Rightwing think tanks, ALEC, and the big corporations are excited about the idea of parents “seizing control” of public schools and handing them over to private corporations. But this parent wonders who will be allowed to pull the trigger and who will be left behind:
….. who does and does not have “trigger rights”? My children went to the public schools but have since graduated. Do I still have trigger rights, or did I lose them when my youngest child graduated? Conversely, if your children are not yet school-age do you get a say because any decision will affect your children when they reach school-age? Do people with more children get more votes? Do parents who do not pay property taxes lose their trigger rights? It seems somewhat unfair to make this decision based on a single year, so maybe there should be a vote before each school year begins. Do teachers get a say? What about nurses, social workers, guidance counselors, custodians, and administrators? Do they only get a say if they live in town?
And, OMG, I almost forgot…we definitely need to enact stringent picture ID requirements before trigger voting. I have a driver’s license, but I know one young teacher who does not (she grew up in a big city). Should she apply for a hunting license? If that trigger is pulled, what does the new charter get to keep from our former public school? There are several murals painted by students in years past (my son helped with one). Do they have the right to paint over the murals? So many questions…
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Good Evening– I just learned something that I find incredulous. In the past few years schools pursued capital improvement projects which were sanctioned by the State. Classrooms were added on to buildings, technology was added to classrooms all rewarded by the state. Now, a few years down the road , schools are facing declining enrollment. In the event that a school district closes a school and hopes to sell a school building to help defray costs, the State Ed Department can take control of the school. Was the Master Plan to encourage capital improvement projects knowing full well that down the road these buildings would be taken over by the state and turned in to a Charter School? Nice thinking. Encourage capital improvement projects squeeze districts out of funds, increase impossible mandates. and in the end acquire a building with updated Promethian boards and great technology and. Whoosh take it away and create a charter school. It just gets better and better.
Matge
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Louisiana governor Jindal is already doing this in New Orleans and at the state capital. Selling off prime real estate owned by the state to his corporate “political sponsors”. He used economic development laws to take over private property rights for a public hospital in New Orleans only to sell it later to a private company. Also Selling property at our state capital. You are so right that schools are next. It’s all part of their agenda. And once sold off how do we regain this public property? It will be lost forever. Will we ever be able to right the wrongs done by ALEC with the help of our elected officials?
These are great points about parent trigger. Public schools belong to the public. We all have an interest in public education. No one group should have the right to control or sell off any public facility. Why are we allowing politicians to destroy what we have fought so long to build? Pay attention! Do your homework! This is important!
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This is a dream come true for these guys. Public property at fire-sale prices! There might be a problem with state, local and county or in your case parish property that was paid for in part with federal dollars. It’s something you might want to look into.
I hope that Piyush changes his ways. He’s really mucking up education down there. This is so strange because when you want to attract people, business and industry, that is generally a selling point. Now I guess his selling point will be, “we’re still not last,”
BTW- never trust anyone who renames himself after Bobby Brady from the Brady Bunch. No originality.
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Your blog is excellent . You hit the nail on the head. My association has been speaking out against the trigger bill but never have we thought of all those points. Thank you, Thank you. We must stand up for all children so they may receive a quality free public education.
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And even if you do not have children in public school any longer. You can join your state or local PTA and have join us in our fight for quality education for all children
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This is the next big thing in Oklahoma too. Apparently, our State Superintendent is a huge Maggie Gyllenhaal fan. Fortunately, the governor wants to consolidate school districts. I think this could create a bit of a conflict: http://okeducationtruths.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/the-wonderful-thing-about-triggers/
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The newest try at charters in Washington State has a trigger embedded in the initiative. It would allow a charter proposal to submit a petition with a majority of signatures from parents OR teachers. And, it’s for ANY school, failing or not.
18 elementary teachers in a building, 10 sign a petition. TEN whole people could upend an entire school community (and take the building, rent-free, from the district). How is that good public policy?
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Do you have a link to the language? It is not only bad public policy, it is insane. Dr. Ravitch has written about the concept of schools as institutions that serve the public as a whole, not just a narrowly-defined group (such as the teachers employed in the building, or the parents of children in attendance in one school year). Indeed, all taxpayers, whether or not they have children, support public schools because that’s part of what we understand to be a “public good”. I certainly feel these “trigger” proposals are aptly named: I associate the word trigger with gun and gun with armed robbery.
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