Our Schools Project

Our Schools reports on efforts to undermine the public education system in the U.S. and how communities are fighting back against the privatization agenda.
Latest from this source
Why There Is a Growing Student Absentee Rate—and How Community Schools Can Fix It
Experts call for cultivating better student relationships and providing families with more supports—exactly what the community schools approach is all about.
By Jeff Bryant in Education | Our Schools Project |
The Legacy of Betsy DeVos on Public Education
DeVos’s divisive tenure as U.S. secretary of education under the Trump administration will have repercussions for decades to come.
By Jeff Bryant in Education | Our Schools Project |
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What’s Behind Right-Wing Attacks on Schools for ‘Teaching Critical Race Theory’
It’s no coincidence that many states that have passed new laws forbidding the teaching of “divisive” topics are the same ones undermining and privatizing public schools.
By Jeff Bryant in Education | Our Schools Project |
The Community Schools Model
An approach to transformative school improvement challenges existing education models.
By Jeff Bryant in Education | Our Schools Project |
Inside the Chaotic Charter Schools Run by a For-Profit Company
Former teachers and board members say charters run by Accel Schools are designed to fail.
By Jeff Bryant in Charter Schools | Our Schools Project |
How Billionaire Charter School Funders Corrupted the School Leadership Pipeline
Charter school funders like Eli Broad turned school leadership into a cartel system focused on advancing careers and enriching businesses.
By Jeff Bryant in Charter Schools | Our Schools Project |
Why COVID-19 Proved Children Need Physical Schools, Not Virtual Education
A state where schools experienced deep adversities before COVID-19 shows the nation a pathway forward.
By Jeff Bryant in Education | Our Schools Project |
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|#querycondition=Our Schools Project OR Our Schools Project OR Our Schools Project OR Our Schools Project |#querylimit=200 |#resultoffset=0 |#rowcount=13 |Article=Financial Fraud, Malfeasance, and Ineptitude Plague Federal Government Charter Schools Program |Subtitle= |Source=Our Schools Project |Credit line=This article was produced by [[Our Schools Project |Teaser=Reports have revealed an alarming level of financial waste (an estimated $1.17 billion in federal tax dollars), fraud, and abuse in the charter school industry that resulted from the Charter Schools Program’s poor oversight of spending and a slipshod review process for grant approval. Meanwhile, charter advocates continue to lobby for their funding. |Modification date=1 August 2025 15:05:34 |Display date= |Area=Charter Schools |Is featured=false |Is collaborative research=false |Has map label=false |Author=Jeff Bryant |#=8

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Corporations Are Turning Public Schools Into Their Workforce Training ‘Pipelines’
A 2022 study warns that career and technical education and advanced digital systems increasingly lock children into narrow school curricula and prescribed workplace futures.
By Jeff Bryant and Velislava Hillman in Education | Our Schools Project |
Community Schools Were Succeeding in Oakland, But the District Shut Them Down Anyway
The school district was at the forefront of a public education model that is gaining national popularity—but its decision undercuts what the community appreciates about each school’s custom offerings that put students first.
By Jeff Bryant in Education | Our Schools Project |
Community Schools Can Revitalize the Neighborhoods Around Them
The transformative approach to school improvement is a catalyst for community revival.
By Jeff Bryant in Education | Our Schools Project |
Are Community Schools the Last, Best Shot at Addressing Education Inequity?
A district in the Washington, D.C., suburbs shows how a transformative approach to school improvement can address longstanding opportunity gaps in education.
By Jeff Bryant in Education | Our Schools Project |
Our Schools goes to the front lines of the nationwide effort to privatize and undermine the public education system. It exposes the false promises of charter schools, voucher programs, and corporate-style reforms and spotlights how communities are fighting back and often succeeding against the school privatization agenda.
Associated Authors
Jeff Bryant
Jeff Bryant is a writing fellow and chief correspondent for Our Schools. He is a communications consultant, freelance writer, advocacy journalist, and director of the Education Opportunity Network.
Education
Charter Schools