Safety has contributed to the growth of charter schools. However, charter schools may drain public schools of key resources, leading to a decline in safety in public schools. This study examines whether the opening of charter schools in New York City is associated with decreased safety in public schools. Results indicate very little or no…

In response to concerns regarding school quality, state policy-makers reformed their charter school authorization processes to impose greater regulatory barriers to chartering. These barriers to market entry could impose substantial burdens for Black and Latino would-be charter operators, as well as independent operators, who may lack access to…

School discipline has been a site of contention and reform. In this study, we draw from 17 interviews with traditional and charter school principals in one mid-sized urban school district to examine how principals use discipline as a tool to both maintain control and demonstrate care. Our study calls attention to different strategies principals…

In the face of growing critiques, charter management organizations (CMOs) increasingly contend with criticism as they maintain their presence in districts, particularly with school board members who often serve as gatekeepers for charter authorization. Yet, little is known about how CMOs navigate these politically muddy waters in local settings.…

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is important for academic and social success, yet responsive SEL for Black youth remains underexamined. The current study analyzed focus groups to investigate how Black boys (N = 10) in an urban middle school think about emotion and its regulation. Results revealed that participants negotiate tension between emotion…

In this article, we explore how White supremacist ideologies operate in "no excuses" charter schools. Drawing on critical race frameworks and qualitative data collected in two "no excuses" charter schools in New Orleans, we illustrate how anti-Blackness, White saviorism, and colorblind racism are taken up through hiring…

Teachers are returning to schools during the COVID-19 pandemic under the weight of unprecedented stressors to engage a student body that has also experienced stress and trauma. In this study, we examined how confident 454 teachers (55% Black) from 41 charter schools in New Orleans, Louisiana, were in their ability to address students'…

This case study of one "no-excuses" charter management organization (CMO) uses teacher surveys and interviews with principals, central office staff, and teachers to examine how a realistic job preview is enacted during the hiring process, and how newly hired teachers perceive their fit with the job and the organization before and after…

The privatization of public funds for education through school choice programs has fueled the expansion of virtual online charter schools. This redirection of funds contributes to the idea that virtual school success is comparable or even superior to the performance of traditional public schools. The schools most adversely affected are the schools…

This article highlights the acclaim, struggles, and ultimate closure of a Detroit public school for pregnant and parenting teens that was shuttered despite national commendation, community protests, for-profit charter conversion, and a civil rights lawsuit. Authors analyze discourse from educational, media, and legal data sources to offer a…

Spurring parental involvement has been a core objective of charter school reform. This study compares for-profit-managed and nonprofit-managed charter schools and their public school peers in Detroit on two indicators of parental involvement. Nonprofit-managed charter schools generated higher rates of general parental involvement, net of…

This study examines Asian students' interracial/interethnic friendships at a multiracial middle school. Friendship groups remain predominantly segregated despite the school's efforts, reflecting community and parental influences. The circulation of uncontested stereotypes such as "loud" and "brash" African Americans is based on…

This paper explores the ways in which success in school is constructed by a majority White teaching staff during day-to-day classroom practices and schoolwide policies, such as the disciplinary systems at a "no-excuses" charter school in one of the largest urban districts in the U.S. Stakeholders were assessed by interviews and…

Research indicates that principal turnover is increasing and urban districts are struggling to retain their principals. This study used multiple regression analysis to examine seven independent variables and their relationship to principal turnover in Colorado urban schools. This study used longitudinal data from the Colorado Department of…

Suspension is commonly used in schools, yet these practices can adversely affect students' education well-being and do not improve student behavior. This study assesses the use of the Monarch Room (MR) intervention, a trauma-informed alternative to school discipline suspension policies, among 620 court-involved girls placed in residential care and…