Yinzercation, one of the best blogs in Pennsylvania, has an alarming post.
The Pittsburgh Public Schools have given a $2.4 million contract to two consulting companies to deal with the district’s equity and financial issues.
Some of this was underwritten by the Gates Foundation, as well as local foundations (Gates gave Pittsburgh a large grant to install a new teacher evaluation system).
One of the two companies is Bellwether, whose partners include the TIME columnist Andrew Rotherham and also Andy Smarick.
Andy is well known for his hostility to public schools. He believes in charterizing public education.
Other members of the firm were formerly associated with Bain & Company, Mitt Romney’s old firm.
Looks like Pittsburgh will join the urban districts that are closing public schools and handing the kids and money over to private enterpreneurs.
It would be great to see one example of an urban district anywhere in the U.S. where the corporate reform policies have produced a better school system, one that works for all kids.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Interesting NYT article on the failure of college on-line courses. The factors described in the article are at work in spades for public elementary and secondary schools. In a rational society, this sort of report would be the death knell for virtual charters; but in present-day America, I’m sure it will be completely ignored.
NOTHING works for “all kids,” not even public schools. You set an impossible bench mark.
Thanks for posting on this issue, Diane. As both a PPS teacher and parent, I fear this move in so many ways, in how it may affect my students (and my own children) academically and me professionally.