Navigating Politically Muddy Waters: Charter Management Organizations and Their Efforts to Craft a Counternarrative

Abstract

In the face of growing critiques, charter management organizations (CMOs) increasingly contend with criticism as they maintain their presence in districts, particularly with school board members who often serve as gatekeepers for charter authorization. Yet, little is known about how CMOs navigate these politically muddy waters in local settings. The localized political maneuvers of CMOs are the central focus of this case study, which demonstrates how CMOs in one city deployed strategic discourse to buffer anticipated critiques and assuage concerns though questions as to the equitable and democratic character of their actions and rhetoric remain.