ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the range of actors in the educational policy process. At the national, state, and local levels, a range of policy actors influence the educational system. The chapter then highlights some of the key players at each level and discusses their relationship with the formation and implementation of educational policy. The national and state levels tend to have mirroring sets of formal organizations that lobby and seek input on educational policy. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) represents the most known parental voice in educational policy. While the national PTA offers some input into the national education policy process, the organization is most active at the local level. Education management organizations (EMOs) are for-profit or non-profit institutions that receive public funds to manage charter or traditional public schools. For-profit EMOs seek a return on investment from these management activities. At the federal level, business involvement historically has largely been limited to the support of vocational education.
