Edward F. Berger is a strong voice for sanity in the desert of Arizona education politics.
He attended a community meeting with a gubernatorial candidate.
The condition of public education after 20 years of failed policies is frightening.
“The politician, who has been involved in the demise of public education for well over a decade, is not naïve, he is not misinformed, he is, in fact, part of the insanity that has taken over the state and is openly destroying public education so that now private religious and charter schools have access to our public tax dollars. He stands before this hopeful group and omits what he knows, that these are dollars diverted from district schools, the very schools this assembly is concerned about. (Even though charter schools are classified as public schools, they should not be. They do not have elected boards, are not effectively monitored, provide partial curriculum, and too many are profit-driven).”
The politician leaves out many important facts that bear on the future of education: “He never mentions the hundreds of millions of education dollars that are lost and unaccounted for. Or that whole financial systems and even buildings are being replicated at great cost to taxpayers. These are dollars that are taken away from the delivery of services to children. He knows that charter operators are their own bosses, making financial and other decisions that, more often than not, put money into their own pockets and those of their family and friends. He is well aware that charter operators can use the dollars allocated for the education of each child to buy buildings for themselves, or lease space to replicate the schools the taxpayers have already built. He knows that too many of the Schools of Choice determine their own curriculum which is too often biased and fact-adverse. He knows that many charters are subcontracted to profit-driven entities. He knows that trained and experienced teachers are not required in charter schools, contrary to a significant body of evidence demonstrating the increased impact of professional, experienced teachers on learning and human development. He knows the history about how accountability for charter schools was undermined when the legislature circumvented the State Board of Education to create a State Board for Charter Schools whose base purpose is to eliminate reporting standards that led to accountability. As Schools of Choice are running rampant, existing district schools are losing students, funding, and their infrastructure is degrading.”
It sounds like things are going just according to plan in Arizona.
In your heart, you know it’s the Right.
Why isn’t there any regulation on charter schools? Isn’t there a charter/contract in place? Doesn’t it include rules on how the school can spend the money?
Of course, but generally no one is paying much attention. See what just happened in Utah this week with our “special needs scholarships (vouchers).
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56268497-78/state-seps-audit-money.html.csp
I think that school also had trouble with the high school “credits” it offered – or did at one time. Too many schools in Utah with issues as well – they’re only slightly behind Arizona in legislative conflicts of interest with charters and vouchers and proposed tax credits….
My Arizona kids were SO fortunate to attend public school in the Kyrene district and TUHSD, Corona del Sol High School. The teachers, especially in the early grades are currently being squeezed and monitored, which outwardly makes no sense because these schools always have excellent ratings and are consistently bragged about in real estate listings, etc… I am though amazed at how many parents prefer the “strip mall charter education” to these excellent public schools.
I don’t know if what I’m saying really has anything to do with the article; I guess I just wanted to remind everyone that so many of us parents just love, advocate for and appreciate the public school system, even here in Arizona. Hope links to youtube are OK on this site because I want to share a look at the kids our schools and wonderful teachers are sending out into the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rld-gd7U20
As a graduate of AZ public schools (K-12 and higher ed – go NAU!), given the current trajectory, I predict public ed there will be gone following the next gubernatorial cycle.
There has not been a qualified Superintendent of Schools for YEARS. Instead it has been a string of corporate reformers, crooked ladder climbers, and just plain idiots. (Graham-Keegan, Horne, now Huppenthal – what a mess!) who have each managed to chip away at the foundation of public schools until they are teetering on the edge. As for the governor’s office – she’d rather line her pockets with monies from her private prison cronies than pay for public education.
I feel bad for my friends and relatives still living in Arizona, but I can say that I am glad to be out of that disaster. I no longer recognize what was once my home state.
As retired teacher who has experienced the classroom first hand in Arizona, I say hooray for the publicity directed at Arizona’s schools. Shame on the legislators, shame on the corporate charter schools and shame on the state board of education. It’s a travesty. No one wins this high-stakes game except the exploiters who daily rape the public coffers for private gain. Money diverted from public education is a crime against our children, no matter what it’s called. Let the light shine in, Diane. You are my hero!