ABSTRACT
Since 1991, there has been a new wave of interest in education by urban mayors, beginning with the mayoral takeover of the Boston Public Schools that year and continuing with the 2007 takeover of the District of Columbia’s public schools by Mayor Adrian Fenty and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay’s current efforts establish a separate set of charter schools. In Washington, D.C., Mayor Fenty’s takeover plan is now in place with the appointment of his new Schools Chancellor, Michelle Rhee. In St. Louis, Mayor Slay is actively working to add more schooling options for St. Louis students. He has begun to recruit charter schools sponsored by outside organizations, such as a KIPP Academy sponsored by Washington University in St. Louis, which will be located in the city.
