Anti-CRT Attacks, School Choice, and the Privatization Endgame

Authors

  • Sachin Maharaj University of Ottawa
  • Stephanie Tuters Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto
  • Vidya Shah York University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/ce.v15i2.186883

Keywords:

privatization, school choice, critical race theory, social justice, equity, school districts

Abstract

Across Canada, school districts have been confronting a backlash to their equity and social justice initiatives. Critics of public education have been arguing that the solution to these controversies is to increase school choice. Using several examples from the United States, this paper argues that the endgame of these strategies is to undermine the legitimacy of public education and increase support for private alternatives. To protect its future viability, the paper also calls on public education advocates to grapple with ongoing marginalization within school systems which make private options increasingly attractive.

Author Biographies

Sachin Maharaj, University of Ottawa

Sachin Maharaj is an assistant professor of educational leadership, policy, and program evaluation at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on educational governance, school districts, teacher unions, and the equity implications of school choice.

Stephanie Tuters, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto

Stephanie Tuters is a sessional lecturer at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Her research and teaching explore how leadership, policy, and practice can become more socially just and anti-racist.

Vidya Shah, York University

Vidya Shah is an educator, scholar, and activist committed to equity and racial justice in the service of liberatory education. She is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at York University, and her research explores anti-racist and decolonial approaches to leadership in schools, communities, and school districts.

Issue cover. Critical Education Volume 15 Number 2 ISBN 1920 4175

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Published

2024-04-28

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 2 (2024): Defending and Strengthening Public Education as a Common Good

Section

Defending and Strengthening Public Education as a Common Good

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Sachin Maharaj, Stephanie Tuters, Vidya Shah

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