When the charter industry decides to expand in your district or state, one thing is certain: Bitter divisiveness will follow, as the night follows the day.
The school board elections become pitched battles between friends of charters and friends of public schools. Parents fight over who goes to charter schools and over resources taken away from public schools to fund charter schools.
One of the most heated school board races this fall will take place in Nashville, where the charter industrial complex has targeted board members who support public schools. The money is pouring in from wealthy contributors to knock out Amy Frogge (a hero of this blog), Will Pinkston, and Jill Speering, all of whom have fought to keep the charter zealots from destroying public education.
The parasitic Stand On Children is handing out big bucks to candidates who prefer charter schools. Rich corporate leaders and right-wingers are funding the charteristas.
The model campaign last time was run by Amy Frogge, a lawyer and public school parent who was elected despite her opponent’s 5-1 war chest advantage.
Tired of seeing the board led by supporters of public education, the privatizers are making a move to defeat the board members who have stood in their way.
If you care about education in Tennessee, do what you can to support the friends of public schools.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
Make no mistake, what is happening in Nashville, Tennessee is taking place across the United States. In fact, it is taking place where I live in California, and it is happening everywhere.
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CROSS POSTED AT OPED NEWS
http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Nashville-Will-the-Charte-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Corporate_Diane-Ravitch_Education_Funding-160727-452.html#comment609115
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Thank you for this post! Nashville public school parents recognizing the need to help pro public school candidates started a PAC, TNrefinED. We are small, but mighty. We’ve endorsed candidates, raised money, sent mailers. We need help. Please check out our Facebook page. Give if you can. We have one more week until August 4th elections that will determine the fate of our schools.
https://m.facebook.com/tnrefined/
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Ed reform is ga-ga over charters. It’s an absolute echo chamber too.
This is Education Post. Three out of four pieces are charter school cheerleading. It’s all like that. You will not find a single positive piece about any public school in the country.
http://educationpost.org/
Imagine what it was like for public schools leaders to be heard in the Obama Administration. They’re like persona non grata in DC.
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This is the Ohio lawmaker who runs the education cmmt in the lower chamber. Proudly identifies as an ed reformer.
Not a single mention of an Ohio public school:
He apparently can’t find ONE strong public school in the whole state.
It’s nuts. We have a whole roster of public employees who are opposed to public schools. Not just “not supportive”. Actively opposed. We’re paying them for this!
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Here’s more on Nashville, from a parent blogger, Dad Gone Wild https://t.co/sYZ0MCgUet
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I received a call from a telemarketer hired by the charter industry. The person mumbled through a script that ended by asking if I could be counted on to vote for Ms. Frogge’s opponent. I answered, “No.” The caller mumbled, “Okay.” The End…
I am not employed by the Nashville school system (MNPS), and I am not a parent. My family and I pay property taxes, and we want to keep public education public. Therefore, we voted for Amy Frogge.
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Memphis is next, a new takeover effort is underway there under the brand name of “Teacher Town.” Similar methods are being used in multiple towns. The methods come from Bellwether (see recruiting), McKinsey & Co. and Boston Consulting (among others). Pitch: the operators of schools should not matter as long as these providers offer “high quality seats.” I guess that means students are no different from furniture.
The data base for determining the need for “high quality seats” comes from the state in the form of test scores, arranged something like a bell curve so that there are always a HUGE number of high quality seats needed. No one stops to look at the flawed logic. Business leaders and local foundations swoon and pay for point person and the start up costs. Bellwether recruits the candidates for these operations.
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