Charter Schools in the Southern City: Black Education, Political Power, and Spatial Possibilities

Charter schools are often offered by advocates as a policy lever to improve educational opportunities for Black students, despite mixed evidence on their effectiveness to improve educational outcomes. Education scholar Rachel Williams will conduct a follow up study on charter school growth in Memphis, Tennessee, to examine the ways in which state-driven charter school growth reshapes political power in Memphis, a majority Black city, as well as the city’s physical development. She will draw upon public observations, interviews, document analysis, and GIS mapping for her study.