Jeffrey R. Henig

The conventional form of the school district - in which the central office oversees individual schools and prescribes much of their operations' has been challenged by strategies involving for-profit and nonprofit organizations as management partners. Existing analyses have focused on administrative aspects or been informed primarily by economic theories about competition and choice. Henig's project will frame the issue more in political terms, looking at the way local governance institutions, interest group arrangements, and political culture influence the adoption, implementation, and consequences, with special attention to impacts on democratic engagement and collective learning.