Schooling in the Ownership Society: Hedge funders eye N.J. schools

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Hedge funders eye N.J. schools:

Hedge funders eye N.J. schools

by Mike Klonsky

Billionaire Tepper

A new group backed by two hedge-fund founders is taking aim at New Jersey's largest teachers union. Better Education for Kids wants to end the use of seniority in teacher-hiring decisions, implement an effective teacher-evaluation system and weaken tenure.

The billionaire boys (and girls) club

by Mike Klonsky

Charles (left) and David Koch.

Gavin Arensen at Mother Jones gives us a list of the biggest wing-nut billionaires who play with the Koch Bros. in their Vail, Colorado retreat. It includes:

The DeVoses: Rich and Helen DeVos hail from Michigan. The cofounder of Amway and owner of the NBA's Orlando Magic, Rich DeVos is reportedly worth in the ballpark of $4.2 billion. The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation funds conservative Christian groupssuch as Focus on the Family. The DeVoses are big enough political donors to have their own profile at OpenSecrets.org.

The Griffins: Ken and Anne Dias Griffin are a hedge fund power