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  • "With in-depth, well-researched analysis, the team at In the Public Interest is an invaluable policy resource."

    Randi Weingarten, President of AFT

  • "[In the Public Interest] understands from other cities where they’ve done it right and where they’ve done it wrong."

    Bill Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, PA

  • "It’s hard to think of any organization that is as valuable in protecting the public interest in a time when it is in peril."

    Diane Ravitch, Education historian

In the Public Interest

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.

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Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

For-profit online education corporation K12 Inc. cozies up to Trump administration

Cashing in on Kids is our newsletter for people who think public education should be truly public.
April 2020
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Education Home

COVID-19 is putting the value of public schools on display

It’s worth taking a moment to think about why it took so long to close the nation’s public schools.
March 2020
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Education Infrastructure

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

Summit Public Schools appears to be skirting the intention of California’s recent charter school regulation

Our pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
December 2019
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

D.C. proposes closing neighborhood school, as charter school backers demand access to public [...]

Our pick of recent news about the privatization of public education in the District and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
December 2019
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools

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
Charter Schools Education

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
Charter Schools Education

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
Charter Schools Education Publications

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
Charter Schools Education Publications

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

California School Accountability Report: New data on the cost of charter schools | AB1505 passes | [...]

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
Charter Schools Education Publications

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Education

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
Blog Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

California School Accountability Report: Calls for charter moratorium grow | The real story in Oakland | 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. Calls for charter moratorium grow.This week, the West Contra Costa Unified [...]
March 2019
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education

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
Blog Charter Schools Education What We Focus On

Cashing in on Kids: Why communities of color are increasingly rejecting charter schools

In the Public Interest's pick of recent news in the privatization of public education.
December 2018
Blog Charter Schools Education What We Focus On

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
Blog Charter Schools Education What We Focus On

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 2018

Featured Article

Report: Fraud and waste in California’s charter schools March 2018

Charter Schools Education Publications What We Focus On

Research 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
Blog Charter Schools Education What We Focus On

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
Blog Education What We Focus On

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
Blog Charter Schools Education What We Focus On

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
Blog Charter Schools Education Home What We Focus On

Statement on California State Board of Education’s closure of Celerity charter schools

OAKLAND—In the Public Interest Executive Director Donald Cohen issued the following statement on the California State Board of Education’s unanimous decision last week to close two Los Angeles charter schools managed [...]
May 2017

Featured Article

Report: The Failure of Policy Planning in California’s Charter School Facility Funding April 2017

Blog Charter Schools Education What We Focus On

What a Victory Against Wall Street in Nashville Means for Students in Massachusetts

A win against pro-charter school organizations in Nashville means good things for public education advocates in Massachusetts.
August 2016

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