Public school champions fire back at New York Times’ misleading charter school report
Two public school champions have fired back at a remarkably one-sided New York Times article this week on a supposed backlash from black voters about Democratic presidential candidates’ criticism of charter schools.
Most Democratic candidates have been critical of the billionaire-funded charter school movement for the usual reasons: Encouraging segregation, lack of accountability, scheming profiteers and, most of all, a lack of demonstrated education benefits.
The Times article was nearly propaganda, leaving an impression of overwhelming support for charters among black voters.
Not so, say Diane Ravitch, the public school champion, and Robert Kuttner of the progressive American Prospect. Writes Ravitch of the supposed universal turn of black and brown parents against critics of charters:
This is not true. Black parents in Little Rock, Arkansas, are fighting at this very moment to stop the Walton-controlled state government from controlling their district and re-segregating it with charter schools. Jitu Brown and his allies fought to keep Rahm Emanuel from closing Walter Dyett High School, the last open enrollment public high school on the South Side of Chicago; they launched a 34-day hunger strike, and Rahm backed down. Jitu Brown’s Journey for Justice Alliance has organized black parents in 25 cities to fight to improve their neighborhood public schools rather than let them be taken over by CONTINUE READING:Public school champions fire back at New York Times' misleading charter school report - Arkansas Times
