I recently learned about an amazing new website that shows the commitment of private foundations to charter schools: http://www.erinproject.org/foundation. The website was created by the John and Laura Arnold Foundation. John Arnold is a Texas billionaire who has given a lot of money to Michelle Rhee for her campaign to diminish the teaching profession and privatize public education. The foundation has created a truly astonishing website from which you can learn about funding for charter schools and other initiatives that promote corporate reformers policies. There are a few references to research, but none of the research listings is comprehensive or balanced.
If you are concerned about the creeping privatization of U.S. education, the Arnold Foundation’s list will make you even more concerned. Indeed, it may persuade you that the issue is not “creeping” but “galloping.” In years past, the foundation world devoted its resources to goals that the U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies neglected. No more, now the federal government and the foundations are on the same page.
I tried to look something up at ERIN project and there was an end user license agreement for their website. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a website where you have to agree to their terms before you look at pages other than the home page.
It’s like a twisted nightmare version of ERIC.
Aren’t there any billionaires for traditional public schools? Why is it that all these people richer than God are hell-bent on destroying public schools, teacher unions and teacher bargaining rights? Yet another billionaire who’s in love with charter schools and punishing those supposedly horrible public school teachers and their unions.
There is an important article just published in the Philadelphia City Paper which spells out how the William Penn Foundation (6th on the ERIN list of top charter funders) is a major player in the attack on Philadelphia public school where they plan to close 65 public schools in the next few years and put 40% of Philadelphia students in charters. See:
Money Talks And when Jeremy Nowak is paying, Philly schools have to listen. at:
per.net/cover_story/2012-07-05-money-talks.html
Link correction: http://www.citypaper.net/cover_story/2012-07-05-money-talks.html