It is not news to readers of this blog that public education is under attack in cities across the nation by a politically powerful and heavily funded privatization movement. In some states, this movement has moved into the suburbs as well.
This video pulls away the mask of reform and explains in clear detail the nexus of connections behind the privatization movement in Minneapolis. This district was once the largest in the state. Due to the proliferation of privately managed charters, it is now the third largest in Minnesota.
The video has no production values. It is a simple narration of a complex graphic that displays the web of relationships among powerful foundations, one very powerful family, national organizations, and corporate interests.
All the big players have converged on Minneapolis: 50CAN, DFER, TFA, and many more, abetted by one powerful local family that owned the city’s biggest newspaper, sold it, and now owns the online newspaper Minnpost.
Charters in Minneapolis are more segregated than the public schools and get lower scores.
These inconvenient facts do not slow the advance of the privatization movement. They present themselves as idealists, and some are fooled by the rhetoric about “saving minority children from failing schools” and “closing the achievement gap.” They are flush with cash and federal tax credits, and fueled by ambition, a love of power, media adulation, and–for some–tidy profits.
Left to their own devices, they will restore a dual school system, both publicly funded, one free to kick out students, the other a dumping ground for the kids unwanted by the charters.
Left to their own devices, they will destroy public education in America.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
In his book “The Predictable Failure of Educational Reform” by Seymour Sarason, 1990, he sets the stage for his arguments by pointing at that there are “power relationships that inform and control the behavior of everyone in those settings.” He also gives the caveat that he only touches “lightly on the relationship between schools and university programs for the training and education of school personnel. . .”
Well, clearly power relationships are going to change in schools when for-profit companies run them (and possibly more at the whim of the people in charge than by any principles that keep everyone mindful of the rights of others and best interest of children).
What I wonder is, what is that relationship between universities and the teachers they have trained? What has it been? Where will that dynamic go now? If decisions by reformers are deemed “reactionary,” then just what is it they are reacting against, really, in terms of power dynamics and who will take ownership in addressing those dynamics in a different way from being reactionary?
As for TFA, if those recruits had to pass a Praxis test, I would find them more legit. I wonder if that will ever come up as a negotiation point? (Eventually there will have to be negotiating–surely juggernauts will not prevail). There has to be a whole new way that accounts for whatever power dynamics the likes of Sarason pointed out in the 90s and the ones that are coming about based on market values. Maybe TFA recruits should be navigated through the way we handle gifted students–compacting and alternate means to the end are understandable, but at the end of the day our identified gifted students are still held accountable to showing mastery of material (on paper and in practice). To me that is the biggest difference between how TFA recruits get into the system verses traditional teachers. If they are the cream of the crop, the highest achievers, then I don’t see why a Praxis test should be a problem for them.
If we look at them like “gifted kids” then we realize that if gifted students suddenly wanted to call all the shots in a group dynamic according to their ways of processing and interpreting information and the world, the other 90% would be very frustrated. I guess that is what we are seeing, alongside the market value imposition. Appointing TFA-groomed folks in leadership would be like a high school teacher (who teaches all levels of student) appointing the gifted kids to run the show. (And we all know that while opportunities for gifted identified learner are necessary for least restrictive environment and appropriate, but not at the expense of other students. Letting TFA-trained leadership advise our legislators etc might be least restrictive for them, but it is not appropriate.
So why not a Praxis test? How did TFA get as far as they did without that being a requirement?
I did TFA in Minnesota. I took the Praxis (2 of them actually). I passed both. All other Minnesota TFA teachers were required to take and pass the Praxis in their alternative licensure area, until they started taking the MTLE, which is still a requirement. I’m still teaching at my school, finishing my master’s, and recently completed my National Board Certification application.
I’m not saying this is true of most TFA teachers or that the organization is above criticism, but I think those criticisms should be grounded in facts, rather than speculation.
Did you have to take the Praxis?
I agree per facts. I am trying to gather them. Informed opinions are certainly better than otherwise.
Thanks for replying.
You do appear to be the exception james. I’m wondering what might be some of your criticisms of TFA? And what are the things you appreciate? What larger role do you see being played out by TFA in Minneapolis and Minnesota?
“Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to playyyy?”
Not a lot of prudence going on these days.
Joe, Joe Nathan, you there?
Hi Mr. Fiorillo,
Kinda busy today working on a booklet written mostly for students, by other students, about the value of taking Dual (High School/College) Credit courses. Previous editions, and the new editions, include comments from students attending both district & charter public schools.
That’s a higher priority than watching a 20 minute video.
Just from reading the intro, I can tell you one thing that was left out of the intro was the fact that a leading critic of charters has strongly promoted a program that gives Minneapolis inner city students of color the opportunity to attend suburban district schools. About 2,000 students a year from Minneapolis are participating in that.
Research shows (no surprise) mixed results – some years students from Minneapolis who go to suburbs do better, some years students who stay in MPS do better (on standardized tests). Also, students who leave do better in some suburbs than others.
Back to work. Thanks for asking.
For years the name of the game is to push away low scoring students so they can look like a good school.
However, until schools become individualized, all will continue to fail. It’s simple common sense. For example, too low expectations for one might be too high expectations for another. Too low expectations keep kids from learning sufficiently to survive. Too high expectations push kids into the streets.
What king of nut case would believe all kids, from severely cognitively disabled to those book learned would be at the same place at the same time? And then put real obstacles in the way and all we are doing is destroying kids.
It’s time to quit playing games. Individualized goals means high expectations for all individuals based on where they are today..
Investigators need to get in there and tell these crooks to come out with their hands up.
I think the investigators took a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
James, because you have stayed 3+ years, have some of your student loans been forgiven? Could this be the motivation of many who participate in this program that insists their participants care about students and their needs?
Yes, James. And I’m sure Karla would also like to know whether you believe in transubstantiation before she will credit you with a legitimate interest in students. After all, you WERE in TFA, which on this blog is emotionally equivalent to the SS. Heavens, might you also believe in paying your own bills. Do you deny global warming? Do you think Islam is not always a religion of peace? Ah, James, unless you toe the liberal line on every issue, including Treyvon Martin, they will try to squeeze you out of the faculty room like you are a greased grape under the sole of a pink sneaker. Enjoy your life as an independent thinker in the public school systems.
Great information in this video, and thank you for the link to the segregation statistics.
Private philanthropy giving in Minnesota for education — foundations, corporations, individuals:
Statewide: $243 million.
Twin Cities:$100 million.
“Ed Reform” groups: $3 million.
Fact: 99.987% of private philanthropic money going to education-related programs in Minnesota goes to district, district-supported activities. .0123% of private money going to “education reform” groups. #realtalk. #justthefacts. #letschill. #greatschoolsforallkids.
It’s not always about HOW MUCH money is being give where, but the STRINGS ATTACHED to the money when it’s given and the policies that precede and/or follow. For example, the Fed. Gov. only provides a very small percentage of the funding needed for public schools, yet the Fed. Gov. test driven agendas of NCLB/RtTT, charter schools and CCSS drive most education policy these days. Arne Duncan has even bragged about how he has ben able to get states to change just by dangling a competitive grant (RTTT) in their faces that requires them to change policies or laws just to even apply.
Why are folks anonymous? Show thyself. Disembodied arms/voices drawing conspiracies on a board makes thee look rather silly. Lets have a genuine conversation about how best to have great schools for all kids.
Private money interests in public education whether going to a reform group or directly to a district to advance the reform agenda is the issue. This is not philanthropy, it is private money determining PUBLIC education policy.
Brian Sweeney works for Charter School Partners. Come in and name your funders, Mr. Sweeney, Gates, Walton, Joyce Foundation are a few of them, all involved in privatizing education. Real career teachers and public school employees are in the classroom and don’t have the time or the big money backers to have the conversations you want to have, furthermore we’ve been systematically left out of such conversations nationwide, in fact worldwide with GERM. You are specifically to work for the villainthropist. Revealing one’s self would open one up to further attacks by you and your big money backers. The better question is why is Sweeney bothering to respond to the “conspiracy” video? CSP is in a BUSINESS that pretends to be a nonprofit, avoiding taxes while simultaneously funneling tax dollars to start more and more charters. CSP can continue to play their game to take down public schools, behind the disingenuous claim of making “great schools” and it’s all been set up for you to win byObama’s RttT education policies. Mr. Sweeney, the terms “great,” “excellent,” and “transformational” are starting to sound suspicious to those who are on to the ed reform game, you’re tipping your hand saying “great” too much. Shhhh.
Sweeney, people like you can rant and still keep your jobs. We can get fired for pointing out the truth.
Jane, you made a mistake, Mr. Sweeney is PAID to rant on behalf of pretending to create “great schools.” He’s got the “fierce urgency of now” to fix the manufactured school “crisis” by fleecing tax money before more people catch on to what he calls a so called “conspiracy.” Don’t worry Mr. Sweeney, most people don’t get the game, so continue to destroy things in the name of “social justice.” You’ll get rich doing it along with your web of friends in high places. Siphoning off of what used to be funds for the common good is fair game these days, and it’s convenient that you can disguise it behind pretending to help needy kids, it’s a win/win for CSP and the rest, the perfect blend of being greedy for a fake good cause.
Many of these “district” initiatives are actually directives from these power players. The superintendent is their puppet.
http://charterschoolpartners.org/staff.aspx
Yes, probably wasn’t wise to engage here. But I’ll just end where I began — with the facts:
Private philanthropy giving in Minnesota for education — foundations, corporations, individuals:
Statewide: $243 million.
Twin Cities:$100 million.
“Ed Reform” groups: $3 million.
The $240 million would be going to the district-related efforts which you would support (I support most of them too) and $3 million would go the ‘ed-reform’ groups you do not support.
Sorry, those are the facts. It does not support the meme in which you are deeply invested. For that I am sorry.
Have a great day all.
Kindly,
Brian Sweeney
Charter School Partners
Brian Sweeney, again, as I said earlier, private money interests in public education whether going to a reform group or directly to a district to advance the reform agenda is the issue. This is not philanthropy, it is private money determining PUBLIC education policy. So you are wrong when you say we would support money that goes to “district related efforts,” as those typically are used to advance the reform agenda.
Also, private money does not belong in public education. Philanthropy is cheaper than paying taxes and comes with strings attached, which makes public education not so public.
Brian Sweeney,
Would you be good enough to supply a breakdown of where the philanthropic money is coming from and where it is spent in Minneapolis?
I don’t know of any jurisdiction where philanthropists are favoring public schools over charters. Certainly not Gates, Walton, Broad, Dell, Arnold.
Another link that was not included: Matt Kramer also sits on the board for “Leadership for Educational Equity,” also known as LEE. LEE was founded in 2007 as a 501(c)4 spin-off of Teach for America to provide resources and networking for alumni looking for educational policy positions, etc.
Matt Kramer also worked for McKinsey & Company, he was a partner in the North American Financial Institutions practice where he worked with asset managers.
Another piece that belongs in the web:
Dean Jean Quam sits on the board of the Harvest Prep charter schools. Eric Mahmoud, operator of the Harvest Prep charter schools stocks his staff with inexpensive corps members from Teach For America.
Jean Quam is also the dean at the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development. Matt Kramer, CEO of Teach For America, and Jean Quam, have brokered a deal whereby the College of Education and Human Development will partner to help train TFA corps members.