Neoliberalism in the classroom‪:‬

Neoliberalism is increasingly recognized as a term to describe the political condition in which we now live globally. As a political perspective, neoliberalism views all social and political relationships through the lens of the market. How does this perspective perceive public education and how has the politics of neoliberalism affected this sphere. For the last two decades a massive neoliberal experiment has been conducted within American K-12 education, the results of which are only now starting to become apparent. Charter schools in the US now educate millions of students. They appeal to parents who want more school choice and higher academic achievement. But there are many negative social impacts of such schools that tend to get obscured by the politicians and powerful business advocates of this model of public education.

This article gives a brief overview of the history of the charter movement, profiles the key non-profits supporting it, and critiques the social agenda behind the movement. The work of educational historian Diane Ravitch and political theorist David Harvey are referenced extensively to capture both the educational and overtly political dimensions of US school reform.

Brian Elliott has taught at universities in Scotland, Ireland, Turkey, and the United States. He is the author of four books on contemporary European philosophy, including Constructing Community (Lexington 2010) and Benjamin for Architects (Routledge 2011). He is currently working on a book on the politics of climate change.