Was Mavericks Charter Schools – Including Joe Biden’s Brother – Trying to Buy the Palm Beach School Board? | Scathing Purple Musings

Was Mavericks Charter Schools – Including Joe Biden’s Brother – Trying to Buy the Palm Beach School Board? | Scathing Purple Musings:

Was Mavericks Charter Schools – Including Joe Biden’s Brother – Trying to Buy the Palm Beach School Board?

by Bob Sikes

Campaign contributions by Maverick’s charter school operators, family members and employees are detailed in a stunning story today by Doug Martin. Records show that both school board member Chuch Shaw and board chairman Frank Barbieri have received contributions from Mavericks’ operators and people cloesly associated with them. The list includes Vice President Joe Biden’s brother and Maverick’s president, Frank.

Mavericks currently operates one charter school in Palm Beach County, but originally the school district was not a fan of the Biden-led company. After Palm Beach County’s department of charter schools determined that Mavericks’ application did not meet financial and other standards, Frank Biden, as Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss pointed out, met with members of the school board and persuaded them to change their minds. In early February 2011, they did.

Word at the time was Biden and Mavericks had promised to donate to various school board

Daily Kos: Florida charter schools: big money, little oversight

Daily Kos: Florida charter schools: big money, little oversight:

Florida charter schools: big money, little oversight

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Florida’s charter school movement has grown into $400-million-a-year powerhouse backed by real-estate developers and promoted by politicians, but with little oversight.

That is the opening paragraph of this Miami Herlad article, whose title I borrowed for this post.

This has been a deliberate expansion over the past 15 years. As the article notes,

What started as an educational movement has turned into one of the region’s fastest-growing industries, backed by real-estate developers and promoted by politicians.

But while charter schools have grown into a $400-million-a-year business in South Florida, receiving about $6,000 in taxpayer dollars for every student enrolled, they continue to operate with

NYC Public School Parents: A Brooklyn parent reports on the WNYC/Schoolbook forum on "school choice"

NYC Public School Parents: A Brooklyn parent reports on the WNYC/Schoolbook forum on "school choice":

A Brooklyn parent reports on the WNYC/Schoolbook forum on "school choice"

by Leonie Haimson

See also NY Times/Schoolbook and GothamSchoolson this forum. Here is the account from a Brooklyn parent who wishes to remain anonymous:

Last night I attended the WNYC/Schoolbook forum on “school choice” which turned out to be mostly about promoting Schoolbook--no surprise. Jodi Rudoren of the Times kicked off the evening by telling us all to go on Schoolbook and add comments on our children's schools.

The Walcott conversation with Brian Lehrer was about what you'd expect. Some gentle probing, but they filtered out any slightly difficult questions by having the audience submit them on index cards or via Twitter. I didn't hear

Opting Out of Unnecessary Standardized Tests: United Opt Out National | Seattle Education

Opting Out of Unnecessary Standardized Tests: United Opt Out National | Seattle Education:

Opting Out of Unnecessary Standardized Tests: United Opt Out National

by seattleducation2011

Seattle Education has been getting a lot of hits on the MAP test and I have been receiving mail on how to opt out of the MAP test. There is a post in draft about the MAP, but in the meantime, check out this website, United Opt Out National.

Below is their Mission Statement.

Dora

Members of this site are parents, educators, and social activists who are dedicated to the elimination of high

Jose Rico Appointed Director Hispanic Educational Excellence - Hispanically Speaking News

Jose Rico Appointed Director Hispanic Educational Excellence - Hispanically Speaking News:

Jose Rico Appointed New Director White House Initiative on Hispanic Educational Excellence

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan today announced the appointment of José Rico as the new director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. The Initiative is in charge of expanding academic excellence and improving educational opportunities for Hispanics for President Obama and Secretary Duncan.

“For the last two years as the Initiative’s deputy director, José has helped create an active national network of Latino community leaders to increase the academic success of Hispanics to meet President Obama’s 2020 college completion goal,” Duncan said. “We’re fortunate that José will take the helm at the Initiative and lead the Obama Administration’s efforts to improve educational opportunities for Hispanics.”

Hispanics are the largest minority group in the public education system, comprising more than 1 in 5 students in

Kimble's Corner: Glendale Valley School Board Fires Principal Kerrigan

Kimble's Corner: Glendale Valley School Board Fires Principal Kerrigan:

Glendale Valley School Board Fires Principal Kerrigan

by Representative Kimble

The fallout over a rude question by a Glendale Valley student at a townhall event for student journalists by presidential candidate and Congressman Jack Kimble (CA-54) has resulted in the termination of Glendale Valley High School principal Jerry Kerrigan. The school board voted last night to remove the school's principal for the last 18 years by a 7-2 vote.

At a November 23rd event at the Congressman's Rancho Podrido office, 18 year old Ryan Cruz of Glendale Valley asked the Congressman, "If you manage to pull out the election with your conservative social views, do

Frank Biden and Privatizers Buying Nation’s 11th-Largest School District:

Frank Biden and Privatizers Buying Nation’s 11th-Largest School District

photo by jrubinic

photo by jrubinic

When the Palm Beach Post endorsed Chuck E. Shaw for the Palm Beach County School Board’s district 2 seat, they praised the ex-JFK Medical Center Charter School principal for “how well he knows the school district.”

Shaw knows where the dinero is, too, and he found it with Frank Biden, the VP’s younger brother, and Mavericks in Education Florida, a for-profit company fanatic about constructing hundreds of new charter schools.

Mavericks currently operators one charter school in Palm Beach County, but originally the school district was not a fan of the Biden-led company. After Palm Beach County’s department of charter schools determined that Mavericks’ application did not meet financial and other standards, Frank Biden, as Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss pointed out, met with members of the school

Privatization and Oligarchy | Firedoglake

Privatization and Oligarchy | Firedoglake:

Privatization and Oligarchy

by masaccio

Cass Sunstein: I'm not capitulating, I'm nudging

The main goal of any sensible oligarch is to get high returns with no risk. Real estate mortgage-backed securities served that purpose in the run-up to the Great Crash. Oligarchs didn’t buy RMBSs; they served them up to others and took huge profits from a scummy mélange of cheating home-buyers and telling half-truths about their own involvement in the deals.

Another great way to make money risk-free is to tap into taxpayers through privatization. The idea is that government provides necessary services, paid for by taxes. If you can get the government to bow out, you can put that tax money into your own wallet. For-profit proprietary schools, which let you tap into the flood of student loan money Uncle Sam offers to those trying to better themselves, are a great example, as we learn in the New York Times.

The public justification for privatization is the fantasy that the private sector does a better job than government at everything. The anti-tax movement fits right into this nasty little idea, because state governments cut funding to

Jersey Jazzman: Great Moments in Reformy Hyperbole

Jersey Jazzman: Great Moments in Reformy Hyperbole:

Great Moments in Reformy Hyperbole

by Duke

Billionaire-backed and newly-elected NJ Assemblyman Troy Singleton:

That is why I am a strong supporter of the proposed Opportunity Scholarship Act (OSA), now under consideration in the state Legislature. The OSA would use corporate tax credits to transfer low-income students from failing schools into public or parochial schools with a track record of success.

Our educational foundation must be steeped in the principle that every child, regardless of zip code, should be afforded the tools necessary to succeed. Adhering to this principle however, can

Philip Kovacs: Huntsville Takes a Closer Look at Teach For America's "Research" - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Philip Kovacs: Huntsville Takes a Closer Look at Teach For America's "Research" - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Philip Kovacs: Huntsville Takes a Closer Look at Teach For America's "Research"

by Anthony Cody

Several weeks ago I posted a firsthand report from University of Alabama, Huntsville assistant professor Philip Kovacs, regarding his efforts to get the Hunstville school board to re-examine its decision to spend $1.7 million on bringing Teach For America interns to the public schools there. Huntsville, he pointed out, has laid off 300 teachers over the past two years. Today, Dr. Kovacs takes us on an exploration of the research that TFA offers to justify its aggressive expansion.

Guest post by Philip Kovacs.

Recently I have been exchanging emails with a TFA employee in my city. On my last exchange, I tried to press her to answer at least one of my questions.

"Given the choice, would you see a doctor with 5 weeks of training or

Grumpy Educators: Anti-Common Core Resolution questions constitutionality, evidence, and costs

Grumpy Educators: Anti-Common Core Resolution questions constitutionality, evidence, and costs:

Anti-Common Core Resolution questions constitutionality, evidence, and costs

by Sandra

ALEC is a controversial organization that draws ire from public school advocates for its support of vouchers and charter schools. Recently, Jeb Bush, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Achieve, all supporters of common core initiatives, seemed to have "gained ground" with the organization. However, this month its educational task force considered a document signed by 350 prominent

Frank Attkisson: Serial Florida Politician and Charter School Rainmaker | Scathing Purple Musings

Frank Attkisson: Serial Florida Politician and Charter School Rainmaker | Scathing Purple Musings:

Frank Attkisson: Serial Florida Politician and Charter School Rainmaker

by Bob Sikes

In the remarkable look at the troubling history of Maverick’s charter schools, Doug Martin’s B-Town Errant piece details the shadowy work and role of current Osceola county commissioner Frank Attkisson. Also a former state representative and mayor of Kississime, Attkisson is listed in this weeks’s New Times story as president of Mavericks in Education of Florida. Martin reports there’s much, much more to Attkisson:

Frank Attkisson is another fine example of the revolving door between government and charter schools in Florida. A lobbyist for Mavericks and an Osceola County District 4 Commissioner, Attkisson was, until 2008, a member of several education committees in the Florida House of

The Truth Of It All - New Forum of Dialogue | OccupyWallSt.org #ows

The Truth Of It All - New Forum of Dialogue | OccupyWallSt.org:

The Truth Of It All - New Forum of Dialogue

by OccupyWallSt

The Truth Of It All is a new forum dedicated to the open, constructive discussion of bills, regulations, and U.S. agencies as they travel through the mechanisms for their consideration. Because one of the many goals of Occupy Wall Street is a free and open dialogue, all people are encouraged to participate in the discussions here.

It is important to remember that the forum has no particular political leaning on its own, and exists to provide a platform for discussion entirely independent of the parties system which has brought the people's country to ruin.

Forum Index

Forum Rules

Occupiers participating are reminded that the rules on this forum are to be followed. Open debate is critical to our movement. Rules 1, 3, and 5 are to be especially followed at all times.

Whose Children have been left behind? by Diane Ravitch « Parents Across America

Whose Children have been left behind? by Diane Ravitch « Parents Across America:

Whose Children have been left behind? by Diane Ravitch

by leoniehaimson

for the NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN SUMMIT

December 9, 2011

My theme for today: Whose children have been left behind?

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. For many years, I was a strong advocate of testing, accountability, and choice. I worked in three conservative think tanks where these ideas were held sacred. In 1998, I went to Albany, New York, to testify on behalf of charter legislation. At the time I was connected to the conservative Manhattan Institute. I thought that testing would help diagnose the problems that children had and enable teachers to identify their needs. I thought that charters would enroll the kids who had failed in regular public schools or who were not well served by regular public schools. I thought that charters would collaborate with the public schools.

In a book published last year, I said that I was wrong. I was wrong on every count. Testing

What do the Bloomberg and the NEA leadership have in common? « Fred Klonsky

What do the Bloomberg and the NEA leadership have in common? « Fred Klonsky:

What do Bloomberg and the NEA leadership have in common?

by Fred Klonsky

There was justifiable outrage this past week directed at New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg gave a speech in which he suggested New York schools would be better with classes that were twice as large and if half the teachers were fired.

Bloomberg went on to explain that what mattered most was teacher quality. A good teacher would be a good

NYC Public School Parents: Manhattan & Brooklyn parents fight back vs. Success charter invasion

NYC Public School Parents: Manhattan & Brooklyn parents fight back vs. Success charter invasion:

Manhattan & Brooklyn parents fight back vs. Success charter invasion

by Leonie Haimson

video by Darren Marelli; Manhattan and Brooklyn parents fight back against the spreading invasion of Eva Moskowitz' Success charter schools in their public school buildings.

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National Opportunity to Learn by Diane Ravitch

NatlOTL