Post-Punctuation Politics: The Evolution of Charter School Policy in North Carolina
No Thumbnail Available
Files
Date
2009-04-15
Authors
Journal Title
Series/Report No.
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This qualitative case study examines the evolution of charter school policy in North Carolina. The study is theoretically grounded in Baumgartner and Jones’ (1993) punctuated equilibrium theory. First, the study explores the evolution of charter school policy in North Carolina since the passage of charter school legislation in 1996. Second, it tests Lacireno-Paquet and Holyoke’s (2007) hypothesis of policy reversion following the enactment of dramatic new policies. The study’s findings indicate that since the passage of charter school legislation, traditional public school interests in North Carolina, led by the North Carolina Association of Educators, have regained a position of dominance in education policy making. Traditional public school interests’ access to Democratic legislators in the General Assembly has been instrumental in blocking amendments to charter school policy that would raise or remove the statewide cap of 100 charter schools. As such, the study’s findings support Lacireno-Paquet and Holyoke’s hypothesis of policy reversion.
Description
Keywords
education politics, education policy, school choice, charter schools
Citation
Degree
PhD
Discipline
Educational Research and Policy Analysis
