Charter Schools Were Never a Good Idea. They Were a Corporate Plot All Along
The concept always was about privatizing schools to make money.
America has been fooled by the charter school industry for too long.
The popular myth that charter schools were invented by unions to empower teachers and communities so that students would have better options is as phony as a three dollar bill.
The concept always was about privatizing schools to make money.
It has always been about stealing control of public education, enacting corporate welfare, engaging in union busting, and an abiding belief that the free hand of the market can do no wrong.
Charter schools are, after all, institutions run privately but paid for with tax dollars. So operators can make all decisions behind closed doors without public input or accountability. They can cut student services and pocket the difference. And they can enroll whoever the heck they want without providing the same level of education or programs you routinely get at your neighborhood public school.
In essence, charter schools are a scheme to eliminate the public from public education paid for at public expense.
But whenever anyone brings up these facts, they are confronted by the bedtime story of Albert Shanker and his alleged advocacy of the industry.
So grab your teddy bear and put on your jammies, because here’s how it goes:
Once upon a time, hero president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Al Shanker had an idea. He wanted to make laboratory schools where educators would be freed of regulations so they could experiment and find new pedagogies that worked. CONTINUE READING: Charter Schools Were Never a Good Idea. They Were a Corporate Plot All Along | Common Dreams Views