Arnold's Henchwoman Defends Race to the Top, CA Reforms - And Padding Her Own Pockets!
A few days ago, the Mercury News (CA) printed a story, "Governor's ties to charter schools driving Race to the Top goals?" that outlined how the various pro-charter reformers, including Eli Broad and his pals at the NewSchools Venture Fund, had aided and influenced the Governator's education agenda. Well, the story certainly infuriated Margaret Fortune, whom Arnold appointed as his director of the Governor's Initiative to Turn Around Failing Schools back in 2008 (with a cushy $100,000 salary). Fortune responded to the Mercury's previous article about Arnold's reform agenda with this opinion piece, "Bass sells out kids in favor of teacher unions," which bashes the much more reasonable legislation proposed by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, legislation the Governator has promised to terminate if it reaches his desk. Fortune and her boss, the Milton Friedman-loving, Ronald Reagan-admiring Governor, strongly prefer the bill of Gloria Romero, the same woman who has pushed uber-choice proposals, charter school legislation, and the "trigger provision" that would greatly help charter school chains in their hostile takeover of public education. Fortune's piece begins like this