key elements of a high-quality education. McGill draws from a wealth of experience as a school superintendent for over 40 years, including his tenure in Scarsdale during the 2001 district-wide boycott of New York State standardized tests. Showing how strong leaders working with teachers and the community have been able to strengthen schools, the author offers a model of school reform that will prepare students for the 21st Century.