In the Public Interest
Democracy, shared prosperity, and the common good
In the Public Interest is a comprehensive research and policy center on privatization and responsible contracting.
In the Public Interest
Democracy, shared prosperity, and the common good
In the Public Interest is a comprehensive research and policy center on privatization and responsible contracting.
“Humans are biohazards, machines are not.” New York to “reimagine” public education.
Our newsletter for people who think public education should be truly, absolutely, authentically public.
May 2020
Online K-12 education companies during coronavirus are “like coke dealers handing out free [...]
NewSchools Venture Fund, a pro-privatization, anti-teacher nonprofit, has compiled a list of free tools and products.
May 2020
For-profit online education company K12 Inc. to investors: There’s “upside” in the pandemic
Cashing in on Kids is a newsletter for people who think public education should be truly public—produced by In the Public Interest.
April 2020
11 warning signs that someone is trying to privatize your public school
Our pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
April 2020
For-profit online education company K12 Inc. aims ads at children as stock price climbs
Our pick of recent news about the privatization of public education and the parents, students, teachers, and communities fighting back.
April 2020
Koch-funded think tank says for-profit online schools are “what the future of learning looks [...]
Cashing in on Kids is In the Public Interest's pick of recent news about the privatization of public education.
April 2020
The charter school industry is vying for federal bailout money
Cashing in on Kids is In the Public Interest‘s pick of recent news about the privatization of public education and the communities fighting back. Not a subscriber? Sign up. Make sure to like us on Facebook and [...]
April 2020
Online learning shouldn’t be an excuse to privatize public education
Here’s our pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California and the families, students, and teachers fighting back. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. Online learning shouldn’t be [...]
April 2020
Congressman confronts Education Secretary Betsy DeVos about charter school failures
Cashing in on Kids is In the Public Interest's pick of recent news about the privatization of public education.
February 2020
Michael Bloomberg has spent big on pushing charter schools in California
Our pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
February 2020
Therapy. Gardening. Housing assistance. There’s a bright future for public schools.
A groundbreaking new study shows that community schools can improve attendance, increase graudation rates, and more.
February 2020
National School Choice Week is actually about promoting certain choices over others
Instead of investing in all public schools, the funders behind National School Choice Week want our communities to leave education up to private markets.
February 2020
Wall Street wants in on public school construction, and that’s scary
For years, we’ve heard the same false claims behind the push to use public-private partnerships to build new infrastructure, like toll roads and prisons. Private equity firms and Wall Street banks say public-private [...]
January 2020
Education historian Diane Ravitch has a new book, and she’s coming to a town near you
Cashing in on Kids is In the Public Interest‘s pick of recent news about the privatization of public education. Not a subscriber? Sign up. Make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. [...]
January 2020
California School Accountability Report: New charter regulation already paying off | and more
Our pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
January 2020
Summit Public Schools appears to be skirting the intention of California’s recent charter [...]
Our pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
December 2019
Charter schools are opening and failing like start-ups. That can’t be good for kids.
Thousands have been shuttered since the turn of the century. More than 35 percent of those given federal grant money between 2006 and 2014 either never opened or were shut down, costing taxpayers more than half a billion [...]
December 2019
D.C. proposes closing neighborhood school, as charter school backers demand access to public property
Our pick of recent news about the privatization of public education in the District and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
December 2019
Billionaire Eli Broad buys credibility for charter school movement with $100 million gift to Yale [...]
Cashing in on Kids is In the Public Interest‘s pick of recent news about the privatization of public education. Not a subscriber? Sign up. Make sure to like us [...]
December 2019
California School Accountability Report: San Jose charter to close | School privatization explained [...]
Our pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
December 2019
How to talk to your family about charter schools during the holidays
What you should say when someone starts dissing traditional, neighborhood public schools and hyping up charter schools.
November 2019
D.C. School Accountability Report: Scott Pearson to step down | Rocketship kidnapping | and more
Our pick of recent news about the privatization of public education in the District and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
November 2019
D.C. charter school chain faces off against neighborhood
Cashing in on Kids is In the Public Interest‘s pick of recent news about the privatization of public education. Not a subscriber? Sign up. Make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. San Diego [...]
November 2019
San Diego charter school in “meltdown mode” over money and safety problems
Our pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
November 2019
D.C. School Accountability Report: Charter enrollment dropping | Right-wing think tanks use D.C. as [...]
In the Public Interest's pick of recent news about the privatization of public education in the District and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
October 2019
Research Brief: Background information on charter schools
A collection of research designed to help communities grapple with how best to fit charter schools into their educational systems.
October 2019
Report: Examining California’s charter school appeals process
In 1992, California’s legislature passed a bill allowing for the creation of charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately managed. Almost three decades later, the state has the country’s largest charter [...]
June 2019
California School Accountability Report: New data on the cost of charter schools | AB1505 passes | and more
Here’s our pick of recent news about the ongoing effort to privatize public education in California. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. New data on the cost of charter schools. Last week, In the Public [...]
May 2019
Report: Charter schools are costing California’s West Contra Costa Unified $27.9 million a year
In the Public Interest, in partnership with California’s West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) staff, directly measured the financial impact of charter schools on students who attend the district’s [...]
May 2019
California School Accountability: Charter reform bills in motion | Bernie wants to rein in charter [...]
Here’s our pick of recent news about the ongoing effort to privatize public education in California. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. Big week in Sacramento. Multiple charter school law reform bills are on the [...]
May 2019
Show your support for SB 756 to help fix California’s broken charter school law
California’s public school students, parents, educators, and school personnel need your help supporting SB 756 before this Wednesday, April 24, when the Senate Education Committee holds a hearing on the bill. SB 756, [...]
April 2019
California School Accountability Report: Prop 39 fight in Carson | Can Gavin Newsom break the [...]
Here’s our pick of recent news about the ongoing effort to privatize public education in California. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. Prop 39 fight in Carson.A plan to locate a charter school in the same space as [...]
April 2019
California School Accountability Report: Sign this petition to hold charter schools accountable
Here’s our pick of recent news about the ongoing effort to privatize public education in California. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. Sign this petition to hold charter schools accountable. Educators for [...]
March 2019
Calls for a charter school moratorium in California are growing louder
Across California, education leaders, teachers, and parents are realizing that the state’s nearly three-decade-old charter school law needs to be updated. In January, the Los Angeles Unified School District voted to [...]
March 2019
D.C.’s charter school transparency policies fall short of nationwide state-level standards
In the wake of unexpected news that a prominent charter school is closing at the end of the school year, Washington, D.C.’s public education community is actively debating the issue of transparency. Many [...]
March 2019
California School Accountability Report: Calls for charter moratorium grow | The real story in [...]
Here’s our pick of recent news about the ongoing effort to privatize public education in California. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. Calls for charter moratorium grow.This week, the West Contra Costa Unified [...]
March 2019
Former San Diego charter school parent says daughter experienced “neglect and false [...]
I want to share a parent’s note that reminded me why In the Public Interest focuses on public education. Deb Zehr is the mother of nine-year-old Suraya, who recently left a San Diego charter school to attend a traditional, [...]
February 2019
California School Accountability Report: State to study charter impact | Explaining Prop 39 | and [...]
Here’s our pick of recent news about the ongoing effort to privatize public education in California. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. Is unlimited charter school growth sustainable? We might soon find [...]
February 2019
California School Accountability Report: Charter leader was making $24,000 a month
Here’s our pick of recent news about the ongoing effort to privatize public education in California. Want these straight to your email inbox? Sign up here. Charter school leader was making $24,000 a month. An audit [...]
October 2018
California School Accountability Report: Conflict over classrooms in SF
In the Public Interest's pick of recent news about the ongoing effort to privatize public education in California.
September 2018
Featured Article
Report: The Cost of Charter Schools for Public School Districts May 2018Featured Article
Report: Fraud and waste in California’s charter schools March 2018Research Brief: How charter schools impact public school district budgets
Public school districts and the students they serve are undermined by laws and practices that prioritize charter school growth over educational opportunities for all students.
February 2018
California School Accountability Report: Board of Education overrules communities once again
A charter off to a bad start in the Montebello Unified School District, students protest school discipline in La Mesa, and more.
January 2018
How we got to having to rely on GoFundMe campaigns to keep Baltimore students from freezing
The Right's push to make everyone afraid of higher taxes has drained public budgets, which strangles public goods and services.
January 2018
California School Accountability Report: More charter school fraud
Northern California charter school administrator found using public money to buy firearms, how a handful of billionaires are bankrolling Oakland's education elections, and more.
December 2017