ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describe the ways in which neoliberal and market fundamentalist ideologies have transformed education by turning over policy making to the rich and powerful who are generally unelected and unaccountable. The federal government did not interfere in testing policies until 2002, when the federal government passed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and significantly expanded their reach into public schools beyond anything previously known. Obama's Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative promotes converting more public schools to charter schools; adopting the Common Core standards and curriculum; and using standardized tests based on the Common Core to evaluate students, teachers, and schools. Governor Cuomo introduced and signed legislation intended to portray public schools and public school teachers as failing with the goal of ending what he calls the public school monopoly.
