The NCSPE maintains links to researchers, journals, newspapers and other organizations that offer diverse perspectives on educational privatization. Many sites are sponsored by organizations with strong political viewpoints, and include a broad range of positions for and against privatization. The NCSPE does not endorse these sites, and provides links to them as a public service.
Tend to Support Privatization in Education
Advocacy Groups
Action Institute
Action Institute promotes increased competition and parental involvement in educational decision making as a means for furthering the intellectual and moral formation of
America
's children. (website quote)
Alliance
for School Choice
"The
Alliance
is a national nonprofit educational policy group advocating school choice programs across the
United States
. A reorganization of three smaller education reform groups (American Education Reform Council, American Education Reform Foundation and Children First America), the
Alliance
provides leadership, experience and resources to affect meaningful reform in the educational arena. The Alliance, launched on May 17, 2004, the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
, is focused on the educational needs of economically or otherwise disadvantaged schoolchildren--often trapped in failing schools--and dedicated to fulfilling the promise of equal educational opportunities for all." (website quote)
Alliance for the Separation of School & State
"The Alliance for the Separation of School & State has a two-fold mission: 1. Help parents and others understand the true nature and the dangers of compulsory state schooling. 2. Show parents and others how they can take back their freedom and ensure a bright future for their children and our country." (website quote)
The American Legislative Exchange Council
...to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty, through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America's state legislators, members of the private sector, the federal government, and general public. (website quote)
Black Alliance for Educational Options
To actively support parental choice to empower families and increase quality educational options for Black children. (website quote)
California State Parents for Educational Choice
The purposes of California Parents for Educational Choice are: “to educate the citizens of California about the public benefits which can and will result from giving all California parents (including guardians and other persons acting in loco parentis) materially greater financial freedom to choose whatever school they feel is appropriate for their children” (website quote)
Center for Education Reform
"The Center for Education Reform is a national, independent, non-profit advocacy organization founded in 1993 to provide support and guidance to parents and teachers, community and civic groups, policymakers and grassroots leaders, and all who are working to bring fundamental reforms to their schools." (website quote) Much of their work is dedicated to promoting education reform through school choice and charter school initiatives
Children's Scholarship Fund
"The Children's Scholarship Fund was created to expand educational opportunity for low-income families.... By awarding up to 75% of a child's private or parochial school's tuition, CSF gives disadvantaged families more choice in their child's education." (website quotes)
Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute
Virginia-based conservative advocacy organization with special focus on K-12 education, and whose mission is “taking conservative ideas to young women and mentoring them into effective leaders; and making parents preeminent in the education of their children.” Site includes news, event listings, and links to original research papers and other reports.
Educational Choice Charitable Trust
The program, founded in 1991, has provided scholarship grants to students of lower-income families enabling them to attend private, parochial, or out of district public elementary schools of their choice. (website quote)
EdInvest
"EdInvest is a service of the World Bank Group (World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency) and the private sector. EdInvest promotes private investment in education in developing countries." (website quote)
Alliance for the Separation of School & State
"The Alliance for the Separation of School & State has a two-fold mission: 1. Help parents and others understand the true nature and the dangers of compulsory state schooling. 2. Show parents and others how they can take back their freedom and ensure a bright future for their children and our country." (website quote)
The American Legislative Exchange Council
...to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty, through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America's state legislators, members of the private sector, the federal government, and general public. (website quote)
Black Alliance for Educational Options
To actively support parental choice to empower families and increase quality educational options for Black children. (website quote)
California State Parents for Educational Choice
The purposes of California Parents for Educational Choice are: “to educate the citizens of California about the public benefits which can and will result from giving all California parents (including guardians and other persons acting in loco parentis) materially greater financial freedom to choose whatever school they feel is appropriate for their children” (website quote)
Center for Education Reform
"The Center for Education Reform is a national, independent, non-profit advocacy organization founded in 1993 to provide support and guidance to parents and teachers, community and civic groups, policymakers and grassroots leaders, and all who are working to bring fundamental reforms to their schools." (website quote) Much of their work is dedicated to promoting education reform through school choice and charter school initiatives
Children's Scholarship Fund
"The Children's Scholarship Fund was created to expand educational opportunity for low-income families.... By awarding up to 75% of a child's private or parochial school's tuition, CSF gives disadvantaged families more choice in their child's education." (website quotes)
Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute
Virginia-based conservative advocacy organization with special focus on K-12 education, and whose mission is “taking conservative ideas to young women and mentoring them into effective leaders; and making parents preeminent in the education of their children.” Site includes news, event listings, and links to original research papers and other reports.
Educational Choice Charitable Trust
The program, founded in 1991, has provided scholarship grants to students of lower-income families enabling them to attend private, parochial, or out of district public elementary schools of their choice. (website quote)
EdInvest
"EdInvest is a service of the World Bank Group (World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency) and the private sector. EdInvest promotes private investment in education in developing countries." (website quote)
“Education Evolving is a Minnesota-based project committed to helping K–12 evolve and meet the challenges, demands, and opportunities of the 21st Century. We are individuals who have been working for some years on questions about the future of public education in
Minnesota
and elsewhere in the country. We work together as a joint venture of the Center for Policy Studies and Hamline University in Saint Paul.... This site describes...generally approves and advocates...the quite radical changes now appearing in K-12 education.... The site is about policy; mostly, state policy...” (website quotes)
Education Forum (of New Zealand)
The Education Forum has been formed to contribute to education policy through research and debate on the current issues, structures and expectations at all levels of New Zealand education. The membership is drawn from primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of education, together with members of industry and commerce. Website includes a searchable library of publications, including submissions to government, articles, books, and speeches.
Education Freedom Foundation
"Education Freedom Foundation (formerly Colorado Free Market Schools) is an Educational Non-Profit Corporation which proposes a free market approach to education. We say that 'No one should be forced to pay for anyone else's education. Education is not free!'" (website quote)
The Goldwater Institute
“The Goldwater Institute was founded in 1988 by a small group of entrepreneurial Arizonans with the blessing of Sen. Barry Goldwater. Through research and education, the Goldwater Institute works to broaden the parameters of policy discussions to allow consideration of policies consistent with the founding principles of free societies. The Goldwater Institute works on behalf of Arizonans to keep watch on government and to expand school choice, restore economic liberty, protect private property, and affirm Arizona’s independence against unconstitutional federal encroachments.” (website quote)
The Heartland Institute
Heartland's mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. Such solutions include parental choice in education, choice and personal responsibility in health care, market-based approaches to environmental protection, privatization of public services, and deregulation in areas where property rights and markets do a better job than government bureaucracies.
Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (CREO)
"CREO’s mission of improved educational outcomes through parental choice in education calls for equitable access to all of the options that are available to people of greater economic means. These options include all forms of public, private, and home school choices. Our purpose is to be a national voice for the right of Hispanic families to access all educational options and to be an agent for equity and quality in education." (website quote)
Institute for Justice
The Institute for Justice is a libertarian law firm that argues cases in which they believe government is infringing on the rights of individuals--including cases on school choice. "We represent dozens of other parents and children in legal battles across the country in an effort to transfer power over basic educational decisions-including choice of schools-from bureaucrats to parents. In addition, we defend school choice programs nationwide, keeping true to our motto, "If you have a school choice plan, you have a lawyer." (website quote)
National Association of Independent Schools
NAIS's mission is to be the national voice of independent schools and the center for collective action on their behalf. (website quote)
National Catholic Education Association
NCEA supports the concept of full and fair parental choice in education which is supported by tax relief, voucher, scholarships and other aid to parents so they may seek the educational opportunities they want for their children. (website quote)
"A coalition of some 30 community, civic, educational, faith-based and child advocacy organizations.... The NJSCA is led by a steering committee of five member organizations: The Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO--NJ); The New Jersey Catholic Conference; Excellent Education for Everyone (E3); The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (HCREO); and The New Jersey Knights of Columbus. The NJSCA's primary mission is to improve educational outcomes for all children by empowering families through parental school choice in education. This, the NJSCA believes, is the only way to ensure equal opportunity in education for all children.” (website quotes)
School Choices
School Choices are strong supporters of privatization of education. "What it all boils down to is this: we can have the educational outcomes we want (higher academic achievement, effective innovation, social harmony on school issues, responsive teachers, reasonable costs, etc.) but we have to give up the cherished but false notion that they can be provided by government. Government is only a tool, and for the purpose of education it simply happens to be the wrong tool." (website quote)
State Policy Network
Founded in 1992, State Policy Network is the only group in the country dedicated solely to improving the practical effectiveness of independent, non-profit, market-oriented, state-focused think tanks. SPN's programs enable these organizations to better educate local citizens, policy makers and opinion leaders about market-oriented alternatives to state and local policy challenges.
EMOs
Edison Schools
"Edison Schools, founded in 1992 as The Edison Project, is the country's leading private manager of public schools. Edison has now implemented its school design in 97 public schools, including many charter schools, which it operates under management contracts with local school districts and charter school boards." (website quote)
Imagine Schools
"Imagine Schools is an organization, comprised mostly of teachers, that operates 39 public charter schools and independent schools in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Our mission is to help parents and guardians educate their children by creating learning communities of achievement and hope.
Imagine Schools was founded with the goal of restoring vision and purpose to schools and returning parents and guardians to full participation in the education of their children." (website quote)
The Leona Group, L.L.C.
Michigan-based EMO that currently manages 50 school sites throughout Michigan, Indiana, Arizona, and Ohio.
Mosaica Education
Formerly Advantage Schools Incorporated, Mosaica’s purpose is "to open portals of opportunity for children and adults through excellence in education and partners with community groups, universities, and school districts looking to create new schools or to revitalize existing ones." Site includes information on their program and links to schools operating under Mosaica. The company focuses upon urban charter schools and provides charter school management in several states
SABIS
Manages schools worldwide that presently educate approximately 33,000 students. These schools are characterized by their implementation of the SABIS Educational System, "a unique system that offers a...rigorous, college-preparatory education which challenges the boundaries of individual student potential and establishes a lifelong interest in learning." (website quote)
Research and Policy Organizations Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
Pennsylvania-based institute founded in 1955 as the nation's first think tank devoted exclusively "to bringing free-market solutions to local government." Site contains several on-line articles on school vouchers, tuition tax credits and charter school issues in PA.
The Buckeye Institute
The Buckeye Institute is an Ohio-based public policy research and education institute. "The Institute's research and programs are designed to show how market-oriented ideas can help solve problems facing Ohio. The Institute believes increasing business competition, streamlining regulations, reducing the costs of government, increasing private sector involvement, and decentralizing governmental decision making will benefit the quality of life for all Ohioans." (website quote)
California Catholic Conference of Bishops
“The Official Voice of the Catholic community in California’s Public Policy Arena,” and the largest provider of private education in the state. Contains an on-line policy page devoted to the topic of education with links to church and state issues, plus the Bishop’s Statement on California’s Proposition 38, a statewide voucher proposal defeated in the 2000 election.
Cascade Policy Institute
Oregon-based non-profit research and educational organization whose mission is “to explore and advance public policy alternatives that foster individual liberty, personal responsibility, and economic opportunity,” and focuses on state and local issues. Contains an education issues site, which includes several downloadable PDF publications and commentary on school tax credits and charter schools in Oregon.
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a supporter of privatization initiatives for public education. "We envision a day when state-run schools give way to a dynamic independent system of schools competing to meet the needs of every single American child." (website quote)
Education Forum (of New Zealand)
The Education Forum has been formed to contribute to education policy through research and debate on the current issues, structures and expectations at all levels of New Zealand education. The membership is drawn from primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of education, together with members of industry and commerce. Website includes a searchable library of publications, including submissions to government, articles, books, and speeches.
Eduventures.com, Inc.
"Eduventures.com, Inc. is an education industry research and information services firm. The Company's web-based resources are designed to help education businesses develop strategy, raise capital and acquire talent. Eduventures.com also provides education industry investors with up-to-date news and analysis on industry mergers & acquisitions, investments, venture funding, alliances and IPOs." (webite quote)
The
Privatization
Center
provides practical research and analysis, how-to guides, case studies, and reports designed to inform elected officials on how to streamline government. The Center specializes in government services--such as health services, social services, and public safety--as well as infrastructure, such as airports, electric power, highways, transit, and water/wastewater facilities. (website quote)
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
"Great schools come in all varieties, and families and educators should be free to choose the one that best matches their values and preferences. No child should be forced to attend a bad school when a better one is right across the street. And government agencies called public school systems should not have a monopoly on providing 'public' education; any school that is open to the public and accountable to public authorities for educational results should receive public funds and be considered a public school." (website quote)
The Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation for School Choice
"The Friedman Foundation strives to educate parents, public policy makers and organizations about the desperate need for a shift of power to the disenfranchised parents of America who have limited choices and voices in the education of their children. The Foundation serves as an indispensable resource for parents and community groups who want parental choice in education, and are ready to fight for it." (website quote)
Heritage Foundation
"Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institute--a think tank--whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense." (website quote) They are supporters of privatization in education initiatives.
Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace
Research center in Stanford University devoted to the advanced study of politics, economics, and political economy (both domestic and foreign) and international affairs. Maintains the American Public Education Initiative, which focuses mainly on K-12 education. Site contains the agenda of past conferences and symposia plus writings on education reform by Hoover fellows such as Chester Finn, Terry Moe and Paul Patterson.
The Independence Institute
"Founded in 1985, the Independence Institute is a non-partisan, non-profit public policy research organization dedicated to providing timely information to concerned citizens, government officials, and public opinion leaders.... Motivated by concern over the future of our children, the Institute has long championed private enterprise solutions in the current quandary facing public education." (website quote)
The Independent Institute
"The mission of The Independent Institute is to transcend the all-too-common politicization and superficiality of public policy research and debate, redefine the debate over public issues, and foster new and effective directions for government reform." (website quote) Their website contains links to information and articles concerning privatization in education issues.
Manhattan Institute
"The Manhattan Institute is a think tank whose mission is to develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility." (website quote) One of their main areas of focus is education reform--including support for school vouchers and charter schools.
National Center for Policy Analysis
The NCPA is a nonprofit public policy research institute. Their site's education section focuses on the positive effects of vouchers, charter schools, and other forms of choice in education.
Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy
"The Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy promotes the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility. The Institute believes these principles are best encouraged through policies that emphasize a free economy, private initiative, and limited government." A Pacific Research Institute's subcenter, The Center for School Reform, "focuses on K-12 education reform strategies such as charter schools, parental choice (public and private scholarship programs), academic standards, and education finance reform." (website quotes)
Program on Education Policy and Governance
Policy analysis program at Harvard University which focuses especially on testing the empirical claims of school choice reform efforts across the nation. Site allows downloading of important original research, including papers on evaluation and accountability of school choice programs, effects of vouchers on student achievement, and test score effects of school vouchers. Contains a link to “Education Next: A Journal of Opinion and Research” (formerly “Education Matters”).
Reason Foundation's nonpartisan public policy research promotes choice, competition, and a dynamic market economy as the foundation for human dignity and progress. Reason produces rigorous, peer reviewed research and directly engages the policy process, seeking strategies that emphasize cooperation, flexibility, local knowledge, and results. (website quote)
E.G. West Centre, University of Newcastle
The Centre's mission is to develop knowledge and understanding of how choice, competition and entrepreneurship operate in education markets around the world, and which regulatory frameworks best allow educational enterprises to flourish.
The World Bank
"The World Bank is the world's largest source of development assistance, providing nearly $30 billion in loans annually to its client countries." They work to "strengthen and sustain the fundamental conditions they [client countries] need to attract and retain private investment," including private-sector investment in education. "The Bank's President is by tradition a national of the largest shareholder: the United States." (website quotes)
State Organizations
Arizona: AZ School Tuition Organization Association
This organization provides scholarships for disadvantaged and disable students to attend private schools. They also provide information and advocacy regarding legislations around school choice.
