A Parent Reflects on the LA Election
This parent was not opposed to charters. She didn’t pay much attention to battles over school issues, although her own children attend a public school in Los Angeles.
But when she realized that millions of dollars were flowing into the school board race, many from out of state, she began to realize that something big was going on.
She realized that the big money was interested in something other than its stated aims. She realized that the rhetoric of “reform” was a cover for privatization of public goods:
“This election, with its shockingly outsized spending has revealed a hidden agenda, as old as the hills. With massive institutions and systems is embedded the opportunity for equally massive personal gain. Prerequisite is private control, wrenched from what was formerly public, democratic governance. Couching this banality of greed in educational ideology has been an effective strategy, but tonight’s results suggest a whisper of increasing
But when she realized that millions of dollars were flowing into the school board race, many from out of state, she began to realize that something big was going on.
She realized that the big money was interested in something other than its stated aims. She realized that the rhetoric of “reform” was a cover for privatization of public goods:
“This election, with its shockingly outsized spending has revealed a hidden agenda, as old as the hills. With massive institutions and systems is embedded the opportunity for equally massive personal gain. Prerequisite is private control, wrenched from what was formerly public, democratic governance. Couching this banality of greed in educational ideology has been an effective strategy, but tonight’s results suggest a whisper of increasing
How Corporate Reformers Explain Big Loss in Los Angeles
While we were celebrating Steve Zimmer’s thrilling win over Kate Anderson in the Los Angeles school board race, the corporate reform crowd had to figure out how to spin this embarrassing defeat.
Here it is, fresh from Twitter: Deasey kept his school board majority! Monica Garcia was re-elected! Big money saves Deasey!
Inconvenient facts: The billionaires put together about $5 million to beat Steve Zimmer, who is a member of the school board in his first term. Steve is an independent thinker who dared to propose oversight for charters and a moratorium on new charters until the board had established some means of holding them accountable. Steve is also a TFA alum who remained as a public school teacher for 17 years. To the billionaires who own the charter
Here it is, fresh from Twitter: Deasey kept his school board majority! Monica Garcia was re-elected! Big money saves Deasey!
Inconvenient facts: The billionaires put together about $5 million to beat Steve Zimmer, who is a member of the school board in his first term. Steve is an independent thinker who dared to propose oversight for charters and a moratorium on new charters until the board had established some means of holding them accountable. Steve is also a TFA alum who remained as a public school teacher for 17 years. To the billionaires who own the charter
Chain Store Charter School To Open in Memphis
Aspire Charter Schools will open in Memphis, its first venture outside of California.
It comes with a big wad of money to guarantee success. The perks are munificent, since the chain has set aside $100,000 for marketing before the school opens this fall under private management.
Philanthropists–eager to prove that privatization works better than public schools–have pledged $28 million to help Aspire take over ten public schools in Memphis over a five-year period. The federal government–eager to support Secretary Duncan’s belief that private management is always superior to public control–has awarded Aspire a tidy $800,000.
You do have to wonder how long that kind of money will be available as new charters open and multiply, or is this
It comes with a big wad of money to guarantee success. The perks are munificent, since the chain has set aside $100,000 for marketing before the school opens this fall under private management.
Philanthropists–eager to prove that privatization works better than public schools–have pledged $28 million to help Aspire take over ten public schools in Memphis over a five-year period. The federal government–eager to support Secretary Duncan’s belief that private management is always superior to public control–has awarded Aspire a tidy $800,000.
You do have to wonder how long that kind of money will be available as new charters open and multiply, or is this
If Only Mayor Bloomberg Understood Proficiency Rates…
Matt Di Carlo noticed an odd sentence in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “State of the City” address. The mayor, as is now customary, was applauding his administration for the amazing progress of the schools under his stewardship, and he said the following, in anticipation of the new Common Core assessments:
“But no matter where the definition of proficiency is arbitrarily set on the new tests, I expect that our students’ progress will continue outpacing the rest of the State’s[,] the only meaningful measurement of progress we have.”
Di Carlo skillfully takes apart that sentence to show that the mayor has no idea what he is talking about. If the
“But no matter where the definition of proficiency is arbitrarily set on the new tests, I expect that our students’ progress will continue outpacing the rest of the State’s[,] the only meaningful measurement of progress we have.”
Di Carlo skillfully takes apart that sentence to show that the mayor has no idea what he is talking about. If the
How Georgia Politicians Violate State Constitution
As Anthony Cody explains, the Georgia state constitution is clear:
“No money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly, or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect, cult, or religious denomination or of any sectarian institution.”
What part of that is ambiguous. Even the phase “directly or indirectly” says NO.
Yet Georgia has enacted a tax credit plan to divert money from the public treasury to send children to sectarian,
“No money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly, or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect, cult, or religious denomination or of any sectarian institution.”
What part of that is ambiguous. Even the phase “directly or indirectly” says NO.
Yet Georgia has enacted a tax credit plan to divert money from the public treasury to send children to sectarian,
L.A. Upset!
According to the results posted in the Los Angeles Times, with 100% of the vote counted but not certified, Steve Zimmer won by 52-48%!
Assuming that no one discovers a precinct with thousands of uncounted votes, this is a stunning upset!
Zimmer faced the combined opposition of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, billionaire Eli Broad, billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City, Michelle Rhee’s teacher-bashing StudentsFirst, the editorial board of the Los Angeles Times, and an assortment of Hollywood elite executives.
Millions of dollars were amassed to knock Zimmer off the school board.
Assuming that no one discovers a precinct with thousands of uncounted votes, this is a stunning upset!
Zimmer faced the combined opposition of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, billionaire Eli Broad, billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City, Michelle Rhee’s teacher-bashing StudentsFirst, the editorial board of the Los Angeles Times, and an assortment of Hollywood elite executives.
Millions of dollars were amassed to knock Zimmer off the school board.
LA Election: Early Returns (Gasp!)
The latest bulletin from Los Angeles: Monica Garcia, with the billionaires’ bundle, easily beat four opponents who had no money, including the fearless Robert Skeels.
But–wow!–the main target of the billionaires, Steve Zimmer, was running ahead of his opponent.
What an upset that would be!
Nearly $5 million was raised by the mayor of Los Angeles and billionaire Eli Broad to knock Steve Zimmer off the school board. Mayor Michael Bloomberg added his $1 million to the anti-Zimmer fund. The maligned and vilified UTLA, which has had the nerve to defend teachers, put about $700,000 into Zimmer’s campaign.
Zimmer is no tool of the UTLA. He is independent, principled, and moderate. His only sin: he offended the
But–wow!–the main target of the billionaires, Steve Zimmer, was running ahead of his opponent.
What an upset that would be!
Nearly $5 million was raised by the mayor of Los Angeles and billionaire Eli Broad to knock Steve Zimmer off the school board. Mayor Michael Bloomberg added his $1 million to the anti-Zimmer fund. The maligned and vilified UTLA, which has had the nerve to defend teachers, put about $700,000 into Zimmer’s campaign.
Zimmer is no tool of the UTLA. He is independent, principled, and moderate. His only sin: he offended the
Teachers in Grand Rapids Say They Qualify for Food Stamps
Want to know why teachers are demoralized? Read this story from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Michigan has been a national leader in attacking public education, increasing charters, and diminishing teachers’ pay and benefits. Governor Rick Snyder must take pride in crushing his state’s public school teachers.
Oh, did you know that more than 80% of the charters in Michigan are for-profit?
Michigan has been a national leader in attacking public education, increasing charters, and diminishing teachers’ pay and benefits. Governor Rick Snyder must take pride in crushing his state’s public school teachers.
Oh, did you know that more than 80% of the charters in Michigan are for-profit?
Why Do Conservatives Want to Kill Small-Town America?
This is one of the best newspaper articles I have read about the damaging impact of vouchers and tax credits on small-town and rural America.
The big question is why so many conservatives want to destroy one of our nation’s most enduring and central institutions: our public schools. There is little or no evidence that “school choice” produces better academic results. It does, however, privatize education.
Since when do conservatives go around blowing up traditional institutions?
The tax credit program in Georgia isn’t supposed to help “poor kids in failing schools.” It is designed to provide
The big question is why so many conservatives want to destroy one of our nation’s most enduring and central institutions: our public schools. There is little or no evidence that “school choice” produces better academic results. It does, however, privatize education.
Since when do conservatives go around blowing up traditional institutions?
The tax credit program in Georgia isn’t supposed to help “poor kids in failing schools.” It is designed to provide
NY Post: “Obama Blesses Walmart”
Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post ran an editorial pointing out the irony of Obama selecting the director of the Walmart Foundation to run OMB, the agency that makes decisions about the nation’s spending.
During his 2008 campaign, Obama criticized a hillary Clinton for sitting on the board of Walmart, and he blasted the corporation’s hostility to labor unions and the environment. Norm he praises Walmart for saving consumers’
During his 2008 campaign, Obama criticized a hillary Clinton for sitting on the board of Walmart, and he blasted the corporation’s hostility to labor unions and the environment. Norm he praises Walmart for saving consumers’
Diane in the Evening 3-5-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Viva Eastside Memorial High School! by dianerav On other posts, I have told the story of Eastside Memorial High School in Austin, Texas. The school board and superintendent (Broad-trained) decided to give the school to a charter chain called IDEA. This was not popular with the community. Many families in the neighborhood pulled their children out of the IDEA charter in protest and sent them elsewhere. In the November election, the community elected a school board member opposed to the charter takeover, and the ... more »