ABSTRACT
Assigned with the rather daunting task of writing about the “social context of charter schools” for this handbook, I read and analyzed two broad bodies of literature. Th e fi rst focused on the changing social and economic characteristics of the United States in the early 21st century, which directly impact the opportunities of millions of school children. Th e second body of literature was recent research on charter schools. My goal was to try to understand the relationship between the evidence to date on charter school reform and the social milieu in which these schools exist.
