Three Protagonists Controlling Public Education and Downton Abbey. Time for a *Downstairs* Rebellion.
The education reform novel contains characters mimicking actors in Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey. Education reform and the miniseries delve into the lives of two definite classes: one which rules and one which takes orders. The ‘downstairs’ class (the servants who take the orders) operates as the ruling class deems necessary for the existence and continuation of the ruling class. In American education reform policy, parents are considered downstairs servants subject to the mandates of the ruling class: the Ed Reformers, NGOs, ed reform funded politicians, and Federal agencies. The mandates/laws are to justify the existence/continuation of this ruling class at the expense of the lower class: the taxpayers compelled to pay for these mandates/laws and offer their children to non-researched/non-data based educational theories.
Who are the ruling class protagonists in the Education Reform movement which supports Common Core, centralized education and the expansion of public/private partnerships? A list would include both individuals and organizations, such as The Chamber of Commerce, NGA, and CCSSO. Some of the characters in the novel of Public Education: 2016 Version of Common Core, have started a new ed reform chapter of directives/ideas. Bill Gates, Jason Zimba and Michael Petrilli reveal how they really don’t trust the parents who are compelled to pay for the system these education reformers are attempting to control through public/private partnerships. What frolicking escapades/statements are these protagonists up in the new year?
Character #1:
Bill Gates, who has supported the centralized blueprint of education (over $300 Million) and furthered his version of ‘philanthropy’ by donating funding to organizations to further his vision, controls the public/private partnership mechanism. He starts out his position in the new year by his ‘contributions’ to organizations who will then support his vision. He set the foundation of how public education policy is written: through NGOS, lobbyists and politicians indebted to Gates via grants and contributions. From Gates, Koch, and Common Core: What Are Citizens to Do?:
Opposition to the Common Core and the closely aligned standardized testing regimen is strong in New York State. The Gates Foundation strategically chose to give $1.2 million to the United Way of New York City to“build [their] capacity as an advocate, school-based technical assistance provider and community-based organization trainer in support of Common Core in NYC and NY State.”Other 2015 grants seemed to be made with the same goal of impacting the public debate around educational policy. With affiliates in each of the 50 states, it may not be a surprise to find that the National Congress of Parents and Teachers (PTA) was another 2015 Gates grantee, receiving slightly less than $1 million to“support the training and engagement of parent volunteers around Common Core assessments and forthcoming assessment results.” Stand for Children, an organization created to “ensure that all children, regardless of their background, graduate from high school prepared for, and with access to, a college education,” received $3,580,000 from the Gates Foundation to “support capacity building and increased public will around Common Core standards and aligned assessments in four states.” The publisher ofEducation Week, Editorial Projects in Education Inc., received a grant of $750,000 “to support reporting on issues related to the implementation of the Common Core.”While individuals and foundations have always been able to target their giving to organizations with which they agree, the growth of a class of super-rich people who control such a large share of our national wealthThree Protagonists Controlling Public Education and Downton Abbey. Time for a *Downstairs* Rebellion. – Missouri Education Watchdog: