Report
Grading the States
Download the full report [PDF] Download 4-page Executive Summary [PDF]
This report examines our nation’s commitment to democracy by assessing the privatization programs in the 50 states and the District of Columbia with the goal of not only highlighting the benefits of a public school education, but comparing the accountability, transparency and civil rights protections offered students in the public school setting versus the private school setting. States are rated on the extent to which they have instituted policies and practices that lead toward fewer democratic opportunities and more privatization, as well as the guardrails they have (or have not) put into place to protect the rights of students, communities and taxpayers. This is not an assessment of the overall quality of the public education system in the state — rather it is an analysis of the laws that support privatized alternatives to public schools.
This report card, therefore, provides a vital accounting of each state’s democratic commitment to their public school students and their public schools, by holding it accountable for abandoning civil rights protections, transparency, accountability and adequate funding in a quest for “private” alternatives. It is designed to give citizens insight into the extent of privatization and its intended and unintended consequences for our students and our nation.
Does Your State Make the Grade?
Overall grade:
Charter grade:
Voucher grade:
Download the full report [PDF] Download 4-page Executive Summary [PDF]
Watch the Grading the States webinar below:
Grading the States in the News
- June 21, 2018: Nevada Current – “New report argues Nevada laws aren’t protecting public education”
- June 23, 2018: Washington Post – “There is a movement to privatize public education in America. Here’s how far it has gotten.”
- June 23, 2018: The Reader – “New Report Reveals Which States Are Abandoning Public Schools”
- June 25, 2018: Tuscon Weekly – “Arizona Earns an F. Merit Pay Fails. DeVos-Backed Company Caught Lying.”
- June 25, 2018: KFYR-TV – “School choice in North Dakota”
- June 27, 2018: Education Law Prof Blog – “National Study of Charter School and Voucher Policies Brings Much Needed Balance to the Conversation”
- June 28, 2018: Charlotte Observer – “We need Mr. Rogers more than ever”
- July 8, 2018: Journal Gazette – “New report tracks state’s turn from public schools”