ABSTRACT
Private companies have been involved in activities related to education and the running of American public schools for a long time. In recent years, however, EMOs, Education Management Organizations (modelled after HMOs, Health Management Organizations), have emerged and expanded, moving surprisingly fast into areas that so far were traditionally placed under the exclusive control of – and operated by – public authorities. Today these new protagonists on the educational scene blur the line separating the public and private spheres. This chapter attempts to assess the impact, the efficiency, and the future of EMOs.
