School Vouchers and Privatization: A Reference Handbook

by Weil, Danny

• ISBN13: 9781576073469
• ISBN10: 1576073467
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Abc-Clio Inc

Summary

Explore this controversial approach to education, its practical applications, successes, and failures in a straightforward guide that covers every facet of the issue, from for-profit schools to outsourcing of school management to vouchers.

Author Biography

Danny Weil has written extensively on educational issues from curriculum to public policy. He holds a Ph.D. in education and has taught all grades from kindergarten to high school. He is the director of the Critical Thinking Institute

Table of Contents

Series Editor's Preface	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgments and Dedication	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
Privatization and Education	p. 1
What Is Privatization?	p. 1
Some Examples of Privatization	p. 5
Why Privatization?	p. 8
A Brief Examination of Economic Theory: The History behind the Present Debate	p. 11
What Proponents and Opponents Are Saying about Neoliberalism and Privatization Efforts	p. 16
The Argument for Neoliberalism	p. 16
The Argument against Neoliberalism	p. 19
Privatization as an Economic and Social Phenomenon	p. 22
Summary	p. 25
Notes	p. 25
Chronology	p. 29
Privatization and School Choice	p. 45
Public and Private Choice: Identifying the Differences	p. 46
A Brief History of Private School Choice	p. 48
The Academic Failure of American Students: Fact or Myth?	p. 51
Factors Influencing Public Opinion about the Impact of Private Vouchers and Privatization as an Educational Concept: The Role of the Media and Special Interests	p. 53
Politics, Markets, and America's Schools: Making the Case for Private School Vouchers	p. 59
Implementing Private School Choice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: A Brief History	p. 60
What Forces Have Fueled the Private Choice Movement?	p. 61
Neoliberalism, the Educational Maintenance Organization, and the Emerging Educational Industrial Complex	p. 62
The Educational Maintenance Organization and the Educational Industrial Complex	p. 66
Impetus from the Religious Right	p. 67
Parental Dissatisfaction with the Status Quo	p. 69
Teachers' Dissatisfaction with the Status Quo	p. 74
Business and Political Dissatisfaction with the Status Quo	p. 75
Summary	p. 76
Notes	p. 77
The Privatization of Education: Arguments and Controversies	p. 81
The Language of Choice	p. 83
Arguments for and against Private Choice and School Vouchers: What Are the Issues?	p. 84
Neoliberalism and the Primacy of Markets: The Argument for Private Choice and School Vouchers	p. 86
The International Experience with Vouchers	p. 91
Neoliberalism and the Inadequacy of Markets: The Argument against Private Choice and School Vouchers	p. 93
Politics, Religion, and the Emergence of the Private Voucher Movement	p. 100
Should School Vouchers Be Used for Private, Religious Schools?	p. 101
Parochial School Vouchers and the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution	p. 106
Parochial School Vouchers and the Free Speech Clause of the U.S. Constitution	p. 109
School Vouchers and the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution	p. 110
Do School Vouchers Lead to Better Schools and Higher Student Achievement?	p. 111
The Problem of Accountability	p. 114
The Problem of Admission Practices	p. 114
The Problem of Restoring Public Schools	p. 119
Conclusion	p. 121
Notes	p. 122
Vouchers and the Law: Drawing Conclusions from Research	p. 127
Evaluating Research on Vouchers Programs	p. 127
Milwaukee's Voucher Program: The Historical and Social Context	p. 129
Origins of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Plan	p. 130
Charting the Major Research Studies	p. 133
Considering the Control Group	p. 133
Accounting for the Subjective Elements of Teaching and Learning	p. 136
Considering Claims to Objectivity in Research	p. 138
The Issue of Data Deficiency	p. 139
Reporting the Results of the MPCP Studies	p. 140
How Achievement Is Measured	p. 141
The Milwaukee PAVE Program and the Growth of Religious Schools	p. 151
Argument: Voucher Schools Lead to Better Public Schools and Higher Student Achievement	p. 153
Argument: Voucher Schools Do Not Lead to Better Public Schools and Higher Student Achievement	p. 154
Argument: Private Choice Schools Do Not Discriminate in Their Admission Practices, nor Do They Cream or Skim the Best Students	p. 157
Argument: Private Choice Does Lead to Discrimination and the Creaming and Skimming of Students	p. 158
Argument: Vouchers Do Not Divest Public Schools of Needed Funds nor Do They Thwart Effective Educational Reforms	p. 163
Argument: Vouchers Do Divest Public Schools of Needed Funds and Impede Effective Educational Reforms	p. 165
The Chilean School Choice Program	p. 166
A Brief History of the Chilean Voucher Program	p. 167
Martin Carnoy's Findings	p. 168
Summary	p. 170
Notes	p. 171
Private Scholarships and Faith-Based Charitable Contributions	p. 179
A Brief History of Private Philanthropy: Privatization of Education	p. 179
CEO America: The Birth of the Private National Scholarship Movement	p. 181
Private Philanthropy as a Social Movement	p. 183
Charitable Choice, Faith-based Charity, and Educational Religious Accommodation	p. 190
Charitable Choice in Public Policy	p. 191
Shifting the Public Policy Terrain	p. 192
Charitable Choice: The Argument	p. 194
Developing a Federal Office of Faith-based Charities	p. 197
The Outlook for Private Philanthropy and Charitable Choice	p. 199
Notes	p. 200
From Learning Centers to Earning Centers?	p. 203
Chronicling Commercialism in Education	p. 205
How Does Corporate Advertising Enter Our Schools?	p. 206
Sponsored Educational Materials(SEMs): A Pedagogical Promise or a Predatory Practice?	p. 209
Channel One Television: The Technological SEM of the Future	p. 210
A Typical Channel One Program	p. 211
Who Pays for Channel One?	p. 212
The Channel One Web Site: On-line Learning or On-line Mall?	p. 212
Learning and Assessment, Channel One Style	p. 213
Other Experiments in Exploiting the Educational Marketplace	p. 214
Contests, Sample Products, and Incentive Programs: Who Is Getting Educated?	p. 215
Resistance or Acquiescence?	p. 216
Commercialism in the Classrooms--The Bottom Line	p. 216
Sponsorships and Exclusive Agreements: The Rise of the School-Business Partnership or the Selling of American Children?	p. 217
Exclusive Agreements between Schools and Corporate Sponsors: Educational Partnerships or Contractual Relations?	p. 218
Summary	p. 219
Notes	p. 220
Managing Public Schools for Profit: The Rise of the Educational Management Organization	p. 223
For-Profit Management Companies: Pros and Cons	p. 223
Charter Schools and the Explosion of For-profit Opportunities	p. 224
Pedagogy or Profit--What Is the For-profit Management Agenda?	p. 226
The Anti-for-Profit Movement	p. 229
Contracting Out Public School Services to For-Profit Companies	p. 232
Summary	p. 236
Notes	p. 237
Epilogue	p. 239
The Internationalism of Privatization: Neoliberal Politics and Education	p. 244
Summary	p. 245
Notes	p. 246
Selected Print and Nonprint Resources	p. 249
Print Resources	p. 249
Nonprint Resources	p. 256
Directory of Organizations, Associations, and Government Agencies	p. 259
Organizations Involved in Educational Reform	p. 259
Government Agencies	p. 259
Nonprofit Organizations	p. 263
Nonprofit Organizations That Oppose Educational Privatization and Commercialization	p. 272
Private Organizations That Support School Vouchers	p. 277
Incentive Programs	p. 283
Organizations That Create and Support Sponsored Educational Materials (SEMs)	p. 284
Electronic Marketing SEMs	p. 286
For-Profit and Nonprofit Organizations That Manage Schools	p. 288
Organizations Involved in Direct Marketing Aimed at Youth	p. 291
Index	p. 297
About the Author	p. 320
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