Why the Opportunity School District Failed? An Examination of Coalitions and the Politics of School Improvement

In this study, we examine coalition building and coordination using a qualitative case study of the coalition opposing a ballot initiative to create a state-run turnaround district in Georgia. The findings highlight three important strategies in coalition building: (a) incorporating new actors, espe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational evaluation and policy analysis 2021-12, Vol.43 (4), p.688-712
Main Authors: Welsh, Richard O., Graham, Jerome
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advocacy
African Americans
African cultural groups
Ballots
Case studies
Coalitions
Coordination
Education policy
Education reform
Educational Change
Educational Improvement
Educational Policy
Equality
Failure
Grass roots movement
Ideology
Partnerships in Education
Politics
Politics of Education
Race
Referendums
School Districts
School effectiveness
School Turnaround
State Legislation
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Summary:In this study, we examine coalition building and coordination using a qualitative case study of the coalition opposing a ballot initiative to create a state-run turnaround district in Georgia. The findings highlight three important strategies in coalition building: (a) incorporating new actors, especially noneducation advocacy groups and noneducator groups in education; (b) incorporating noneducation and African American advocacy groups in the leadership of the coalition; and (c) identifying and coalescing around core beliefs early to unite a diverse coalition. Time to organize, prior relationships, and interest group autonomy were key factors in navigating tensions between coalition breadth and coalition cohesion. Salient coalition coordination strategies included the following: (a) “keep it local and grassroots,” and (b) diverse messaging.
ISSN:0162-3737
1935-1062
DOI:10.3102/01623737211015998