Why Zip Codes MatterFrom the earliest days of corporate reform, which is now generally recognized to have been a failed effort to “reform” schools by privatizing them and by making standardized testing the focal point of education, we heard again and again that a child’s zip code should not be his or her destiny. Sometimes, in the evolving debates, I got the sense that some people thought that zip codes themselves w
Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Relief Bill Will Lift Many Children Out of PovertyValerie Strauss writes about the dramatic effect that the Biden COVID relief plan will have on children. The effects will last only for one year, but Democrats hope to make the family income provision permanent. To do that, they need to retain a majority in 2022 because the GQP doesn’t believe in direct cash benefits to families. They prefer tax cuts for the rich, which might (or might not) incen
A Florida Blogger You Should ReadI said I won’t repost blogs anymore, except for very rare occasions. I intend to stick to my promise. So don’t consider this a repost. Consider it an introduction. An ally in Florida sent me two blogs by Billy Townsend. Here are the ones I read. I subscribed to his blog. He wrote this blog for the benefit of Jennifer Berkshire, co-author of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door. He says that Florida is
How the U.S. Supreme Court Could Save the NationI wrote this article a few weeks ago. I submitted it to two major newspapers as an opinion piece. The editors at both newspapers said there were no cases in the judicial pipeline, and thus my proposal was impossible. But then on Monday February 22, the Supreme Court made a decision about a Trump challenge to the Pennsylvania balloting, rejecting it with a single sentence. That might have been the
Success Academy Charter Chain Ordered to Pay $2.4 Million to SPED FamiliesSuccess Academy charter network was directed by a federal district court judge to pay $2.4 million to families whose children with disabilities were pushed out. Charter school network Success Academy, which touts its commitment to children “from all backgrounds,” has been ordered to pay over $2.4 million on a Judgment in a case brought by families of five young Black students with learning and ot
Maurice Cunningham: The “National Parents Union” and Dark MoneyMaurice Cunningham is the Master of the Mysteries of Dark Money. In this post, he traces the shifting membership of the board of directors of the Walton-funded “National Parents Union.” You know what NPU wants: charter schools. After reading the story, you will understand who pays the bills: the Waltons and Charles Koch. They are parents too! Be sure to read Christine Langhoff’s comment.
Should KIPP Be Allowed to Build a School on a Toxic Waste Site?The tiny city of Cudahy, California, is locked in battle with the mega-powerful KIPP charter chain over KIPP’s determination to build a charter school on a toxic waste site. KIPP is avoiding the usual environmental review that would be required for public schools. Local environmental activists and parents are raising money to fight the KIPP machine. Larry Buhl writes in “Capital & Main”: At issue
Biden’s Rescue Plan Will Cut Child Poverty in Half!Joe Biden just signed the most sweeping economic relief package since the New Deal. He has addressed poverty and inequality directly and fearlessly. Trump could boast of a massive tax cut for the rich. Biden can boast of putting money in the pockets of most Americans at a time of dire need. The
