Chapter 9: Legitimating Privatization: The Politics of Sylvan Support Centers in the Baltimore Public School System

This chapter analyzes how the Sylvan organization was able to gain and retain a foothold in the Baltimore Public School system despite the suspicion, resentment, and resistance surrounding privatization initiatives in that context. Since Sylvan’s capacity to legitimate privatization was a critical determinant of its market success in Baltimore, we examine how and why this organization may have been able to secure and sustain legitimacy in that setting. In so doing, we suggest that the Sylvan case illuminates important aspects of a broader phenomenon, namely, the complex process through which particular types of organizations might establish and maintain legitimacy in new markets and challenging environments.