Wendy Lecker, advocate for public education in Connecticut, raises important questions.
Why was Hartford’s low-performing Milner School handed over to charter operator Jumoke Academy? Why did Hartford officials do nothing to help Milner until the charter school took over? Why did Jumoke get $2 million to fix Milner but no help was available to Milner before the takeover?
Lecker asks: is the responsibility of the state to help the kids or to help grow the charter sector?
Since State Commissiomer of Education Stefan Pryor comes from the charter sector, she suspects it is the latter.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
That seems to be the pattern and we march like lemmings. We know the cliff is there, but we rarely shout from that mountain top! Enough Already!
Ah, I get it now. This HAS to be what some call, “growing the workforce.” Perhaps the hope is that these students will grow up as productive little worker bees to help corporations get richer in the future. Or maybe the movement exists to grow the income of private investors? Certainly this isn’t helping students grow.
Is it too early to start asking whether some of these people might not simply be on the take?
(Notice how carefully I worded that — not like I’d be insinuating a criminal conspiracy or anything.)
Or perhaps it’s rather late to be asking the same.
Wendy Lecker, advocate for public education in Connecticut, raises important questions. …. State Commissiomer of Education Stefan Pryor comes from the charter sector. …
Here are questions Ms Lecker should ask of the Connecticut Department of Education and the Gates Foundation:
Societal Responsibilities and Support of KEY Communities
(1) HOW do you consider societal well-being and benefit as part of your strategy and daily operations? HOW do you consider the well-being of environmental, social, and economic systems to which your organization does or may contribute?
(2) HOW does your organization actively support and strengthen your KEY communities? What are your KEY communities? HOW do you identify these communities and determine areas for organizational involvement, including areas related to your CORE COMPETENCIES? HOW do your SENIOR LEADERS, in concert with your WORKFORCE, contribute to improving these communities?
After Hartford, Bridgeport, and Windham, there are increasing numbers of people here who are taking notice of this nincompoopery. I suspect things will not go so easily in New London for the privatizers.
“I long for a fight with you like a thirsty man longs for a drink.”
– Archilochus
Wait until charters come to Westport!
Diane Ravitch
Better yet- New Canaan.
Just wait til the charter opens in New Canaan! Offering Mandarin Chinese and physics. Don’t laugh. It happened in Los Gatos, Ca
Diane
It will never happen: it’s THOSE kids in Bridgeport who need charter schools.
“DINO Dan” Malloy and his lackeys continue to serve their crap stew to the people of Connecticut.
Is this what the DOE considers deepening collaboration and sharing between the charter and regular public school?
“Held for the first time this year, the Charter School Exemplary Collaboration grants program encourages high-quality charter schools, traditional public schools and school districts to share resources and responsibilities, build trust and teamwork, boost academic excellence, and provide students and their parents with a range of effective educational options.”
Jumoke received $200,000. “Jumoke is collaborating with Thurman L. Milner School, a Hartford Pre K-8 school. This partnership includes: (1) developing a plan to engage Milner parents; (2) improving the school environment by addressing non-academic factors such as students’ social, emotional, arts, cultural, recreational and health needs, among others; (3) using Jumoke’s model for effective school leadership; (4) providing teacher and staff support; (5) making effective use of school time; (6) implementing an effective curriculum and instructional program; and (7) using data to inform decision-making.”
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-announces-grants-totaling-more-12-million-charter-school