'Disaster Capitalism Strikes Again!': Puerto Rico's High Court Gives Green Light to Charter Schools, Vouchers
New ruling overturns finding by lower court that charters and vouchers—part of the island's education overhaul post-hurricane—were unconstitutional
Puerto Rico's controversial plan to overhaul the island's education system moved forward after its high court issued a ruling this week overturning a lower court's finding that charter schools and vouchers were unconstitutional.
"Disaster capitalism strikes again!" commented education historian Diane Ravitch, who also called it a "victory for rapacious billionaires, [Education Secretary and charter school proponent] Betsy DeVos, and DFER [Democrats for Education Reform]."
"Instead of putting the PR economy on a path to recovery," Ravitch added, "the disaster capitalists will give them charters and vouchers."
The legal challenge was brought forth by teachers' union La Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (AMPR), soon after the Gov. Ricardo Rosselló signed into law "education reform" legislation creating a charter schools pilot program in 10 percent of public schools and offering private school vouchers to 3 percent of students. The plan has been promoted heavily by Julia Keleher, Puerto Rico's non-Puerto Rican Education Secretary.
"To say charters are public schools when they are going to be administered, directed, and controlled by private hands is clearly an illegal and unconstitutional contradiction," AMPR president Aida Diaz said at the time.
In response to the new ruling, Providence Journal education reporter Linda Borg posed a question on social media:
Courts have ruled that charter expansion can go forward in Puerto Rico. will be curious to see if the island becomes fully chartered like NoLa after the hurricane.— Linda Borg (@lborgprojocom) August 10, 2018
Also referring to post-Katrina New Orleans, Jeremy Aponte, a member of the Boston Teachers Union's Puerto Rican educators group and Jessica Tang, president of the Continue reading: 'Disaster Capitalism Strikes Again!': Puerto Rico's High Court Gives Green Light to Charter Schools, Vouchers
