Despite the fact that a Louisiana judge struck down the funding for the state’s voucher program, State Superintendent John White expressed confidence that the state would find a way to pay for it and that the numbers who leave public schools for religious schools with public funding will increase.
Although nearly half a million students were eligible this current year, only about 5,000 currently are using a voucher to attend a nonpublic school.
White did not address whether the state will continue to fund schools that do not teach accurate or modern science, mathematics or history.
Nor did he mention whether teachers in voucher schools will need to be certified, as they are not now.
John White is one of the national leaders that Teach for America produced.
He is determined to leave a legacy in Louisiana of vouchers, charters, and an impoverished public school system.
Some legacy.
Maybe his next job might be at ALEC or the Walton Foundation.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I need some additional cash to supplement my salary. Any thoughts on me opening up a virtual charter from my Maryland home for Louisiana students? :>) It just might be possible.
Probably can. There are already some virtually charters getting money from Louisiana. And if you are a certified teacher, yours will probably be better.
Truly the charters seem to be “anything goes” or should I say anything goes except real teachers. When these things first got started we were the only group of teachers trying to start one and we got turned down even though we were extremely inclusive and had a whole section written for special ed, ELL and Homeless. I know because I wrote that section.
Hey go to Michgan. Anyone can open a charter here. Just make sure you provide a stack of cash to the governor’s campaign. There’s hardly any accountability. You’ll live on easy street.
John White is an iconic example of corporate reform empty embellishment hidden among Broad-mastered reformer vocabulary spit out via Blackberry prompting.
I challenge him to a public debate on educational issues– without either one of us having any electronic device or notes in hand.
His proposed “reform” for special education is ridiculous. In fact, it only serves to affirm what he doesn’t understand about special ed kids. My daughter with Down Syndrome received a certificate from her high school. She clearly did not need a diploma because, after all, what difference what it have made in her life?
I would love to challenge White, especially on Special Education. I could have him totally confused within 30 seconds. One of the things Louisiana really needs is a Special Education Diploma like Georgia had. It was just as good as any other diploma and a kid could go into Job Corps or a vocational school with it, or in some cases to college. Plus, it was an opening for a job with the Atlanta school system because they would not employ even a lunch room worker or a custodian without a high school diploma or GED, and a Special Education diploma was fine.
What would a psychologist say about their warped motivation for this destruction and the publics acceptance of such?
I would challenge White and he could have all the notes and assistants he wanted. Then the fun on him would start. I have done this to Steven Brill, Arne Duncan, John Deasy and many more. One thing they cannot handle is someone who knows what they are talking about and have the documented proof and has an attitude they cannot deal with. For me it is real fun to confront them on their lies in public especially while T.V. cameras are on. My experience over 20 years is that the public loves someone to confront them. People have often told me that they wish they could state the issues that way and they love to see the big wigs crushed and show it on their faces. You must read the body language. Confront them in public. Watch what is going on in Chicago. Last night I watched a two hour video of the Chicago School District having a meeting with the parents of the schools they are going to shut down. There must have been 2,000 people in the room and they could not let more in. The public was not taking it and that is what needs to happen. Make the cockroaches run for the cracks when the lights come on.
BESE, the state school board is supposed to be visiting all the school districts in Louisiana next month. Maybe you could slip in. You probably would not get White himself, but you could certainly get his clones.
When he was having meetings with the school systems back last summer it was interesting that the ones he went to in the Baton Rouge area were two of the highest performing and openly Republican systems. He went to Zachary, which is a breakaway district and Ascension Parish. Did not come to East Baton Rouge which has been invaded by both the Recovery District and religious charters or to Orleans Parish which is almost all charter and Recovery District now. Zachary and Ascension are also predominantly white and middle class and take pride in paying extra taxes for good schools.
I love hearing that the people are putting up a fight. It sounds like Chicago is organized and ready.
Oh, I love it, George! I just advised the blog readers here to find out about what’s going on in Chicago. Just like their successful strike preparation (getting FIVE THOUSAND into the streets!), the same thing is now going on numbers-wise with parents, older students and community members–THOUSAND or MORE people packing school closing meetings wearing school tee-shirts, holding up signs, & speaking out. Original # of schools to be closed–more than 330 (I think 500); then, 330. Now it’s down to 129, but the people want the number to be zero. They keep on pushing back.
I doubt John White is not going to accept the challenge.
If you really want to know who is enabling him, however, look to DC
and Duncan reform.
If federal aid were limited to public schools and not allowed
for privately run schools which use public monies (i.e. charters),
if pay-for-performance was discouraged instead of called for,
it vouchers were called shameful by this administration, then
we would not even be having this discussion.
Anyway, I wrote the White House again — they asked me to.
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU
I told President Obama that his policies were a betrayal of
what we stand for as a nation.
Hope that is still true.
Barack has been a right wing education sell out since at least 1995 in Chicago. Michelle was one of Daley’s $100,000 club while she made $132,000 helping him privatize Chicago Schools. So what else do you expect. I am surprised at how few people know their “Real History.”
I am not sure about Michelle since their kids went to public schools in Chicago.
The problem with Barrack is that he is not a teacher and does not understand how schools operate or that teachers do not work for the money. The money is what lets them do what they are meant to do. That is why financial incentives don’t work to improve teaching or the schools—-unless of course they are grants to help them get stuff for their kids.
The Oama daughters went to the University of Chicago Lab School, where Mayor Rahm Emanuel sends his children. They have a right to make this choice. It is not a public school.
So tell us — what is the real history?
Why is John White not challenged? I am sick of him trying to destroy public education. I challenge him and Jindal to come teach for a week in my classroom and meet all of my students’ needs. They could not do it. Period.
White might last for a week if the kids are not difficult since he spent 2 years in the classroom. Jindal, no. That whiny voice and fast speech would drive the kids nuts, especially the ones with autism and ADHD and the ELLs would not be able to understand him. Plus high school kids would think he was a student because he is so little. Then they would want to play with his hair if they were young and would want to know if he was black or white and a lot of other personal information. The multihandicapped kids he would not want to change their diaper or tube or spoon feed and wouldn’t know anything about teaching them. He might last until lunch time if he had a decent paraprofessional, but she would walk out by 10AM because he would try to boss her around or fire her like he does department heads who disagree with him. It would be real interesting seeing him or White get 3 wheelchairs and a runner off the bus!
I wonder how many people know what a “runner” is?
You win the truth and humor prize at the same time.
more Delaware BS: http://transparentchristina.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/this-is-what-governormarkell-the-destateboarded-and-dedeptofed-have-done-to-our-kids-netde-edude/
Cripes! Shades of China, the old USSR, and wartime Germany and Italy. Yikes!
I think I’m going to throw up!
I worked in a charter that would have rallies before test time. The CEO would come in and I felt like I sat through a Fidel Castro rally. Totally bizzare. America has gone insane.
Public schools have test rallies too. How else would amateurs know what to do? They also make sure the kids eat breakfast before the test by putting it at a time AFTER the buses get there. Rest of the time they don’t seem to care if the special ed. kids and others who ride the buses eat or not, at least at a school where I worked.
Hell, we used to have pep assemblies in my former district for the yearly state tests. I refused to go, I didn’t want to puke on the gym floor.
He’s an idiot
Of course he’s an idiot, a rich idiot with a $250,000 a year salary to do Bobby Jindal’s bidding. He only worked in a classroom for two years, not even long enough to learn his craft. Probably not smart enough to be a teacher anyway.
Here’s a Tweet from John white from Feb. 5….a classic example of hypocrisy and denial:
@LouisianaSupe Solutions come from those closest to problems. Our hierarchical education system too often presumes knowledge starts with the central office.
Mr. White, are you the closest to the students? Let me think…no. So, get out of the way.
Ok, so why is he not listening to the people closest to the problem—the teachers.
Because his masters demand that he doesn’t.