The Politics of Education Policy in an Era of Inequality: Possibilities for Democratic Schooling

290 Pages·2018·2.472 MB·English

by  Sonya Douglass Horsford, Janelle Scott, Gary Anderson

The Politics of Education Policy in an Era of
Inequality
In a context of increased politicization led by state and federal policymakers, corporate
reformers, and for-profit educational organizations, The Politics of Education Policy in an Era
of Inequality explores a new vision for leading schools grounded in culturally relevant advocacy
and social justice theories. This timely volume tackles the origins and implications of growing
accountability for educational leaders and reconsiders the role that educational leaders should
and can play in education policy and political processes. This book provides a critical
perspective and analysis of today’s education policy landscape and leadership practice;
explores the challenges and opportunities associated with teaching in and leading schools; and
examines the structural, political, and cultural interactions among school principals, district
leaders, and state and federal policy actors. An important resource for practicing and aspiring
leaders, The Politics of Education Policy in an Era of Inequality shares a theoretical framework
and strategies for building bridges between education researchers, practitioners, and
policymakers.
Sonya Douglass Horsford is Associate Professor of Education Leadership at Teachers
College, Columbia University, USA.
Janelle T. Scott is the Robert C. and Mary Catherine Birgeneau Distinguished Chair in
Educational Disparities and Associate Professor of Education Policy, Politics, and
Leadership at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.
Gary L. Anderson is Professor of Educational Leadership at New York University, USA.
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EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP FOR EQUITY AND DIVERSITY
Series Editor: Colleen A. Capper
Leadership for Increasingly Diverse Schools
George Theoharis and Martin Scanlan
Organizational Theory for Equity and Diversity
Leading Integrated, Socially Just Education
Colleen A. Capper
The Politics of Education Policy in an Era of Inequality
Possibilities for Democratic Schooling
Sonya Douglass Horsford, Janelle T. Scott, and Gary L. Anderson
For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.com/Educational-
Leadership-for-Equity-and-Diversity/book-series/ELED
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The Politics of Education Policy in an Era of
Inequality
Possibilities for Democratic Schooling
Sonya Douglass Horsford, Janelle T. Scott, and Gary
L. Anderson
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First published 2019
by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2019 Taylor & Francis
The right of Sonya Douglass Horsford, Janelle T. Scott, and Gary L. Anderson to be identified as authors of this work has
been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this title has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-138-93018-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-93019-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-68068-2 (ebk)
Typeset in Aldine 401 and Helvetice Neue
by codeMantra
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Contents
List of Figures, Tables, and Boxes
Series Editor Introduction
Preface
Overview of the Book
1 The Politics of Education Policy in an Era of Inequality
2 Critical Policy Analysis: Interrogating Process, Politics, and Power
3 Public Schools or Private Goods? The Politics of Choice, Markets, and Competition
4 National or Special Interests? Federal and State Education Policy and Reform
5 School District Governance and Education Leadership: A Shifting Landscape
6 Philanthropy, Donors, and Private Influence over Public Education: The Case of Charter
Schools
7 The “New Professional”: Teaching and Leading under New Public Management
8 In Pursuit of Democratic Education: Putting the Public Back in Public Schools
9 Building Power: Community Organizing, Student Empowerment, and Public
Accountability
10 Reclaiming the Power of Education: Possibilities for Democratic Schooling
Index
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List of Figures, Tables, and Boxes
Figures
5.1 Micropolitical Leadership Matrix
6.1 The Policy, Planning, and Funding Network of the Charter School Sector
6.2 Examples of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) Organizations and Funding Streams
Tables
2.1 Goals of Schooling
5.1 School Governance Regimes
6.1 New Philanthropy, New Language
7.1 Periods of Professionalization
8.1 A Framework for Moving Toward Authentic Participation
9.1 Traditions of School-Based Management
Boxes
2.1 Tamara Contreras, Principal, Liceo Confederacion Suiza, (Swiss Confederation High
School), Santiago, Chile
2.2 Understanding Education Policy as Political Spectacle
5.1 Gertrude Ayers, Principal, Harlem, New York
6.1 Brief Descriptions of Selected Venture Philanthropies
6.2 Superintendent Mike Matsuda, Anaheim Union School District
8.1 Jamaal Bowman, Principal, Bronx, New York
9.1 John Kuhn letter, Superintendent of Mineral Wells Independent School District,
Texas
9.2 New Teachers’ Roundtable (NTRT)
10.1 Coalition for Educational Justice: Culturally Responsive Education 101
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10.2 Technocratic Knowledge Framework
10.3 Emancipatory Knowledge Framework
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Series Editor Introduction
The Educational Leadership for Equity and Diversity book series aims to publish the primary
text for each pre-K to 12 educational leadership preparation course while allowing educators
in schools and districts to rely on the same books for leadership development. I cannot
imagine a more timely and brilliantly written book for current and prospective educational
leaders as this text, The Politics of Education Policy in an Era of Inequality.
Conceptually framed by critical policy analysis, this book presents an alternative to
traditional education policy and politics texts by focusing on issues of power, voice,
democratic participation, and the reproduction of inequality in the policymaking process. As
importantly, through the narrative, discussion questions, and real-life case examples, the text
lays out how educational leaders can disrupt this policy inequality at multiple levels.
Perhaps for many educational leaders, federal, state, local, and school policies may seem
elusive, and often, in the context of a myriad of competing responsibilities, educational
leaders reactively respond to policy mandates at all levels. Instead, Horsford, Scott, and
Anderson advocate for a critical policy analysis perspective as the lens for addressing and
creating educational policy and doing so in three ways.
First, critical policy analysis requires a critical, social justice interpretation and application
of existing policies. Authors Horsford, Scott, and Anderson challenge leaders to lead beyond
policy compliance. They remind us that how we view and then enact policy at all levels
depends on our own belief system. For example, some educational leaders interpret federal
and state special education policy in ways that maintain segregated environments within
schools. Educational leaders leading for equity can leverage the same policies to eliminate
segregation and in ways to advance the proportional representation of students labeled with
disabilities across all settings. Both interpretations of the policy are compliant, but only one
interpretation advances equity.
Second, critical policy analysis asks leaders to join their communities to challenge policies
that perpetuate inequities (and this text shows them how through case examples). Third,
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