NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg -- and corporate reform -- lose big in last night's elections

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg -- and corporate reform -- lose big in last night's elections:

Bloomberg -- and corporate reform -- lose big in last night's elections

by Leonie Haimson

There was plenty of good news in last night’s election in terms of education initiatives, despite huge spending by the SuperPacs, billionaires and astroturf groups to push pro-privatization, free market corporate reform provisions through.  Though pro-charter school initiatives  in Georgia and Washington won, while outspending the opposition by millions of dollars, the Gates-supported proposition in Washington prevailed by only a razor thin margin.  

In California, Proposition 30 was victorious, which will prevent huge budget cuts to the state’s already underfunded schools.  Also Proposition 32 lost, which would have prohibit unions from making political contributions, leaving the field clear for  billionaires, superPacs, astroturf organizations, and corporations to further wreck our economy and privatize our public schools.  

While Michael Bloomberg is apparently claiming great victories through his own recently formed SuperPAC, he actually lost big last night, especially in terms of the education policies he is promoting.  

Let us count the ways:

• Indiana State Superintendent Tony Bennett, an aggressively pro-voucher, anti-teacher education chief, and according to Diane Ravitch, “the face of