6-21-14 Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Schooling in the Ownership Society All Week

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog:
Schooling in the Ownership Society

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk 

Schooling in the Ownership Society

Law-and-order man Rahm was behind Clinton's mass deportation policies.

Previously restricted memos from Emanuel to Clinton are among thousands of White House documents kept secret until 12 years after Pres. Clinton’s second term ended in 2001. A review of the memos makes it clearer than ever that it was our mayor, Rahm Emanuel, despite his current facade as an immigration reformer, who was advising Clinton to step up mass deportations of undocumented workers.As mayor

18 by Mike Klonsky / 20h 

Is the Gov. From the State of Koch too big to jail?

I wonder why there's no mention of the Koch Bros. in S-T's coverage of Gov. Walker's crooked campaign fundraising tactics. Walker is after all, the Gov. from Koch. Remember when a prankster called Gov. Walker  posing as David Koch and mentioned "special interests" the governor didn't flinch. He didn't have to be told in whose interests he was working. Koch had bankrolled his campaign and

6 by Mike Klonsky / 1d 

JUN 19

Vallas/Rauner, 2 Peas In A Pod

Thanks to S-T's Dan Mihalopoulos for stating the obvious.When it comes to some of the most important issues in education today, Quinn’s running mate in the November election — the former Chicago Public Schools chief executive Paul Vallas — appears to have plenty in common with Rauner. Effective or not, what Vallas did during the many years between leaving CPS and returning home to run for Illinois

18 by Mike Klonsky / 1d 

JUN 18

Chicago's 'School Deserts'

Brandon Johnson is deputy political director of the Chicago Teachers Union, and heads its Black Caucus. He posts this solid piece on Labor Notes, "‘School Deserts’ Hit Chicago’s Black Neighborhoods".Black students and Black educators have shouldered the weight of nearly 20 years of school closings, as many of our neighborhoods turn into “school deserts,” with no traditional neighborhood

6 by Mike Klonsky / 2d 

JUN 17

Judge frees Chicago from Shakman decree. Lets the fox guard the hen house.

"Part of the problem..."Best quote of the day comes on the heels of Chicago being released from the 42-year-old Shakman patronage-hiring decree, allowing Rahm's boys to police themselves. The quote comes from Jay Stone, the son of retired Ald. Bernard Stone (50th).“Emanuel is part of the problem — not part of the solution,” Jay Stone said as the mayor sat stone-faced a few feet away in f

10 by Mike Klonsky / 4d 

JUN 16

Weekend Quotables

Ken GriffinKent Redfield“It’s certainly an indication of the increasingly large role that wealthy individuals are playing in American politics.” -- Sun-Times, Billionaire Ken Griffin gives Rauner record-breaking $2.5 millionRev. Walter "Slim" Coleman“We’re not suggesting that Rauner is a member of the Klan or that there were any Klansmen involved in his campaign or anything like that.  W

by Mike Klonsky / 4d 

Billionaire Griffin's influence will be felt no matter who wins the election

GriffinThe Billionaire Boys Club is flexing it's electoral political muscles again in Illinois. The Sun-Times reports that Citadel hedge-fund CEO Ken Griffin has kicked in a tidy $2.5 million to fellow billionaire Bruce Rauner's already bloated campaign fund. That includes $71,000 worth of in-kind contributions for the use of Griffin's private jet. It's reportedly the biggest single Illinois polit

11 by Mike Klonsky / 5d 

6-21-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy

Wait What?:

  Wait What? All Week

Madison Public School Superintendent Thomas Scarice makes national waves – again.

Thomas Scarice, the superintendent of Madison Public Schools in Connecticut, has been identified as a “Public Education Hero” by Diane Ravitch, the nations leading public education advocate.  Scarice has been a leading Connecticut voice against “high-stakes test-based school reform.” A few months ago, Thomas Scarice received national attention for a letter he sent to Connecticut State […] The post

by jonpelto / 25min 

The downfall of another Charter School Management Company

Michael Sharpe is the CEO of Jumoke Academy and the FUSE charter school management company. Over the past twenty months, thanks to Stefan Pryor, Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education and Malloy’s political appointees to the State Board of Education, Sharpe and his charter management company has gone from having one small charter school in Hartford […] The post The downfall of another Charter

9 by jonpelto / 14h 

Hashtag – #ConnecticutisnotWisconsin

To the  unions, public employees, and the voters of Connecticut – Let’s take a moment to set the record straight… While preventing me from even speaking to the union members responsible for endorsing candidates, the leadership of the Connecticut AFL-CIO and AFT-CT were among those claiming that voters must choose Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy or […] The post Hashtag – #ConnecticutisnotWisconsin  ap

35 by jonpelto / 21h 

The Power of Truth (from a Concerned Parent in Windham)

“In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” George Orwell 1984 This blog, like others that have been sent in from parents, shines the light of truth on the corporate education reform industry. Read it and know that the time has come to either fight back or give up.  […] The post The Power of Truth (from a Concerned Parent in Windham) appeared first on Wait What?.

2 by jonpelto / 1d 

JUN 19

Malloy fails to make a real difference with home foreclosure crisis

Search the state database of the hundreds of press releases that Governor Malloy has over the past three and a half years and you’ll find numerous PR documents bragging that the Malloy administration was successfully fighting to protect Connecticut families from the predatory foreclosure practices of banks and the lawyers that are working overtime to […] The post Malloy fails to make a real differ

5 by jonpelto / 1d 

JUN 18

CT’s Choice of Evils (by Peter Greene)

Peter Greene claims to be, “a grumpy old teacher trying to keep up the good classroom fight in the new age of reformy stuff.”  Peter is also one of the most important education bloggers in the nation and part of the team who have been working to shine the light of truth on the corporate […] The post CT’s Choice of Evils (by Peter Greene) appeared first on Wait What?.

43 by jonpelto / 2d 

Insurance Executives Win; Citizens and Mental Health Advocates Lose

At the end of May, Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy stunned healthcare advocates when he vetoed an important bill that would have required insurance companies to provide data about how much substance abuse coverage and related mental health care they are actually providing Connecticut residents. The legislation was a product of a major study conducted the […] The post Insurance Executives Win; Citizen

3 by jonpelto / 3d 

JUN 17

And the Best News Story Title of the campaign goes to…..

While Election Day is still 140 days away, the New Haven Independent’s Melissa Bailey appears to be the sure winner of the Best News Story Title of the 2014 gubernatorial campaign. If a post-election AWARDS CEREMONY for this year’s race for Governor is going to be held, the organizers can safely fill out and seal […] The post And the Best News Story Title of the campaign goes to….. appeared first

20 by jonpelto / 3d 

A final word about the AFL-CIO’s decision to block my speech to delegates

“We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.” – President John F. Kennedy Yesterday the delegates […] The post A final word about the AFL-CIO’s decision to block my speech to de

82 by jonpelto / 4d 

JUN 16

AFL-CIO Refuses To Allow Pelto to address Political Endorsing Convention

AFL-CIO Refuses To Allow Pelto to address Political Endorsing Convention The Connecticut AFL-CIO will be holding their 10th Biennial Political Convention starting today at the Omni Hotel in New Haven.  Although Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley and Lieutenant Governor candidate, Penny Bacchiochi will be addressing delegates at 11:00 am today and Governor Dannel P. Malloy and his Democra

89 by jonpelto / 4d 

JUN 15

NEWS FLASH: Malloy allied corporate education reformers may bring lawsuit to end teacher tenure in Connecticut

The nation’s leading public education advocate, Diane Ravitch, is reporting today that, “Spokespersons for the corporate reform movement hope to launch legal attacks on tenure and seniority in Connecticut, following the example of the Vergara case in California.” The Vegara case is the one in which a California judge ruled, last week, that California’s teacher […] The post NEWS FLASH: Malloy allie

39 by jonpelto / 5d 

Libraries are so overrated… (Not)

My children’s high school has a library and full-time library staff.  Their middle school had a library and a full-time librarian; even their elementary school had a library with a librarian. But as a result of inadequate state funding (and outright stupidity on the part of some of our elected officials), many Connecticut children are attending […] The post Libraries are so overrated… (Not) appear

21 by jonpelto / 5d 

JUN 14

Don’t be fooled – Governor Malloy proposed doing away with teacher tenure

Last week a California superior court judge ruled that California’s state’s teacher tenure law was illegal. Public school advocates, teachers and teacher unions across the nation condemned the judge’s ruling as unfair, inappropriate and little more than a propaganda piece for the billionaires who are funding the corporate education reform industry’s attack on public education […] The post Don’t be

70 by jonpelto / 6d