Hidden Markets: Public Policy and the Push to Privatize Education (Critical Social Thought)

Description

Across the United States, test publishers, software companies, and research firms continue to take advantage of the revenues made available by federal policies like the No Child Left Behind Act, Race to the Top, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In effect, the education industry has assumed a central place in the day-to-day governance and administration of public schools―a previously hidden trend that has begun to be a ubiquitous component of public education. Drawing on analytic tools, Hidden Markets examines specific domains that the education industry has had particular influence on―home schooling, remedial instruction, management consulting, test development, data management, and staff development. With updated and new material added, this second edition also highlights how technology and technology policy shape the conditions for teachers’ work, the role of natural disasters as education market opportunities, and the connection between racism and educational privatization. Burch's analysis demonstrates that only when we subject the education industry to systematic and in-depth critical analysis can we begin to demand more corporate accountability and organize to halt the slide of education funds into the market. Additional updates include: Discussion of the role that policy elites play in allowing CEOS to regulate the student identity market Examination of the rise of online tutoring engineered in part by the No Child Left Behind Act New chapter that offers an updated road map for policymakers and activists concerned about the issues raised within the book Cover Endorsements Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication CONTENTS Series Editor’s Introduction Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Trends and Origins: The New Privatization 2. Inside the Market 3. Privatization and Its Intermediaries 4. Shadow Privatization: Local Experiences with Supplemental Education Services 5. Invisible Influences: For-Profit Firms and Virtual Charter Schools 6. In the Interstices: Benchmark Assessments, District Contracts, and NCLB 7. Out from the Shadows: Contracts for Remote Digital Instruction 8. Working for Transparency Conclusion: Policy Actions for Stronger Accountability withinthe School Improvement Industry Appendix A: Research Design and Methodology Appendix B: New Privatization Trends and Questions Conjoined Appendix C: Characteristic Companies Notes References Index