This report details the seven categories tracked by the Center for the Analysis of Commercialism in Education (CACE) between 1990 and 1999-2000: sponsorship of programs and activities, exclusive agreements, incentive programs, appropriation of space, sponsored educational materials, electronic marketing, and privatization. The 1999-2000 report…

During its 1993 session, the Michigan legislature enacted two statutes for the organization and operation of public school academies, Michigan's name for charter schools. A circuit court judge declared the charter schools were unconstitutional. In response, the legislature amended its original enactment. Traces the short but curious history of…

Responds to an article on school choice by suggesting that much more is known about the politics of issues related to school choice and privatization than the article reveals, partly from what has occurred with educational vouchers and charter schools in the United States and partly from lessons learned from voucher plans in other countries. (SM)

Charter schools are one form of decentralizing public education by shifting power into the hands of school stakeholders by providing them with more "voice" in day-to-day decisions. However, the increasing involvement of educational management organizations (EMOs) as managers of charter schools raises new questions about the influence of school…

Public-private partnerships in education exist in various forms around the world, in both developed and developing countries. Despite this, and despite the importance of human capital for economic growth, systematic analysis has been limited and scattered, with most scholarly attention going to initiatives in the United States. This volume helps…

This book contains evidence about charter schools that can provide important data on evaluating this new public-private hybrid and its success at serving the core purpose of public education. The book focuses on charter schools in Michigan, which is regarded as having one of the most permissive charter laws in the country. The first three chapters…

This is the final report of a one-year evaluation of the Michigan Public School Academy (PSA) initiative. The evaluation involved both formative and summative evaluations and used both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study was conducted between October 1997 and December 1998. Data-collection methods included a charter-school survey and a…

Summarizes a study that examined principals' leadership in three private schools and its implications for decentralized public schools. With the increase of charter and privatized managed schools, principals will need to redefine their leadership styles. Private schools, as decentralized entities, offer useful perspectives on developing school…

This article explores how the law currently influences accountability in three different privatization contexts: (1) private schools operated independently of the state; (2) public schools operated by private organizations under charter or subcontract with government entities; and (3) private schools participating in publicly-funded voucher…

This newsletter focuses on matters related to the privatization of education in different contexts around the world. Over the past few years, the International Institute for Educational Planning has carried out a number of studies in a wide range of contexts to identify what the real-life experiments in school organization are, why they have…

Notes how the British Army's Officer Corps, based on elitism and financial standing, brought the British Empire to its knees. Argues that privatization--a for-profit market system to ration out education--would have a similar effect. Suggests that charter schools (with considerable autonomy but still held accountable by the chain of command) are…

Charter schools can be grouped into two camps: newly created schools or converted public schools (deserving further study). New charters arise to help at-risk kids, serve poor ethnic minorities, make profits, or address disgruntled parents' concerns. For-profits are leery of contracting to improve student performance. (MLH)

Although charter schools are both public and accountable, they are increasingly being operated by private, for-profit educational management organizations. EMOs profit by reducing labor costs (cutting employment or compensation), using economies of scale (operating larger facilities); and providing fewer services (educating "mainstream"…

Discuss advantages and disadvantages of the privatization of public schools, including for-profit companies and charter schools. (PKP)

Argues that state legislatures have ignored the inherent conflict between the corporate objective of shareholder profit maximization and the public's interest in children's education when for-profit corporations deliver services. In the absence of stricter legislative governance, the courts must recognize new causes of action that safeguard the…