ABSTRACT
This chapter briefly describes the multiple meanings of the term "privatization" and provides an overview of charter school laws as they help shape privatization within this reform movement. It discusses the various privatization strategies that charter schools employ, including relying heavily on private resources; employing educational management organizations to run day-to-day operations; contracting-out with private firms for individual services; and restricting who applies, who gets in, and who has a voice within the school community. Within the context of these economic, political, and social dimensions of privatization, the chapter demonstrates the ways in which charter schools in disparate communities are differentially affected by the shift toward privatization. It also argues the implications of what author know about charter schools and privatization thus far, namely, what these various forms of privatization within charter schools mean for the public system, who should care about these phenomena.
