E. Vance Randall

Fear and Privatization

Supporters of public education fear attempts to privatize schools, while the private sector has always struggled against the monopolistic power of the public schools that educates almost 90% of all K-12 students. This trepidation has recently been intensified by the creation of a “third sector” that includes charter schools, voucher programs, and the increased diversity of private education. This article looks at the dynamics of fear as shaped by increased competition among public, private, and privatized schools. In fact, both public schools and their private school counterparts, fear privatization of education because it draws students and resources away from traditional schools. And recently, the opening of new “religious charter schools” has crossed the lines between church and state, and between private and public education. Thus, the politics of education have become somewhat more confused and unnerving as the distinctions between public and private education are virtually disappearing.

Private schools and public power : a case for pluralism

School choice has become one of the most debated educational policy considerations in recent times. Here, Randall examines the role of government intervention in the operation of non-public schools, focusing on diversity and pluralism in education.

Exit and Entry: Why Parents in Utah Left Public Schools and Chose Private Schools.

This study explored the factors that influenced parental decisions to exit a public school and enroll their children in a private school. It also explored why parents chose the specific private school their child attends and the level of satisfaction they have with their private school choice. The key reasons for leaving public education were: (a) quality of the curriculum or the lack thereof, (b) religious values, (c) moral values, (d) quality of instruction, (e) class size, (f) school climate, and (g) disciplined environment. Parents listed the following as the most influential reasons to enter the private education sector: (a) quality of the curriculum or the lack thereof, (b) religious values, (c) moral values, (d) quality of instruction, (e) class size, (f) school climate, and (g) disciplined environment. It is the same rank order of factors that influenced parents to leave public education, with the exception that school climate and class size were reversed in order.

Educational Reform in Post-Accord Palestine: A synthesis of Palestinian perspectives

Education is central to the preservation and success of any society, including that of the Palestinians. With the signing of the Peace Accords in 1993, Palestinians now have their first opportunity in nearly 500 years to control and develop their own educational system, a system that will better meet the needs of the Palestinians than those nations who have controlled the Palestinians for so many years. With this singular opportunity, the questions now becomes one of determining the nature of this educational system, one uniquely fitted to preserve and promote Palestinian society. The purpose of this study was to examine ideas from Palestinians about what they thought their educational system should be and what core values should inform its creation and development. Through information gathered in semi-structured interviews, a portrait begins to emerge about what Palestinians think their schools and educational processes should look like, what barriers present themselves to the realization of their ideas, and what the solutions may be to remove these barriers.

Understanding the Politics of Research in Education

Research in education is a value-free, unbiased, neutral, social scientific pursuit of truth, using the best methods, and models available—or so we were told when we were learning the craft. The past 30 years have witnessed dramatic changes in how we view research and education. Traditional paradigms of research of methodology now compete with a variety of qualitative approaches and critical theory has unmasked the neutrality of education. This article provides an introduction to these issues and concerns of the politics of research on education as well as an outline of each chapter.

Living in two worlds: the development and transition of Mormon education in American society

Religious organisations have long relied on education to transmit cherished values, working within society to preserve their worldview. Therefore, when a religious education system is restructured, it can act as a barometer of change, revealing societal values and reflecting negotiated roles. Like other faiths, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Latter-day Saint or Mormon) has used education to shape its society. In its early history, the faith adopted an isolationist paradigm. Threatened by a Protestant-led common school crusade, Church leaders established a private school system, attempting to augment or even compete with public schools. However, during the early decades of the twentieth century, the programme was folded into the very public school system it was designed to replace. Teachers trained in the faith’s worldview replaced students nurtured in a Church-controlled environment. Accommodation and cooperation supplanted isolation and separation as Mormonism learned to live in two worlds – one with a particularistic religious view and another characterised by a pluralistic society.

The State and Religious Schools in America: An Overview of a Rocky Relationship.

The relationship between the state and religious schools in North America has been an uneven and unsettled one, punctuated at times with abusive behavior by the state. The purpose of this article is to present a historical overview of this important and changing relationship, and to provide a conceptual framework for understanding religious schools in a society with a governmental-school ethos.

The development of local private primary and secondary schooling in Hong Kong, 1841-2012

Purpose – This paper is a historical review of the development of private primary and secondary education in Hong Kong from 1841-2012. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolving relationship between the state and private schools in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach – This paper utilizes sources from published official documents, public data available on government websites, archival documents and newspapers. The authors also carried out a few individual interviews with legislators, government officials and principals who were familiar with the history of private education in Hong Kong. Findings – The colonial Hong Kong Government adopted laissez-faire policy in greater part of its rule until 1970s. The year 1978 marked the period of “state control” until the 1990s when privatization and deregulation emerged as a world trend in the governance of education. The role of government changed to that of “supervision” instead of “control.” Further, it is shown that the change of sovereignty did not...

From Sectarian to Secular Control of Education The Case of Newfoundland

On September 2, 1997, Newfoundland transitioned from church to state control over education. Prior to this change, education had been controlled by churches. Recently, on November 9, 2000, an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada by the Roman Catholic Church to declare the change unconstitutional was denied, settling the issue legally, although, perhaps, not politically. This article describes Newfoundlands educational system prior to the public referendum in 1997 that removed church control of education and explores some of the recent issues that have arisen since transition. It calls for further investigation into the effects of the change and the political, social, and economic forces that led to such a fundamental change.

Understanding Author Academic Disciplinary Background to Direct A More Effective Use of Standardized Testing Within the School Community

Standardized testing is an external control mechanism for K-12 public schools. Principals, nested between internal and external influences, must manage the tension created by testing’s roles as both an internal improvement tool and as an external control mechanism. Five competing narratives, each shaped by author academic background, significantly influence this tension. The testing literature is complex, but understanding these five main narratives can enable a principal to more effectively and proactively lead the testing narrative within their own school community.