Remember reading about how the billionaires have tossed nearly $3 million in campaign funds to elect their slate in the Los Angeles school board race?
Monica Garcia, their favorite incumbent, will be able to fend off the terrifying challenge from Robert Skeels, who has intimidated her with a bankroll of $17,000. By now, he may have raised $18,000. That’s the kind of funding that frightens the 1%.
Kate Anderson, their other favorite, is not well versed in education issues according to the LA Times, but it is awfully important to oust incumbent Steve Zimmer, who is generally recognized–even by the LA Times–as thoughtful, independent, and an experienced teacher. But–good grief–he must be defeated because he was endorsed by UTLA, which makes him anathema to the billionaires and the LA Times. He is independent even from the UTLA, and he was TFA, but no way will Eli Broad and Michael Bloomberg tolerate a board member who has the nerve to be thoughtful and independent.
But pity the poor billionaires. They have to raise millions for their slate because otherwise they might be overpowered by the mighty and scary UTLA. And after all, what do teachers know about education?
Read Anthony Cody’s brilliant column here. He says, “Yes, Virginia, there really is a Bilionaire boys’ club.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Pity Pearson. The TX rally shaved 5% off its stock price. Google Pearson stock price.
Wonderful news. Kids held posters at Texas rally saying “I am not a Pearson puppet.”
OMG, Joe, you’ve made my day! Look, everybody:
https://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:PSO
That’s a 4.25% drop, and it looks like the volume was ten times average. The Save Texas Schools rally, and other events, really do seem to have the billionaires worried. Their market capture move could crash.
I wonder if there was even some response to my own busy web surfing. I spent the weekend wandering among the edubusiness financial stories, posting links to the Diane’s columns, and alerting investors to the opposition Pearson, Gates, and Murdoch face from parents and educators.
I have this day dream of these fat old men in a smokey back room, a scotch in one hand and a cigar in the other laughing there heads off because they have duped everyone into believing that this is all for the good of the children. Now I know that this didn’t really happen and that what we would call a traditional conspiracy, this isn’t. Maybe instead this is a conspiracy of silence. In other words everyone knows this isn’t right, but there is so much money involved and then you put power in the mix and no one is going to speak up.
There is no conspiracy. Our public schools are being taken away in plain sight. The equity investors don’t hide their conferences about how to monetize public dollars intended for children. They just set the price of admission so high that teachers can’t afford to listen in.
I love your blog, dearly, but I must disagree with the idea that there is no conspiracy involved. If not, the plans that are causing the deeds of destruction would not be denied by the perpetrators! Exposure is the anti-dote for the corporate raiding of education, the post office,
the social security net, etc. Webster’s has a clear definition of what a “conspiracy” entails. Not included is the idea that one who holds to a belief that such group enterprises exist is an indication of paranoia as the various cabals would love to insinuate. The Warren Commission used such attack words (“conspiracy nut”) to discredit the researchers findings that a later Congress proved by their study to be accurate FAR more than Earl and his friends. I only wish that the Rhee, Gates and Bushs would be frank with the public about what motivates their designs. They will never divulge that information and the reason is quite obvious!
It’s not a conspiracy, it’s a ruling class consensus. The political bipartisanship of it, especially in this era, is proof of that.
Let’s ALL grow up and realize that precious little is done without a group(s) effort; be it for the good, The American Revolution, or ill, the cabal of many groups who want to trash public education, teachers’ pension, unions and replace them with corporate money makers plans to be parasitical on the educational host’s (public schools) existence! SOME of the elite’s corporate players are known; Rhee, Jeb Bush, ALEC, etc. But to feel, as Cody does, apologetic that he might dare hint that there is a “conspiracy” or corporate designed efforts to achieve this destruction is wimpy at least, and destructive of the public’s ability to acknowledge that bad players DO act in concert and behind the scenes to perpetrate destructive plans on the public! Let’s call a spade, a spade! Otherwise, did all these corporations and moneyed elite just by sheer happenstance arrive at their mutual goals? PLEASE! As is becoming more evident with every passing day, this is a campaign/conspiracy, call it what you may, but, as is
painfully evident the bad actors WILL put out editorials, billboards, etc. with laughably
false facts, statistics to pull the wool over the public’s naive eyes. Do strategies like
that happen in GOOD FAITH, or are they contrived, knowingly twisting of reality to pursue a ruinous goal on education in its broadest context? I think Cody’s essay was
superb; he named groups, people who are part, but the total, but heavy hitters in this struggle for our public school system and all who are dedicated to that vital goal.
Oh I’m heartbroken for the outnumbered billionaires. I think we should take up a fundraising drive on their behalf. The billionaire bullies need all the help they can get. If you are a person who believes people aren’t out to steal public schools and their funds you are very naive. This is an unbelievable con on the people.
I couldn’t agree more! History is littered with the robber barons’ victims, both in Teddy Roosevelt’s day and even more so with this present baron bunch who hide behind “noble”
philanthropic causes that, in reality, are just schemes to fleece the sheep! Privatization is made to appear to be so American, yet is often merely a Trojan horse of the corporate world to take over a public area/service, then rip the cost and line their pockets with obscene profits!
Diane, this is the truest and on target thing of your I have read. We have been on their game here for 20 years and more and to maintain control they are spending enormous amounts of money to guarantee the privatizers win. There is always quid quo pro in this. LAUSD has a $27 billion dollar school construction program which I can show with their and the state of California’s documents they pay 2-3 times for construction what other school districts do in L.A. County. This is real money. How would you like the toilet paper contract for 1,000,000 people/day? Diane, Thank You for hitting the nail on the head and let us hope that Mr. Skells is able to get into the runoff and Garcia does not win outright in the primary. Anyone or organization who would like to help Mr. Skeels please contact him on the web. Today, in fact, the students and community protested outside of Roosevelt High School against Monica Garcia. The Boyle Heights Community desires to have a board member who will represent both the local community but also all others as they are equally important.