Conservative Philanthropies and Organizations Shaping U.S. Educational Policy and Practice

“As I write this endorsement from my COVID-era back porch, I cannot imagine a more timely (and ultimately timeless) text than Conservative Philanthropies and Organizations Shaping U.S. Educational Policy and Practice. This text brings together pieces that are always thoughtful, often provocative, and invariably helpful to readers seeking to better understand the complicated web of influence that connects the 'good works' of ideologically conservative philanthrocapitalists and their ilk. deMarrais, Herron, and Copple do a terrific job of constructing a narrative arc out of the work of the fine scholars within, and themselves bring this text home with a beautiful, sobering, and fiery call to action for us all to remain informed, participate in dialogue, and work (and vote!) for the preservation of the public good. Bravo.”

Pamela J. Konkol, PhD, Director of Academic Research, Concordia University Chicago

“Building upon their previous work, deMarrais, Herron, and Copple further unravel the tightly connected network of conservative philanthropists shaping policy and practice at all levels of US education. In Conservative Philanthropies, contributors pull apart diverse historical and contemporary threads of this network. Chapter by chapter, authors provide more coherent vision of the power and reach of philanthrocapitalism and its hand in dismantling public education. This is essential reading for those committed to the fight for a more just and democratic system of education.”

Amy Stich, PhD, University of Georgia

List of Tables and Figures

Acknowledgments

Preface

1. Benevolence or Tax Avoidance? A Primer for Understanding How Philanthropic Foundations Work—Kathleen deMarrais, Brigette Herron, and Janie Copple

2. Ideology and the Education Debate: Examining the Powell Memorandum’s Influence on Education Policy and Neoliberal Reform Models—Jamie C. Atkinson 

3. Lochner’s Redeemers: How the Federalist Society and the Institute of Justice Impact the School Privatization Movement—Brian Dotts 

4. The Myth of Educational Freedom: The DeVos Family’s Influence on Educational Policy—Jamie B. Lewis 

5. Tracking Catholic School Funding From K-12 Through Higher Education—Kevin J. Burke 

6. The City Fund Takes It to “The People”: How Top-Down Reforms Imposed on New Orleans Will Be Bankrolled as Bottom-Up Initiatives in Cities—Kristen Buras 

7. The Walton Family Foundation: Key Players, Initiatives, and Its Growing Influence on Colleges and Universities—Kathleen deMarrais, Brigette Herron, and Janie Copple  

8. Conservative Philanthropy and Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Historical Trends and the Current Landscape—E. Anthony Muhammad 

9. Operationalizing Toxic Ideology: How Radical Right-Wing Campus Organizations Undermine Democratic Engagement—T. Jameson Brewer and Amy Swain 

10. Miseducation of Communities: Sinclair Broadcasting and the Nationalization of Local News—Janie Copple, Kathleen deMarrais, and Brigette Herron 

Coda—Brigette Herron, Kathleen deMarrais, and Janie Copple 

Author Bios

Index

Kathleen deMarrais

Kathleen deMarrais is professor and department head in the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration and Policy at the University of Georgia. After a 14-year career as a K-12 special education teacher, she earned a doctorate in Social Foundations of Education at the University of Cincinnati. She serves as a qualitative methodologist in UGA’s Qualitative Research Program. Her research is focused on qualitative methodologies, qualitative pedagogy, and the impact of philanthropy in educational policy and practice. In addition to numerous articles and book chapters, her books include: Foundations for Research: Methods of Inquiry in Education and the Social Sciences (with S. Lapan); Inside Stories: Educating Young Adolescent Girls (with P. O’Reilly & B. Penn); The Way Schools Work: A Sociological Analysis of Schooling, 3rd Edition (with M. LeCompte); Life at the Margins: Profiles of Diverse Adults (with J. Merrifield, D. Hemphill & B. Bingman); Teach for America Counter Narratives: Alumni Speak Up and Speak Out (with T. J. Brewer); and Philanthropy, Hidden Strategy, and Collective Resistance: A Primer for Concerned Educators. She was honored by her undergraduate alma mater, East Stroudsburg University, with the 2017 Excellence in Education Award for demonstrated superior teaching ability and extraordinary commitment to students at the elementary, secondary or college level.

Brigette A. Herron

Brigette Adair Herron holds a Ph.D. in Adult Education from the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy at the University of Georgia. She is from Athens, Georgia and holds graduate certificates in Women’s Studies, Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies, and Global Health. Her scholarly research interests include transnational and justice-oriented feminist pedagogy in adult and higher education, examining the influence of philanthropy and dark money on curriculum and pedagogy in higher education, and teaching and researching with qualitative research methodology. Recent books include Philanthropy, Hidden Strategy, and Collective Resistance: A Primer for Concerned Educators (with K. deMarrais, T. J. Brewer, J. Atkinson, & J. Lewis) and Neon Side of Town: The Story of the B-52s (with S. Creney).

Janie Copple

Janie Copple is a Ph.D. student in the Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methodologies program at the University of Georgia. Prior to PhD studies, Janie worked as a middle grades classroom teacher and curriculum coordinator. Janie’s research interests include the role of philanthropy in secondary and higher education as well as adolescent and family experiences with puberty and sexuality. Janie’s current publications can be found in The Qualitative Report and African Studies Quarterly.