document analysis
U.S. Supreme Court, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002)
"Shortly thereafter, the state auditor found that Cleveland's public schools were in the midst of a "crisis that is perhaps unprecedented in the history of American education." Cleveland City School District Performance Audit 2-1 (Mar. 1996). The district had failed to meet any of the 18 state standards for minimal acceptable performance. Only 1 in 10 ninth graders could pass a basic proficiency examination, and students at all levels performed at a dismal rate compared with Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, PM students in other Ohio public schools"
Nikole Hannah-Jones, "Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City," New York Times Magazine, June 9, 2016
"The improvements for black children did not come at the cost of white children. As black test scores rose, so did white ones. Decades of studies have affirmed integration's power. A 2010 study released by the Century Foundation found that when children in public housing in Montgomery County, Md., enrolled in middle-class schools, the differences between their scores and those of their wealthier classmates decreased by half in math and a third in reading, and they pulled significantly ahead of their counterparts in poor schools"
Kenneth B. Clark, "Alternative Public School Systems," Harvard Educational Review, Vol. 38, No. 1, 1968, pp. 100-113
"This lower efficiency is expressed in terms of the fact that the schools attended by Negro and poor children have less adequate educational facilities than those attended by more privileged children." "If one accepts the premise which seems supported by all available evidence, and above all by the reasoning of the Brown decision, that racially segregated schools are inherently inferior, it would seem to follow that all attempts to improve the quality of education in all-Negro and all-white schools would have necessarily limited positive effects."
John E. Chubb and Terry M. Moe, Politics, Markets, and America's Schools (Brookings, 1990), Chs. 4-6
"Yet studies of school affectiveness have rarely taken the environment seriously. They tend to explain poor performance in terms of variables inside and immediately outside the school- and then they turn to our institutions of democratic control to make the necessary changes"
John E. Chubb and Terry M. Moe, Politics, Markets, and America's Schools (Brookings, 1990), Chs. 4-6
"Yet studies of school affectiveness have rarely taken the environment seriously. They tend to explain poor performance in terms of variables inside and immediately outside the school- and then they turn to our institutions of democratic control to make the necessary changes" School control effects student achievement, as a cause and not a result Critique of reading: In constructing student achievement variable as a dependent, a lot of conclusions are made from scores from sophomores through senior year, but the analysis is very broad so think critically about the analysis part because it's a bit of a mess for the composite score of achievement, presenter thinks this is a stretch to apply to the score The educational level attainment of the mother is the strongest indicator of the students achievement ***double check Chapter 5 Why some schools are better organized because they have less external and internal restraints more autonomy and freedom to work School sites enhance organizational effectiveness Lower student to teacher ratio does not change effectiveness Bureaucratic influence is a greater cause of school organization that it can make or break schools themselves Final answer is that market and private control of education Shared territory with a lot of critics on the left, Debby meier, kenneth clark, Remember we can take issue with the conclusion but decent amount of overlap for advocates of reform from the left, they would have problems with reverse causality related to parental income and etc but can't dismiss it Chapter 6 Overview of past reform movements and explains why they failed Markets and special circumstances, private schools take advantage of markets decrease bureaucracy but increases choice Increase money does not improve student achievement except in severe cases Says new textbooks and etc don't increase learning either Second wave of reform was innovative reforms, more current recent reforms, does little to dismantle bureaucracy, school based management is good but wont fix everything Poor performing organizations will always go back to bureaucratic methods Argues against certification hoops Page 217 super important Says choice is the solution, betsy devos also argument, business argument that let parents choose, bad schools will close and good schools stay, the author claiming choice is a panacea is a huge contention against kenneth clark, Debby meier, and other liberals. Doesn't say vouchers but instead scholarships unlike friedman who said vouchers go to parents and only worth "x" dollars and private schools could charge more aka top up model like Chile, the scholarship doesn't support top up
A.O. Hirschman, Exit, Voice, and Loyalty (Harvard University Press, 1970)
"a final point. exit and voice, that is, market and market forces, that is, economic an political mechanism have been introduced as two principal actors of strictly equal rank and importance" actors and mechanism
Milton Friedman, The Role of Government in Education, in Robert A. Solo, ed., Economics and the Public Interest (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1955), pp. 123-144
1960's ish huge fighter for school choice and voucher, since 1955 CITE CORRECTLY his article appeared first then. HIs 1955 essay included a huge footnote about segregation, he believed that forced desegregation was as bad as segregation, so in 1962 version they removed it. He wasnt for integration, he supported the white academies in the south creating the school choice to avoid negros attending their school- this footnote might be on the exam Friedman's concept of voucher programs was that they should be very broad, potentially covering all students and schools, and had to be completely unregulated A huge Libertarian, bc of the soviet union and hated big government He was all about freedom but felt that schools were necessary, didn't think that it was wise to have parents raise kids the way they wanted to. Aka "social cohesion" and he was quoted saying if we "don't have schools well have negative neighborhood effects" in econ thats called externalities Said "don't have kids if you cant educate them" he saw it as a big form of birth control, but did agree that the government did need to assume a role in educating because he was a realist, but he did want the education to be very limited, wanted vouchers, schools could decide on admissions, schools determined the price, Agreed with the document Massachusetts school laws Chile was the example and leaders of school choice, and was the map and approach for Friedman's views on education Parents should be able to make the choice, he believed that it wasn't the govt's responsibility for your kid to have high up job, gov's responsibility that they are literate and employable, if parents cant afford for their kids to go to a good school "oh well, that's their problem" Advocate for laissez faire, free market, Surprisingly advocating for governmental intervention Three roles of the government, Natural monopolies (utilities, like water, or electricity, that's why government monitors) the second is negative externalities or negative neighborhood effects, and the third is the guardian role of the state Advocates for vouchers, individuals being given money from the government and attend the private schools they seem fit Top up strategy, basically basic amount on vouchers and if wealthy parents have money they can add more money to voucher to pay for their kids to go to better schools, inequitable, system was used in Chile. Initially okay but now Chile says that if you use voucher you can add more money, Chile is the dream place for vouchers, him and chicago boys went there to study.
Henry M. Levin, "Educational Vouchers: Effectiveness, Choice, and Costs," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Vol. 17, No. 3, 1998, pp. 373-392
A summary of empirical evidence and highlighting methodical challenges with each study and their credibility Got the juries stance on vouchers, implications of choice, and outline comparative cost of public and private Do vouchers improve student achievement Mixed response Questions of threats of validity in every study Milwakiue experiment is important, go back and read that Not much difference only modest improvement with math Without vouchers children are captives to neighborhood schools according to Levin, says vouchers are passports allowing children to pick the best schools and increase competition and worst schools will close Parents exercising choice are more advantaged to those that don't SES is the major factor choice for schools but says it's leading to increased segregation What is the cost of the vouchers system? How much are they going to cost "From the crooked timber of humanity, nothing straight was ever made" - immanuel Kant Cant put people in a box, you can try but it wont work because crooked means were all very different and people are gonna find ways to game the system and amplify their chances
A.O. Hirschman, Exit, Voice, and Loyalty (Harvard University Press, 1970)
Economics is a lot cleaner than politics, addressing the encroachment of economics, and it has taken on too much territory and poly sci needs to fight back even though its not as neat and clean as economics. We need politics to preserve democracy and is why voice is so important Hirschman is saying economist are taking over from politics and regression lines Hirschman is the defense of the humanities, there are the humanist (social scientist) and the quants, quants wanna quantifiable everything and solely use regression analysis for everything but you don't have the time for field work or deep and wide reading and if you don't do either you won't know what questions to ask Operation crossroads africa There is no exit from the public school system, you can take them out of the public school but still gonna live in a society of the consequences of public school system that does not function. Get into the basics of economics, there will be negative externalities with living in a society that has bad public schools
Milton Friedman, The Role of Government in Education, in Robert A. Solo, ed., Economics and the Public Interest (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1955), pp. 123-144
Friedman footnote: Acknowledges in 1955, deflect expected censure (criticism) about inequity the year following brown v board, against segregation and against forced non segregation, says the real issue is the public system at all and if it was private it would be a choice and we wouldn't have this. Believes in time that people will realize segregation is dumb, but he is not for forced integration he wants it to happen over time through the appeal of moral persuasion
Oliver E. Williamson, "The Vertical Integration of Production: Market Failure Considerations," The American Economic Review, Vol. 61, No. 2, May 1971,
He outlines the vertical integration up until 1971 Says that it's an anomaly and largely frowned upon outside of tech comp., leads to monopolies, that the people are dubious Pro's: lower admin cost, like litigation, contracts, promotes autonomy and self regulation control over conflict resolution etc, lowers transaction costs, such as what Levin suggest in his readings Cons': it's incredibly costly for the company, theorizes flexibility so takes longer to respond to the market needs, and not as cooperative with other companies Conditions that would lead to pursuing vertical integration: such as static market, etc etc Doesn't always work in practice, but in theory is beautiful because it doesn't take into consideration the corner cutting that may appear Markets working well is when you're not spending more than you should be-professor Vertically integrated companies: facebook, google, etc Moral hazard 117: principal v agent theory, with outsourcing you could drive up the probability of moral hazard because you have less control, it is key and a critical problem with education Last reading With privatization you have more of a third party problem because of the make buyer problem Willamson is just expanding on coase in his argument
Tawnell D. Hobbs, "Do School Vouchers Work? Milwaukee's Experiment Suggests an Answer," Wall Street Journal, January 28, 2018
Looks at WSJ analysis that says voucher systems are more effective in schools that have lower percentages of voucher students. Returns diminish as percentage of voucher rises. Claims funding and spending does not affect student outcomes. Interestingly, they claim money will produce better choice system. Of the ideology that choice is a panacea. Voucher schools do not get as much money. They are getting about 73% as much as public schools See: special education needs Nonetheless, the per person expenditure is quite a bit more in public schools This system is not true in Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, et cetera It is important to note that up to 90% of the schools in this study are parochial schools This is why it's not really a choice system It's a limited choice system (see: 96.7% of students using vouchers in Cleveland in '02 attended Catholic schools; only 1/3 of these practices Catholicism.) Hobbs: Money matters a lot; integration matters a lot. Carnoy is right.
Albert Shanker, "Restructuring Our Schools," Peabody Journal of Education, Vol. 65, No. 3, 1988, pp. 88-100
Original conception of charter schools in the US, not exactly what was implemented in 1992 Strong critique of US education system in the 80's, not slight reform but huge overhaul of education Says it's an outdated system and irrelevant to a technological advanced world Chalk and talk, the typical way of teaching is outdated and says that 80% of students can't follow that method If we measure school achievement based on mathematical and verbal then we alienate so many other students Complete overhaul of the antiquated system Says supporters of these changes may speak about "restructuring the cur- riculum" or "restructuring the teacher licensing process," but none of the reforms I've mentioned has changed the fundamental assumptions or structure of schooling Says it's an outdated system and irrelevant to a technological advanced world We live in a technologically sophisticated society, Chalk and talk, the typical way of teaching is outdated and says that 80% of students can't follow that method If we measure school achievement based on mathematical and verbal then we alienate so many other students uperconductors. The truth is that, although we're doing a lot better than before, we're nowhere near the level of achievement necessary to survive in a highly competitive, global, hi-tech econ believes traditional school structure prohibits teacher from arranging alternate ways the student might learn, through a different but equally good set of materials or through a child's outside interests-or any other approach other than what's already been tried Says schools are too bureacratic, hat classrooms and schools are not set up, despite the rhetoric, to accommodate individual differen Charter school movement is on the path of validating his stance and vision. Ways the current system has is due to Less bureacratic and more efficient because of privatization Due to this efficiency and more money from private "donors" they are able to provide more up to date resources Provides more choice and competititon "fixing individuals or things, of getting "better" teachers or textbooks and the like. Rather, it involves encouraging structural changes that permit individuals to func- tion differently and to change things, including their practice" the flexibility we see in charter schools today Often makes use of instructional time well
Joanne Barkan, "Got Dough? How Billionaires Rule Our Schools," Dissent, Winter 2011
Problem 1: Democracy deficit: Too much tremendous power between 3 philanthropies, Not accounted to anyone, Public schools are accountable to the communities and the voters Problem 2: Quality deficit Big three believe schools must be run by businesses. Gates foundation's first ed reform project produced many "gut-wrenching sagas of school disruption" Big 3, gates and Broad foundation and the walton family The big three are in cahoots with one another, examples are the fact Some superintendents are titled CEOs, schools are operating like businesses. why the Obama administration advanced charters, because this person was basically hand-selected by the big three, who groomed him for the position They have undue influence in marketing and media
Diane Ravitch, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education (Basic Books, 2010; revised ed., 2016), Ch. 10
Second Ravitch outlines the dangers associated with billions determining policy and fights for neighborhood schools that are accessible for parents to voice concerns. Dangers she brings up are Philanthropy models venture capital tendencies These people have a predisposed bent towards believing in the market (duh) Market serves us well for consumer items but not for public services and goods Priorities in schools shifted in order to receive grant money, says that charter schools will become the urban center for the gifted and the public schools will become the leftovers However Ravitch has inconsistencies She makes a strong argument for Catholic schools Separates catholic and charter Says philanthropist should invest in them and shame they haven't Claims they want more marketplace options \ Claims that private schools have helped black brown and needy kids in urban center Does Not acknowledge how much they are
Nikole Hannah-Jones, "Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City," New York Times Magazine, June 9, 2016
Social cohesion is related to this article, Social Cohesion is the reason for the establishment of schools in America Age old question; should you be forging public policy with personal beliefs, aka even though you believe in public school you'd send your child to private because you want "the best for them" She rejects that age old question you shouldn't ignore for the good of your child, and she rejects kenneth Clark and mami phillips (the husband and wife duo that did the doll study for the brown v board decision) she says that we're not gonna get any better if we keep separating Some people disagree and say its not your job to change social policy with your own child but ultimately this is a discussion about education privatization and school choice However note how she contradicts herself because she did "shop" around to find PS307 when she's from bed stuy and there were schools in her area, and people who are not as savvy or educated wouldn't think to do that and just pick the default school, so she still made a choice which resulted in a public school with a great principal
Diane Ravitch, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education (Basic Books, 2010; revised ed., 2016), Ch. 10
States that "the market undermines traditional values and ties, and morals which rest on community consensus.... This may be great for the entertainment industry, but not healthy for children. As consumers we should be free to choose. As citizens, we should have connections to the places where we live and be prepared to work together with our neighbors on common problems. When neighbors have no common meeting ground, it is difficult for them to organize on behalf of their self interest and their community. With so much money and power aligned against the neighborhood public school and against education as a profession, public education itself is placed at risk. The strategies now favored by the most powerful forces in the private and public sectors are unlikely to improve american education. Removing public oversight will leave the education of our children to the whim of entrepreneurs, financers, and hucksters. Nor is it wise to entrust our schools to inexperienced teachers, principles, and superintendents. Education is too important to relinquish to the vagaries of the market and the good intentions of amateurs.
Kenneth B. Clark, "Alternative Public School Systems," Harvard Educational Review, Vol. 38, No. 1, 1968, pp. 100-113
The doll study Overarching lead of brown v board Does Not bring up school choice but brings up supply size, wants to compete His central concern is the monopoly, he is attacking the public system as it is and becomes an early advocate for choice and privatization, lambasting the bureaucracy and government Real significance: public ed system that we know today is broken and that we have to have an alternative system, does not specifically saying charter schools because it isn't a thing yet until 1980's but he's calling for charter schools, "alternative systems", suffering from Bureaucratic pathology Not really out of sync with milton friedman's proposal about the school system being broken, he has 6 proposals for different types of schools, refer to reading Milton friedman
Milton Friedman, The Role of Government in Education, in Robert A. Solo, ed., Economics and the Public Interest (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1955), pp. 123-144
This re-examination of the role of government in education suggesr that the growth of governmental responsibility in this area has been unbalanced. Government has appropropiately financed general education for citizenship, but in the process it has been led also to administer most of the schools that provide such education." finance and administer are critical words
U.S. Supreme Court, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002)
which the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2002, ruled (5-4) that an Ohio school-voucher program did not violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which generally prohibits the government from establishing, advancing, or giving favour to any religion. ZELMAN, SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION OF OHIO, et al. v. SIMMONS-HARRIS 97% of students using vouchers going to religious based schools Sandra day o'connor says you have school choice, she says if you can use the money to go to higher ed religious schools on government money then how come you can't do it during grade school John paul stevens has three concerns, the main one is indoctrination, the opportunity for it is so much greater, second worried about the effects of social cohesion- worried about more separation but is known about balkanization which means he's worried about religious conflict, and the third concern is denial John Paul stevens beliefs are relatable to Traub's opinion in regards to denial, he says that the issue is structural and throwing the voucher system and exclusion for 5% of students will not benefit anyone Basically an example of how vouchers across the country works, schools with vouchers are not keepings up with the standards and not reporting the results so the kids are inadequate and goes back to o douglas decision of who is looking out for the students There were many complications with this case but ultimately panders to O' Douglas's decision over the question of who is looking out for the students.
Henry B. Hansmann, "The Role of Nonprofit Enterprise," The Yale Law Journal, Vol. 89, No. 5, April 1980, pp. 835-901
yikes
Kevin G. Welner, NeoVouchers: The Emergence of Tuition Tax Credits for Private Schooling (Rowman and Littlefield, 2008), Ch. 2
yikes
• Kenneth J. Arrow, "Uncertainty and the Welfare Economics of Medical Care," The American Economic Review, Vol. 53, No. 5, December 1963, pp. 941-973
yikes- information assymetry