The Pendulum Swings Backwards: Neoliberal Reform and the Decline of Public Education in the Global Economy of Innovation

The purpose of this work will be to connect the decline of public education in the United States with technological innovation and globalization that have transformed the economy in recent decades. Wage stagnation and polarization of the labor market will be discussed as a result of economic transformation and as a neoliberal impetus for cheaper education alternatives. Further, this work will discuss a second associated impetus for neoliberal education reform in that quality education for the masses is no longer a priority in the United States. A Nation at Risk, No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, the White House’s new plan to rank and fund universities, and the promotion of Massive Open Online Courses and charter schools will be addressed in related context. Implications for democracy and employment in education will be discussed