Reading, writing, and privatization: The narrative that helped change the nation's public schools

The face of North America’s public education system is changing. Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of students have migrated away from traditional public school into charter schools. While both are considered public schools, often that is where the similarity ends.;Claims and counter claims have been made about the virtues and advantages of a charter school versus the traditional public school. This study, focused on the nation’s sixth-largest school system in Broward County, Florida, compares comments from stakeholders involved in charter programs to feedback from those still involved in the traditional public system.;Three hypotheses are evaluated including: whether traditional schools are not adequately serving the needs of students; whether charter schools are better at serving student needs; or people believe that charter schools are doing a better job at serving the needs of students. Evidence suggests that while each model of education has its advantages and disadvantages, neither clearly provides a “better” opportunity for students. Conclusions are that consumer perceptions are driving the shift in enrollment. This is attributed to the narrative about “choice” created by charter school advocates that aligns with American ideologies of liberty, freedom and independence.;Ultimately, it is argued that the deconstruction of the traditional public education system is part of a larger effort to shift selected rights and privileges out of the public sphere and back into private control. For traditional public schools to regain momentum, they must learn to control the narrative and ultimately public policy and public opinion about our nation’s public schools.