It seemed odd to see that Democrats for Education Reform praised the nomination of Betsy DeVos, the hard-right crusader for vouchers and for unregulated, unaccountable charter schools.
Why would they do that? Why would any progressive Democratic group (ho, ho) endorse a woman known for her support of anti-gay, anti-progressive, pro-evangelical, white Christian causes?
Mercedes Schneider explains: DeVos gives money to DFER. Not a lot, by DeVos standards. To right-wing groups, they give millions. To DFER, not so much. They sell out cheap. They praise a woman who is by no means a progressive, appointed by a president-elect in league with white supremacists and neo-Nazis–and call themselves “Democrats for Educational Reform.” Ironic. Sad. Embarrassing. Absurd. What would you call it?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I’d call it “sad, embarrassing and absurd!”
Putting the issue of contributions to the operating budget aside, the praise was motivated far more by DFER wanting to keep its seat at the table for their own sake as an organization and probably even more so for the sake of their usual donors and financial supporters who see the real possibility of being cut out of the choice parts of the revenue stream of all things reform. Giving someone else your money to play with and take a profit from before you get yours takes a distant back seat to controling the “invested” funds yourself.
DFER can praise the choice of DeVos because their end game is access to public money and making a profit from our children. DeVos’ agenda compliments theirs so they can overlook the nightmare of Trump. Moreover, according to some economists the wealthy stand to get up to a 14% tax reduction under Trump. Hedge funds have more in common with Republicans than Democrats, except for social issues. In a similar move, many members of the Christian right overlooked Trump’s considerable flaws and unchristian behavior because their end game is to overturn Roe v Wade. They voted for him because they see Trump as the man that can deliver this.
The Christian right voted for Trump because he exemplifies patriarchal dominance. The “social” interests of bullyaires are limited to bedroom issues and exclude social justice.
Tangential topic- The Democratic Party adopted the agenda, in other words, took the side of the Walton’s, DFER, Bill Gates and Eli Broad, against the American people. Whose side did Gates, Broad, DFER, and the Walton’s, take? Stein, apparently, had to rely on a grass roots campaign to raise the paltry sum she accumulated, for a Hillary recount. Doesn’t that suggest which side the billionaires are on? And, that it’s not the side of the “Party of the People”?
Belief in the market as a cure-all crosses both parties. What billionaires forget is that many people are losers in the free market. That’s why even Reagan knew we needed a “social safety net.” However life in the net is not that good.
“However life in the net is not that good.”
Yep, tell that to all the animals that have been caught up in nets. Generally it means imminent death.
Social Security and Medicare are crucial to me and millions of other Americans. They are great and crucial programs, I want them there for future generations. Now they are under threat from the GOP and Trump.
S.S. and Medicare could have been selling points for the Dems but, they, only quasi-defended the programs, leaving open the door to major changes (in service to their neoliberal financial backers). The lying Trump told people, from the stump, that he wouldn’t cut Medicare.
I used this story to pound home my theme towards the Post Dispatch….the charter industry in St. Louis they seem so worshipful of….is not a progressive movement. There are reasons why it receives so much enthusiastic support from the right wing.They have declined comment on whether KIPP and other charters are required to respeci new policies regarding suspension of students, I have been unable to get clarification about their numbers regarding slps student population…24,000 or 34,000, and no comment about the two state boards for charter schools….13 of the 16 members are white….and I have had intermittant difficulties in accessing the forums….(no problem with any other sites, or the part of the stltoday parts which do not have anything to do with forums….facebook keeps me from posting comments directly after stories and editorials, but I have been unrelenting on the forums….it feels like I will soon lose access to them, too. My use of jersey jazzman to challenge a conservative guest editorial seemed to have hit a nerve….I printed all the right wing enthusiastic jabbering from people reacting to the writer…stacy washington….who I praised as being good at what she does….advocated conservative positions on the radio and elsewhere…she is a former TFA person, who was elected to the powerless slps school board. (they have a 3 member appointed board for 8 years, now.)
The plan is to call the vouchers “opportunity scholarships” because vouchers poll poorly.
They use the same phrase all over the country and they’ll all be repeating it like parrots, so let’s insist on plain, honest language and use “vouchers”.
They have opportunity scholarships in Florida. They often go to students that would have gone to a religious school anyway. It also results in taxpayers having to make up the difference when the tax credit reduces the amount of state revenue. http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/fiscal-impact-of-school-vouchers-and-scholarship-tax-credits.aspx
More like, “How groups like the DFER helped propel the Democratic party to losing elections.”
It looks to me like losing, was their intent. It was easy to anticipate that the anger at the testing, shoved down the communities’ throats, by the U.S. Dept. of Ed., would cost Democrats votes.
Even after the Democratic loss of the House, Senate and Presidency, is there a clue that D.C. political circles recognize a public school battle?
The April Media Matters article, omitting Gates, Broad, the Waltons and DFER, from the conspiracy to destroy public education (Deutsch 29 blog) was a peek through the shutter slats of the D.C.. window. And, Donna Brazile’s short-lived DFPE, a publicity gimmick, gave us another glimpse. But, a step behind that window, is the brick wall of money.
Liz….I brlieve it affected 12,14, and 16 and maybe 10. One way or another, Gates Duncan is the worst part of Obabma’s legacy
DeVoscrats.
Well, we’ve known all along who these people–i.e. DFER–were all along; now other people will know too. Whether that translates into action, say abandoning this Trojan Horse group, remains to bee seen.
Bob Braun’s statement; “-but there’s just so much money to be made in public education, especially now when the US government is just part of the Trump brand. ” (cf.. Bob Braun’s ledger on the DFER/Devos scams)
You have brought up an important point. Trump has no clue about being a civil servant as those are two words totally foreign to him. He is only capable of seeing the world as an opportunity to embellish his “brand” and make money. He has never done anything in service to others despite all his rhetoric about “making America great.” Trump is mostly about promoting himself and making more profit for his companies.
Morally bankrupt. Worshipping at the Church of the Almighty Dollar.
“DeVos gives money to DEFER.” May this connection be made endlessly public.
I think DFER would praise anyone who’s in the business of busting the teachers union.
I’m guessing Democrats won’t be getting any more money from DFER, because DFER got what they wanted- a win, either way.
I’m guessing there won’t be any more money transfers between Fordham and CAP, for the same reason.