Dark Money and the Politics of School Privatization

ISBN-13: 9783030732639 / Angielski / Miękka / 2021 / 277 str.

Maurice T. Cunningham

Spis treści

Preface

Acknowledgements 

1. Chapter 1 Introduction: Deceiving Democracy

2. Chapter 2 The Campaign of 2016

2.1 Chapter 2 Subtitle 1 Charter Schools in Massachusetts and Union-Privatizer Proxy Wars

2.2 Chapter 2 Subtitle 2 The Charters Campaign of 2014-2016

2.3 Chapter 2 Subtitle 3 Messages in Conflict and the Battle Over the Word Public

2.4 Chapter 2 Subtitle 4 Dark Money in the Question 2 Campaign

2.5 Chapter 2 Subtitle 5 The Politics of the Charters Campaign

2.6 Chapter 2 Subtitle 6 Media and Money

2.7 Chapter 2 Subtitle 7 Conclusion

3. Chapter 3 Boardroom Progressives or Rich People’s Movement?

3.1 Chapter 3 Subtitle 1 Boardroom Progressives

3.2 Chapter 3 Subtitle 2 Rich People’s Movements

3.3 Chapter 3 Subtitle 3 Conclusion

       

4.    Chapter 4 Secret Funders: Oligarchs United

4.1 Chapter 4 Subtitle 1 The Walton Family—Outside Money

4.2 Chapter 4 Subtitle 2 The Boston Privatizers—Inside Money

4.3 Chapter 4 Subtitle 3 Individual Givers

4.4 Chapter 4 Subtitle 4 Funding Conduits

             4.5 Chapter 4 Subtitle 5 Conclusion

      

 5.     Chapter 5 Political Fronts

  5.1 Chapter 5 Subtitle 1 Umbrella Groups

  5.2 Chapter 5 Subtitle 2 Political Incubator: Teach for America

  5.3 Chapter 5 Subtitle 3 Home Grown Advocacy: Pioneer Institute for Public Policy

  5.4 Chapter 5 Subtitle 4 Specialty Groups

    5.5 Chapter 5 Subtitle 5 Conclusion

      6.   Chapter 6 Upstream Money and Downstream Money: The Hidden Flow of Funds

  6.1 Chapter 6 Subtitle 1 What 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) Organizations Can Do

  6.2 Chapter 6 Subtitle 2 How to Do Politics with a 501(c)(3)

  6.3 Chapter 6 Subtitle 3 How to Do Politics with a 501(c)(4)

  6.4 Chapter 6 Subtitle 4 Conclusion

      7. Chapter 7 Democrats for Education Reform and the Inside Job

7.1. Chapter 7 Subtitle 1 Ideology

7.2  Chapter 7 Subtitle 2 Funding

7.3 Chapter 7 Subtitle 3 Leadership

7.4 Chapter 7 Subtitle 4 Operations: Dark Money and Anti-Union

7.5 Chapter 7 Subtitle 5 Conclusion

8.  Chapter 8 Racial Perceptions, Racial Realities

8.1 Chapter 8 Subtitle 1 Grassroots or Astroturf?

8.1.1 Chapter 8 Subtitle 8.1.1 Signature Gathering

8.1.2 Chapter 8 Subtitle 8.1.2 Canvassing

8.1.3 Chapter 8 Subtitle 8.1.3 Phones

8.1.4 Chapter 8 Subtitle 8.1.4 Mailing

8.1.5 Chapter 8 Subtitle 8.1.5 Vanishing Volunteers

8.2 Chapter 8 Subtitle 2 The Commercialized Campaign 

8.3 Chapter 8 Subtitle 3 Conclusion

9. Chapter 9 After 2016: Money Never Sleeps

9.1 Chapter 9 Subtitle 1  A Dark Money Post-Mortem

9.2 Chapter 9 Subtitle 2 Lessons Learned, Lessons Ignored

9.3 Chapter 9 Subtitle 3 Resurrection 

9.4 Conclusion

10. Chapter 10 Conclusion: Defeating Dark Money in School Privatization—And Everywhere Else

O autorze

Maurice T. Cunningham was Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA from 1999 through 2021. He is a co-founder of the popular MassPoliticsProfs.org blog. He has received awards for his work on dark money from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and the Massachusetts Teachers Association.

Blurb

This book goes deep behind the scenes of school privatization campaigns to expose the complex networks of funding that sustain these efforts - often hidden from the view of the public. Using the example of a 2016 Massachusetts charter school referendum, Cunningham shows how wealthy individuals support charter school expansion through so-called “social welfare” organizations, thereby obscuring the true sources of funding while influencing major public policy votes. With vast wealth and a political agenda, foundations have helped to reshape the reform landscape in urban education.

“Cunningham's book is a valuable guide to the dark money funding the privatization of our public schools. As a champion of transparency and accountability, his writings literally changed the outcome of an important election in Massachusetts. We need many more like him!” - Diane Ravitch, author of Slaying Goliath: The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save America’s Public Schools

“This book offers a detailed description of an important state political battle between charter school supporters and opponents. Yet the work’s real strength lies in the author’s investigative reporting showing that political systems which are supposed to be transparent are anything but.” - Robert Maranto, Editor, Journal of School Choice

“Cunningham shows that when the billionaires behind privatization schemes are unmasked, they can be defeated. This urgent how-to story should be read, shared, and applied.” - Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America

“Using Massachusetts as a case study, Cunningham explores the ways that plutocrats have begun to leverage dark money in their efforts to pull apart the last great vestige of public life in the United States: our public schools.” - Jack Schneider, co-author of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School