Charter-Schools

Academic Evidence Reveals Systematic Corruption in Hurricane Katrina Education Privatization

| Importance: 8/10

Comprehensive research reveals a systematic corruption pattern in Hurricane Katrina’s education system transformation. Academic studies and journalistic investigations document how disaster was strategically used to rapidly privatize New Orleans public schools. Before Katrina, the school …

Louisiana State Legislature Charter School Advocates Right-Wing Think Tanks New Orleans School Board systematic-corruption institutional-capture education-privatization charter-schools regulatory-capture
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Epic Charter Schools Founders Arrested on $22 Million Embezzlement Charges in Oklahoma's Largest Education Fraud

| Importance: 8/10

On June 23, 2022, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation arrested Epic Charter Schools co-founders Ben Harris, 46, and David Chaney, 43, along with former CFO Josh Brock, 40, on racketeering, embezzlement, and conspiracy charges related to what State Auditor Cindy Byrd called “the largest …

Ben Harris David Chaney Josh Brock Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation State Auditor Cindy Byrd +2 more charter-schools embezzlement education-privatization racketeering political-corruption +1 more
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Race to the Top Competition Uses Federal Funds to Incentivize Charter Expansion and Teacher Evaluation Reforms

| Importance: 8/10

On July 24, 2009, the Obama administration announced Race to the Top (RttT), a $4.35 billion competitive grant program that would profoundly reshape American education policy by requiring states to adopt charter school expansion, test-based teacher evaluations, and Common Core standards as …

President Barack Obama Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Bill Gates Gates Foundation Democrats for Education Reform +1 more education charter-schools teacher-evaluation obama-administration neoliberal-reform +1 more
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Minnesota Enacts First Charter School Law, Creating Template for Education Privatization

| Importance: 8/10

On June 4, 1991, Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson signed the nation’s first charter school law, creating a new category of publicly funded but independently operated schools that would transform American education over the following three decades. The legislation, championed by the Citizens …

Governor Arne Carlson Minnesota Legislature Citizens League Ted Kolderie Joe Nathan education charter-schools privatization school-choice model-legislation
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