Abstract
Debate continues to grow over the institutional practices of the expanding charter school networks in the United States, often referred to as charter school management organizations (CMOs). These networks of schools, largely found in urban areas, follow a very specific model of schooling and typically serve low-income students of color. Neoliberal governance fosters a strict accountability structure which shapes the institutional practices of a CMO, where everything from language to behaviors is monitored. Drawing on an ethnographic investigation of one CMO middle-school site, this chapter explores how institutional practices work to construct a neoliberal conception of citizenship for disadvantaged populations. I consider how the conception of “grit” manifests in the institution and the implications for the de-democratization of education. Theoretical work on the inculcation of neoliberal selfhood – as well as neoliberal subjectivities – is central to the analysis. The chapter concludes with a consideration of the fissures as leaders, teachers, and students struggle with a strict and uncompromising model of schooling.
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Notes
- 1.
While the model of the CMO is clear, the evidence that it achieves the necessary effect (i.e., getting students of color from low-SES backgrounds into prestigious universities) remains both sparse and limited.
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Stahl, G. (2022). Constructing the Neoliberal Citizen: An Ethnographic Investigation of Corporatized Practices in Education. In: Spannring, R., Smidt, W., Unterrainer, C. (eds) Institutions and Organizations as Learning Environments for Participation and Democracy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17949-5_4
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