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Portfolio Districts and Network Governance: From a 'School System' to a 'System of Schools'

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Title: Portfolio Districts and Network Governance: From a 'School System' to a 'System of Schools'
Language: English
Authors: René Espinoza Kissell (ORCID 0000-0002-1047-7262)
Source: Educational Policy. 2026 40(4):518-557.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 40
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: School Districts, Charter Schools, School Choice, Governance, Educational Policy, Educational Change, Politics of Education, Urban Schools, Trust (Psychology), Educational Cooperation, Educational Finance, Administrative Organization, Financial Problems, Elementary Secondary Education
Geographic Terms: California (Oakland)
DOI: 10.1177/08959048251353479
ISSN: 0895-9048
1552-3896
Abstract: School district leaders across the U.S. have turned to the portfolio strategy to manage charter school growth and budget crises disproportionately facing low-income communities of color. The portfolio strategy aims to manage school choice options through increasing central office oversight of charter schools, autonomy for district schools, and accountability around student learning outcomes. This article examines the portfolio district in Oakland, California as a case of network governance, a lineage of "third way" policy strategies that bring together public and private sectors. I argue that district leaders and reform advocates advanced Oakland's portfolio strategy to resolve fiscal and organizational challenges of school choice policies based on networks of trust, collaboration, and reciprocity between district schools and charter schools. However, new governing arrangements and collaborative initiatives repeated some of the same exclusionary practices and deepened mistrust, revealing new political challenges to improving district-charter coordination.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503916
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Portfolio Districts and Network Governance: From a 'School System' to a 'System of Schools'
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22René+Espinoza+Kissell%22">René Espinoza Kissell</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1047-7262">0000-0002-1047-7262</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Policy%22"><i>Educational Policy</i></searchLink>. 2026 40(4):518-557.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 40
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Charter+Schools%22">Charter Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Choice%22">School Choice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Governance%22">Governance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Politics+of+Education%22">Politics of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Urban+Schools%22">Urban Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trust+%28Psychology%29%22">Trust (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Cooperation%22">Educational Cooperation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Finance%22">Educational Finance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrative+Organization%22">Administrative Organization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Financial+Problems%22">Financial Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22California+%28Oakland%29%22">California (Oakland)</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/08959048251353479
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  Data: 0895-9048<br />1552-3896
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  Data: School district leaders across the U.S. have turned to the portfolio strategy to manage charter school growth and budget crises disproportionately facing low-income communities of color. The portfolio strategy aims to manage school choice options through increasing central office oversight of charter schools, autonomy for district schools, and accountability around student learning outcomes. This article examines the portfolio district in Oakland, California as a case of network governance, a lineage of "third way" policy strategies that bring together public and private sectors. I argue that district leaders and reform advocates advanced Oakland's portfolio strategy to resolve fiscal and organizational challenges of school choice policies based on networks of trust, collaboration, and reciprocity between district schools and charter schools. However, new governing arrangements and collaborative initiatives repeated some of the same exclusionary practices and deepened mistrust, revealing new political challenges to improving district-charter coordination.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1503916
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        Value: 10.1177/08959048251353479
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 40
        StartPage: 518
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Charter Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Choice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Governance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Politics of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Urban Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Trust (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Cooperation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Finance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Administrative Organization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Financial Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: California (Oakland)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Portfolio Districts and Network Governance: From a 'School System' to a 'System of Schools'
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              M: 06
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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