Schooling in the Ownership Society: Following the Charter Dollars

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Following the Charter Dollars

Following the Charter Dollars

by Mike Klonsky

A report from the Louisiana School Boards Assoc. reveals many of the hedge-funders and ownership society forces behind the current charter school movement.

Following the Dollars

The DeVos are joined in the outspoken group of billionaires who proclaim publicly that they favor ending government involvement in education. Among the biggest contributors are Richard Mellon Scaife (owner of the Pittsburg Tribune Review), and the Koch family foundations. Other foundations include Olin, Bradley, Smith Richardson and the Walton family who join in the drive to

"This is how things are done in Illinois."

by Mike Klonsky

That's what Joseph Cari, former finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee, told a Virginia investment firm seeking millions in business with the Illinois State Pension Fund. Cari told them that they could get a piece of the state's teacher retirement money if they would only kick back $850,000 his way.

Cari's downfall came after he assisted Stuart Levine, a corrupt trustee of the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System who was also convicted in the scandal, in an attempted extortion. Levine made a series of calls in 2004 to executives of JER