Bill Phillis of the Ohio Equity and Adequacy Coalition asks, where is the outrage?
He writes:
“Charter school operators argue that public tax money becomes private when it reaches the borders of charterland
“Real estate, facilities, equipment, education materials and all other assets purchased by public school districts, obviously, belong to those political subdivisions-not private individuals. Down in charterville, school operators and their charter school allies claim that assets purchased with public tax dollars are owned, not by the public, but the private companies.
“For-profit companies that operate charter schools attempt to shield themselves from transparency and accountability, including public audits, by claiming that tax dollars become private at the moment the tax dollars are transferred to private hands.
“White Hat Management Company, in a case before the Ohio Supreme Court, contends that school property purchased with public tax dollars belongs to White Hat. Hence, real estate, facilities, equipment, educational materials and other assets which were purchased with public dollars would become private property. White Hat, not only turns a profit from its charter school operations, but claims to own publicly-purchased assets.
“An August 9 Akron Beacon Journal article indicates that several non-profit advocacy groups have filed briefs with the Ohio Supreme Court in support of White Hat’s position. It’s all about money, ideology and politics-not education.
“Over the past 15 years charter-promoting state officials have created an out of control monster that intrudes on the rights and funds of school districts. Ohio’s students and taxpayers are the losers.
“Where is the outrage?”
William Phillis
Ohio E & A
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Diane Ravitch's blog 
When is a public servant not a public servant?
That is the question …
this comment speaks to the overall issue of equity and adequacy (but not specifically OH)….
Berler’s book on “Raising the Curve” is a description of one elementary school in Norwalk CT (with a large population of Hispanic students who speak Spanish at home). The Connecticut Mastery Test was used at the time to define “failure” in a similar fashion as to how SIG programs in the states worked (example: MA, RI etc) . As in a lot of sporting events, success and winning are defined with “zero sum” , binary explanations and i want to refute that paradigm (e.g., Berler’s book that accepts Norwalk as “failing”).
The false assumptions of AYP and the tests used will be a large part of the explanation (as Governors in cash-strapped states seized the opportunity to draw in funds and promised unrealistic goals). Also , what the “reading specialist” in the Norwalk School should have in terms of references and knowledge; I’ve finished the first part of this bibliography on reading and I’m wiling to share those references.
The wonderful resources Diane provides here, and the Horton, Cody, Alfie Kohn, Sirota (etc) articles and useful comments herein; this is a good starting place and I want to follow up using a case study approach not specific to Norwalk because I don’t live there……If anyone has ideas for the discussion with college students in the education department I would appreciate that; one place i wanted them to start is with Beryl Satter’s book on Chicago (institutionalized inequity, real estate , etc.)…. thanks for any thoughts or input that would help the students in our local teacher education program read in critical, independent, creative ways.
I need a link for this particular story, for my peeps in Ohio. Plus, I wanna be on that mailing list.
The email for the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy is:
Ohioeanda@sbcglobal.net
Join them and get their emails. They can use your help.
There is no link. These are posts from the Ohio Equity and Adequacy Coalition.
The scale of this transfer of public money is absolutely enormous. Take a look at what is going on in Texas with the Gulen charter school chain and public bonds. This year alone, the Harmony chain can claim $101M (2014A bonds) plus $9M (2014B, 2014Q bonds) — all backed by Texas taxpayers. Tim Furman explains:
http://www.tbfurman.us/2014/08/public-risk-private-profit-gulenist.html
“The Gulenists get bonds issued in the bond markets, a process that enriches investment bankers; investors (other investment bankers, representing a multitude of funds and individual buyers) buy those bonds after assessing the whole risk/reward thing. When the state guarantees your bonds, there’s no risk; there’s only reward. So, investors buy the bonds, and the Gulenists have cash to buy real estate and build buildings. They pay back the investors who bought the bonds over time. And the income they use to pay the investors back, at the end of the day, comes from the taxpayers. The taxpayers not only pay the private debt, they guarantee the private debt will be paid. And the school buildings they’re buying aren’t like public property, like community schools, they’re private property, belonging to the people in this secretive transnational social/religious movement…”
Great stuff coming out of local media in Michigan regarding privatizing K-12 public schools.
I do believe they have awakened from their slumber and are covering ACTUAL ed reform in the real, live state of Michigan instead of relying on national ed reformers in DC and NYC and Boston.
http://www.freep.com/article/20140831/NEWS06/308310070/charter-schools-poll-Michigan
How cool is this!? Two wealthy privatization enthusiasts just getting together to reach bipartisan consensus on what the dopes in the cheap seats deserve for public education:
“Just a few months before announcing plans to become Chicago’s next Democratic mayor, Rahm Emanuel strolled down the gravel path to a Montana resort restaurant with Republican businessman Bruce Rauner, both men smiling as they carried bottles of wine.
In his hand, Emanuel carried a bottle of Napa Valley Reserve. The wine — which a spokeswoman says was not Emanuel’s — is so exclusive it is available only through a private vineyard whose members pay six figures to join the club.
It was not the only time Emanuel, then chief of staff to President Barack Obama, has been a guest of the venture capitalist, who owns thousands of acres of ranchland and homes out West. Their relationship — steeped in the high-stakes investment banking business and a shared approach to remaking public education — is no secret to anyone who follows Illinois politics.”
I told you-all it doesn’t matter a hill of beans which Party wins what race in Illinois.
There is absolutely no difference between Republicans and Democrats in their hostility towards public schools.
Whether Quinn wins or Rauner wins, you’re getting Wall Street’s agenda for your public schools. Chicago is no different than Cleveland or New Orleans as far as public education. They use the same template everywhere they go.
This is an exclusive club of politicians, lobbyists and private sector CEO’s and we’re not in it.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-rahm-emanuel-bruce-rauner-20140829-story.html#page=1
Public schools DO NOT make money off the backs of children. They are accountable to the tax payers as they should be. Charter schools make money off the backs of children. They should be held accountable to the same procedures and qualities of public schools. They DON’T OWN anything purchased with tax payer dollars. It belongs to the taxpayers! When will voters wake up to this scam? The pockets of countless charter schools are being filled with hard earned tax payer dollars. I’m a retired Indiana teacher, and we have our own problems with failing charter schools. The state forgave $91,000,000 in loans to the charter schools while the public schools and their community of tax payers had to pass a referendum to keep schools afloat! Some school systems in Indiana have had to suspend bus service due to lack of funds. Public schools are operating on much less per student than charter schools and have better scores than the ALEC enforced agendas.