Sunday, October 16, 2011

Choosing Democracy: ED Voice; How corporate CEO's shape education policy

Choosing Democracy: ED Voice; How corporate CEO's shape education policy:

ED Voice; How corporate CEO's shape education policy

EdVoice a power player in Capitol's political war over school funds
By John Howard


(published April 13th, 2006)
It's advisory board reads like a who's who of California's hyper-wealthy
political players. There's developer Eli Broad, Netflix founder and former
president of the state board of education Reed Hastings, Silicon Valley
venture capitalist John Doerr, and Gap founder Don Fisher. While different
in political philosophy and temperament, they are linked by their desire to
change California's educational system--and they put their money where their
mouths are.

And in June, their money, if not their mouths, will be on both sides of the
debate over a new income tax to pay for universal preschool.

Proposition 82, sponsored by Hollywood producer Rob Reiner, would provide
free preschools for every four-year-old in the state. It would boost the
personal income-tax rate by 1.7 percent on California's wealthiest
residents, those individuals with annual incomes of $400,000 or more, and
families with incomes above $800,000. Together, these people represent about