I wrote a post about radical legislation in Pennsylvania that will authorize the Governor to create a charter commission with power to overturn local decisions. This legislation was written by the corporate-funded organization ALEC.
The Louisiana legislature passed the radical ALEC agenda last spring. Teachers lost tenure; unqualified people can become teachers. Test scores determine teachers’ careers. More than half the state’s students are eligible for vouchers, with some going to fundamentalist schools. Charters will pop up everywhere. Students can take their tuition money to online schools that get poor results, or to any snake-oil salesman that hangs out a shingle and pretends to be an educator.
Everything comes out of the minimum foundation funding for public schools, which is supposedly illegal, but who cares? Lots of new opportunities to make a buck in Louisiana or any other state that passes ALEC model legislation.
A reader in Louisiana notes that the proposed governor’s commission, stripping local boards of their decision-making powers, has already passed in his state:
This legislation was passed in Louisiana last spring. Don’t let this happen to Penn -teachers get the word out to fight this. This December our Board of Education will present the first list of applicants to fall under this new provision and they have shown that they decry true accountability. My school district,St. Tammany Parish, is the highest performing large school district in the state with highest average ACT score in the state and above the national average. We have never allowed charters but we are now expecting to be invaded. One prospective charter operator is advertising on Craig’s List for personnel to open an “international school.” He is a former instructor of Muslim studies at the Air Force Academy (5years) from Edinburgh, Scotland. Where do these charter promoters come from and how do end up here.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“Where do these charter promoters come from and how do end up here.” Well considering they are the devil’s spawn they magically can appear anywhere at anytime. And they are very difficult to get rid of-even the Ghostbusters run away from them.
“Teachers lost tenure; unqualified people can become teachers.”
And then, when scores go down, Louisiana (and Duncan and others) will feel emboldened to take even more drastic steps against teachers and public schools.
Louisiana public school supporters had only a few legislators who were willing to listen to the professionals. The educators thank them. On the other hand, those legislators were outnumbered and the ALEC agenda for school reform was passed into law. The public has yet to see a report as to how the schools were selected to receive vouchers. LDOE said they would release that info in Sept. Over thirty online “providers” have applied to offer courses beginning next fall. Vetting is still sketchy as to their credibility and how they will get final approval. It is inevitable that more charter schools will be knocking at the door. The door is not locked and they will be allowed to enter. Money for both is and will come from the public school funding that is known as the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP).
To add another chapter, Supt. John White has just hired an additional PR person. Get this… only part-time at $12,000 a month for at least 4 months. It’s so important to get everyone to believe in “Louisiana Believes”. We know where that will be going. He has also chosen another TFA com padre to supervise the teacher, ALEC’s, evaluation system.
Want to come to Louisiana to teach? Better yet, can an exorcism be performed to free us of the destruction of our public schools and the constant ridicule of our teachers? The haunts of ALEC are everywhere!
Thanks, again, Diane, for pointing out the Louisiana situation.
John White and Bobby Jindal have opened the door to Louisiana’s public school funding and invited all to come and get theirs.
Sure have!
I’m betting that Louisiana will be the first state in the nation to be a blue ribbon ALEC model. Maybe they should just change the name now to the State of ALEC. Our motto is: Where corporations are not only people, but they can govern you too. I’m sure Christie and Cerf in Jersey would be envious.
It is State Fair time!
“We have never allowed charters but we are now expecting to be invaded.”
Invasion. That about sums up the actions of the “reformers.” When the “war” is over, will these people be tried for their crimes against the public and its democracy?
In NYC the mayor gives space in public schools to charters, even when public schools fight the loss of their space and even when the charters are sponsored by hedge fund managers and billionaires.
The mayor calls it “co-location,” but parents call it “invasion.”
Diane
IQBAL S. AKHTAR
Assistant Professor
Department of Religious Studies
Department of Politics and International Relations
Florida International University
Dr. Akhtar informed me that he has interviewed with the Dept. of Education and submitted his charter application for possible approval in December. You can imagine how extensively this new charter operator who formed his organization via Craig’s list will be vetted. Evidently Dr. Akhtar is unfamiliar with the executive employment services provided by Teach For America or our own New Schools For New Orleans and the New Teacher Project. I wonder if he knows how easy it will be to staff his school now that charters no longer have to employ certified teachers. . I am awaiting response to my public records request to see the application. But I’m really anxious to hear the response of parents in St. Tammany when they learn their district in which no charters have ever been allowed are now subject to invasion at the will of Supt. John White!