Abstract
The idea that the US public school system is ‘broken’ and needs reform has become commonplace over the past three decades. The article argues that the quest to transform public education revolves around powerful intersecting forces: ideational activism by education entrepreneurs, financial backing from billionaire philanthropists and hedge fund managers, bipartisan political endorsement, a compliant press and receptive culture industries. The aim of these combined forces, in which media play a central role and liberal tropes of freedom, choice and equality of opportunity are prevalent, is to build ideological consensus around private and market alternatives to public education.
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