Billionaires’ School Reform: What It Means for Teachers and Students
Education “reform” is dominated by a privileged few who seek to change schooling from a public service to a lucrative business. Photo: Jim West.
The public conversation around education “reform” is dominated by a privileged few who seek to change schooling from a public service to a lucrative business.
Millionaires and billionaires, such as Bill Gates, Eli Broad, and the Walton family, owners of Wal-Mart, have spent years pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into think tanks and political campaigns.
They have captured the media through projects like the movie “Waiting for Superman” and NBC’s “Education Nation.” Their intent is clear: to gain control of public opinion and public policy and open up access to what they refer to as the K-12 “market,” namely, our schools.
Sadly, the Obama administration, led by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, has the