From Teach For America to Teach For China Global Teacher Education Reform and Equity in Education Politics of Education in Asia Series

This book examines the role of Teach For China in addressing educational equity and expanding public participation in education. The author uses the case of Teach For China to explore the broader theme of the mobility of education models between contexts characterized by neoliberalism and those characterized by strong state control. Transnational advocacy networks are increasingly influential in the education policy making process. These networks, comprised of entrepreneurs and education corporations, think tanks, philanthropists, and government agencies, facilitate the global mobility of policy models. It is widely accepted that an education model should not be transplanted from one context to another without careful consideration of how contextual differences might impact the model?s effectiveness. The book explores the argument that the same model is not only quantitatively different in terms of effectiveness, but that models can play qualitatively different roles in neoliberal and strong-state contexts, sometimes moving education reform in opposite directions.

The book will appeal to anyone interested in global teacher education reform and equity in education.

Sara Lam is an assistant professor of education at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Her research and teaching focus on educational equity and democratic participation in education in rural areas of China and the United States. She is a co-founder and board member of the Rural China Education Foundation.