Building a Stronger Regional Safety Net: Philanthropy's Role

Examines nonprofit organizations' capacity to serve the fast-growing low-income suburban populations in the Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, and Detroit areas and local philanthropic communities' strategies for boosting regional service capacity

The Political Influence of Philanthropic Organizations

Shaping Education Policy is a comprehensive overview of education politics and policy, which provides conceptual guideposts for future policy development and strategies for change. Leading scholars explore the interacting social processes and the dynamics of power politics as they intersect with democratic ideals and shape school performance. Chapters cover major themes that have influenced education, including the civil rights movement, federal involvement, the accountability movement, family choice, and development of nationalization and globalization. This edited collection examines how education policy in the United States has evolved over the last several decades and how the resulting policies are affecting schools and the children who attend them. This important book is a necessary resource for understanding the evolution, current status, and possibilities of educational policy and politics

Network Governance and Regional Equity: Shared Agendas or Problematic Partners?

The new economic reality of heightened international competition, constant technological change, and cross border migration flows—referred to in shorthand as “globalization”—has upset traditional forms of governing capitalist economies. Nation-states were once considered the only appropriate scale to create socialist planned economies or establish the institutions that guide free-market exchange. Today, many political scientists and sociologists argue that the sovereignty of national governments is either greatly diminished (Jessop 1994; Ohmae 1995; Peck 1994) or drastically restructured by “networked” forms of social exchange that ignore political boundaries (Castells 1996). Economic geographers and regional economists argue that globalization has ushered in a new form of competition through which the competitive advantage of firms is set by actors and institutions that operate at a regional or metropolitan scale (Sabel 1989; Storper 1997). Ultimately, there is an emerging consensus in the academic literature as well as policy discourse that the metropolitan scale is a key level of economic exchange

Governing Without Government: Nonprofit Governance in Detroit and Flint

Scholars across the social sciences have shown how economic, social, and political changes are weakening local governments and contributing to rising nonprofit activity in urban politics. But these trends could now add up to a new form of decision-making in some American cities. The convergence of public sector austerity and a burgeoning philanthropic and nonprofit sector have created space for what we call “nonprofit governance.” In some cities, nonprofit leaders can guide urban policy, sometimes with limited input from elected officials or citizens. First, we apply insights from studies in comparative politics to demonstrate how nonprofit leadership can expand, particularly in the context of a weak state. Next, we assess trends in public sector capacity, based on local government employment in Midwestern U.S. cities. We closely examine Detroit and Flint due to dramatic declines in local government capacity and recent public sector crises in both cities, focusing on the role of nonprofits in each. These leading-edge cases allow us to trace the development of nonprofit governance and explore different forms of nonprofit and local government relationships

Cultivando grupos políticos poderosos: Experiências de membros de TFA que configuram a participação na política local

In recent years, Teach for America (TFA) has invested in developing corps members as leaders. Although TFA asks corps members for a two-year commitment, TFA celebrates the achievements of alumni who have gone on to careers in politics, public policy, and advocacy. Thus, many community leaders see the arrival of TFA corps members as having a greater impact than just inside the classroom. While expectations for corps members are often high both from TFA and from the communities they serve, we seek to understand whether and how corps members become actively engaged in the broader political life of their placement city. Do corps members find the city fertile with opportunities to solve problems and engage in civic and political life? Or will these corps members leave their placements, viewing the political and educational challenges as intractable due to larger city politics? Using data from a panel study of 2012 corps members in four mid-sized city TFA placement sites, this study examines how attitudes towards and engagement with local politics shift as a result corps members’ experiences. Our research indicates that commitments to local politics shift significantly. While some corps members report an increased commitment to local politics, a sizable group actually becomes less enthusiastic and involved. These shifts appear to be related to the perceived openness of the local political arena to newcomers, one’s teaching placement and the local actions of TFA spin-off organization Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE).En los últimos años, Teach for America (TFA) ha invertido en el desarrollo de sus miembros como líderes. Aunque TFA pide a sus miembros un compromiso de dos años, TFA celebra los logros de los alumnos que continúan en carreras políticas, políticas públicas, y similares. Por lo tanto, muchos líderes comunitarios ven la llegada de miembros de TFA teniendo un impacto mucho mayor y no solo dentro del salón de clases. Mientras que las expectativas sobre los miembros de TFA a menudo son altas tanto dentro TFA como en las comunidades a las que sirven, buscamos entender en que medida y cómo los miembros de TFA se involucran activamente en la vida política más amplia de la ciudad donde son asignados. ¿En que medida miembros de TFA encuentran en la ciudad un territorio fértil, para resolver problemas y participar en la vida cívica y política? ¿O será el caso que los miembros de TFA dejan sus posiciones, entendiendo los desafíos políticos y educativos como intratables debido a los desafíos políticos de la ciudad? Utilizando datos de un estudio de panel de 2012 con miembros de TFA en cuatro ciudades medianas que incorporan miembros TFA, este estudio examina cómo las actitudes hacia y el compromiso con la política local cambia con las experiencias. Nuestra investigación indica que los compromisos con la política local cambian significativamente. Mientras que algunos miembros de TFA informan de un mayor compromiso con la política local, de hecho un grupo considerable se vuelve menos entusiasta y comprometido. Estos cambios parecen estar relacionados con la percepción de apertura con los recién llegados a la arena política local, el puesto asignado para enseñar y las acciones locales de Liderazgo para la Equidad de la Educación (LEE) una organización que emerge de TFA.Nos últimos anos, Teach for America (TFA) tem investido no desenvolvimento de seus membros e líderes. Embora TFA peça aos seus membros um compromisso de dois anos, TFA celebra as realizações de alunos que continuam em carreiras políticas, políticas públicas e similares. Por isso, muitos líderes comunitários olham a chegada dos membros do TFA como tendo um impacto muito maior e não só dentro da sala de aula. Embora as expectativas sobre os membros do TFA são muitas vezes elevadas, tanto em TFA e como nas comunidades nas quais servem, procuramos compreender até que ponto e como membros de TFA estão ativamente envolvidos na vida política mais ampla da cidade onde estão inseridos. Em que medida membros TFA encontram na cidade um território fértil, para resolver problemas e para participar na vida cívica e política? Ou seria o caso dos membros da TFA deixarem as suas posições, por compreender que os desafios educacionais não são prioritários frente aos desafios políticos da cidade? Usando dados de um painel de 2012 estudo com membros de TFA em quatro cidades de médio porte que incorporam membros TFA, este estudo examina como as atitudes e compromisso com a política local podem  mudar a experiência dos membros de TFA. Nossa pesquisa indica que os compromissos políticos locais mudaram significativamente. Enquanto alguns membros da TFA relataram um maior compromisso com a política local, na verdade, um grupo considerável torna-se menos entusiasta e empenhado. Estas alterações parecem estar relacionadas à percepção de abertura para os recém-chegados à cena política local, a posição atribuída ao ensinar e a ação local da Liderança para a Equidade em Educação (LEE) uma organização que emerge de TFA