Josh Cowen on “How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers”

News & Views

Courtesy photo of Josh Cowen and his book THE PRIVATEERS: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers

One of the most significant developments in the world of K-12 education in recent decades has been the rise of the so-called “school choice” movement, and in particular, the action taken by several states, including North Carolina, to spend big dollars on taxpayer-funded private school vouchers.

Proponents say vouchers are a tool to boost education and lift student achievement, but as Josh Cowen, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University explains in a new book, that’s a claim that simply isn’t supported by the data. Indeed, Cowen’s research reveals that what’s really driving the expansion of vouchers isn’t a commitment to learning, but rather a Christian nationalist political movement that wants to fundamentally alter American society. The book is called “The Privateers – How Billionaires created a culture war and sold school vouchers” and Newsline recently caught up with Prof. Cowen for a special extended conversation.