When John White was appointed to run the Recovery School District in New Orleans, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called him a “visionary school leader.”
Now John White is doing the bidding of a Tea Party governor and leading the most reactionary drive in the nation to dismantle public education; to take money away from the minimum foundation budget for public schools and give it to voucher schools and charter schools; to give public money to small religious schools that don’t teach evolution; to strip teachers of all protection of their academic freedom; to allow anyone to teach, without any credentials, in charter schools; to welcome for-profit vendors of education to take their slice out of the funding for public schools.
I wonder if Arne Duncan still considers him a “visionary leader”?
I wonder what Arne Duncan thinks of the Louisiana legislation. I wonder why he has not spoken out against any part of it. I wonder why he is silent when Tea Party governors like Chris Christie attack the teachers of their state and try to take away whatever rights they may have won over the years. I wonder if he agreed or disagreed with the Chiefs for Change–the rightwing state superintendents–when they saluted Louisiana’s regressive legislation to take money from public schools and hand it over to private sector interests.
I wonder why he never went to Madison, Wisconsin, to speak out for public sector workers there when it mattered. I wonder what he thinks of the emergency manager legislation in Michigan, where state-appointed emergency managers have closed down public education in two districts and handed it off to charter operators. I wonder what he thinks about the Boston Consulting Group’s plan in Memphis to increase the proportion of students in privately managed charters from 4% to 19%. I wonder what he thinks about the Boston Consulting Group’s plan to privatize up to 40% of Philadelphia’s schools. I wonder what he thinks about the rollback of collective bargaining rights in various states or the removal of job protections for teachers. I wonder what he thinks about ALEC’s coordinated plan to destroy public education. I wonder what he thinks of the emerging for-profit industry that is moving into K-12 education.
He has many opportunities to express his views about the escalation of the war against public education and the ongoing attacks on teachers and their unions.
Why is he silent?
Just wondering.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Arne Duncan is silent because he is with the privatizers. He served on the Board of the Broad Foundation before becoming Secretary of Education. The 2009 Broad Mission Statement http://www.broadfoundation.org/asset/101-2009.10%20annual%20report.pdf
says this:
Page 5
The election of President Barack Obama and his appointment of
Arne Duncan, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, as the U.S. secretary
of education, marked the pinnacle of hope for our work in
education reform. In many ways, we feel the stars have finally aligned.
With an agenda that echoes our decade of investments—charter schools,
performance pay for teachers, accountability, expanded learning time
and national standards—the Obama administration is poised to cultivate
and bring to fruition the seeds we and other reformers have planted.
Page 10
Prior to becoming U.S. secretary of education, Arne Duncan was
CEO of Chicago Public Schools, where he hosted 23 Broad
Residents. Duncan now has five Broad Residents and alumni
working with him in the U.S. Department of Education.
Page 20
2007: Encouraged by the progressive leadership of
Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan, The Broad
Foundation invests $4.5 million for Chicago Public Schools
to launch a new data system to streamline its human
resource systems.
Page 22
The Broad Center names an independent board
of directors chaired by New York City Department of
Education Chancellor Joel Klein and including Chicago Public
Schools CEO Arne Duncan (later named U.S. secretary of
education), retired IBM Corporation Chairman and CEO
Louis Gerstner, and former Harvard President Larry Summers
(later named assistant to the president for economic policy
and director of the National Economic Council).
Broad Superintendents Academy graduate
Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana is appointed by President
Barack Obama as assistant secretary for elementary and
secondary education for the U.S. Department of Education.
Page 23
Three members of The Broad Foundation
executive staff are loaned to the U.S. Department of
Education, led by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The
“loaned executives” assist in the implementation of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as it relates to
distribution of education funds.
Page 23
The Aldine Independent School District outside
Houston wins the 2009 Broad Prize. Their win is announced
at the U.S. Capitol by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne
Duncan. Finalists Broward County Public Schools, Fla.;
Gwinnett County Public Schools, Ga.; the Long Beach Unified
School District, Calif.; and Socorro Independent School
District in El Paso, Texas are celebrated in remarks given
by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Education and Labor
Committee Chairman George Miller and other members
of Congress.
Leadership Broad Superintendents Academy graduate
Page 25
The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems
Board of Directors includes:
Arne Duncan
Arlene Ackerman
Michelle Rhee
Wendy Kopp (Teach for America)
Richard Barth (KIPP Foundation)
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Arne Duncan said he thought Katrina was the best thing to happen to education in New Orleans. I don’t wonder what he thinks, but rather whether he thinks. He seems to take directions straight from the billionaire boys club, and makes me regret having voted for Obama and expecting something different four years ago.
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Whenever I’m reminded of that comment, I remember that actual folks drowned, thanks to Katrina. Drowned.
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So isn’t the real question “Where does Obama Stand”? It’s a question union leaders refuse to question while they wave banners for his re-election. No one questions his agenda as though he and Duncan have no relationship.
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Where does Obama really stand? Is this pro-privatizing agenda sincere or the product of being owned by Gates? I’d like to know what the president really thinks.
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Exactly. I LOVE free market competition so the more the better.
I don’t care if a school doesn’t teach evolution. If it’s a free market, I can decide to pay tuition or not. It’s up to ME. Do not protect ME from myself please!
With SO much political indoctrination going on in the public schools, and with so many forced to send their children to public schools, I think THAT should be the focus right now.
Fixing THAT mess.
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The basis of biology is evolution. You are okay with a school not teaching evolution. Theodosius Dobzhansky “nothing in biology makes sense but in the light of evolution.”
You would be okay with the citizens of this nation having limited science educaiton.. A nation where health and ecology decisions are wrapped with so much nonsensical jargon that have nothing to do with science but everything to do with people’s personal morality? Personal choice and decision making is one thing that I fully support but when the direction of a nation is dictated without a full understanding and appreciation of science and how it informs decisions, then we are heading backwards into a dark age.
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Education isn’t customer service.
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I trust the customer more than a centralized education system. I trust the parents to figure out what is best for their children. That’s NOT a perfect system but it’s a better system then trusting bureaucrats in D.C.
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“Exactly. I LOVE free market competition”
Nonsense you want to see fundamentalist christian ideology as the only choice in the supposed free market. Quit lying.
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The teachers unions have already endorsed Obama while vilifying Duncan. And they choose not to remind their members that Obama approved of the wholesale firing of the teachers in Rhode Island.
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The NEA is not even vilifying Duncan anymore. At the RA someone tried introducing another resolution condemning him, and the leadership wouldn’t let it through. So now the NEA thinks both Obama and Duncan are just fine.
Teachers must be the most self-hating, professionally suicidal group out there. I can’t imagine any other profession that would so enthusiastically support a politician who was so effectively decimating it.
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And here’s a scenario: the union continues to support the candidate (who is actively working to destroy public education) by not asking the tough questions and demanding answers and action. Teachers become disgusted and withdraw funds, support, and membership from the union. The union implodes, leaving teachers without a voice. The ed reformers stand off to the side,applauding, smiling, and nodding their heads. They can check “Bust the teachers’ union” off their list. And they didn’t even have to lift a finger!
We’re too nice, we teachers. By the time we are angry enough to organize, it will be too late. Self-hating and suicidal are perfect descriptors. Quite effectively, we’ve been lead down the primrose path and delivered to our captors. Heaven help education in America.
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I believe its symptomatic of the Stockholm Syndrome. Many are now identifying with the oppressors. We have no one to blame but ourselves and our union leadership who’ve decided to engage and collaborate with these various politicians and reform groups. I believe they call it the “new unionism”. I call it one step away from implosion or a national de-certification vote. Kiss those $400K salaries away Dennis and Randi.
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Randi Weingarten has been collaborating (as in working with the enemy) for ten years. See the 2009 Broad Mission statement:
Click to access 101-2009.10%20annual%20report.pdf
Page 11
Teacher unions have always been a formidable voice in public
education. We decided at the onset of our work to invest in
smart, progressive labor leaders like Randi Weingarten, head of
the United Federation of Teachers in New York City for more
than a decade and now president of the American Federation
of Teachers (AFT). We partnered with Weingarten to fund two
union-run charter schools in Brooklyn and to fund New York
City’s first incentive-based compensation program for schools,
as well as the AFT’s Innovation Fund. We had previously
helped advance pay for performance programs in Denver and
Houston, but we were particularly encouraged to see New York
City embrace the plan.
Page 16
The Broad Foundation invests $2 million in the
Teachers Union Reform Network (TURN), a network of
National Education Association and American Federation
of Teachers locals.
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I just have to laugh. Do you honestly think Chris Christie is supported by the Tea Party?
They may CLAIM to have the tea party support (I think even Romney does) but that is not always the case. I think the only candidate that is TRULY supported by the Tea Party is Ron Paul.
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Spoken by a true tea party taliban.
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I guess I should have read this post before I entered my last response about why no one from the administration went to Wisconsin, etc. Philaken & Mr. Goldstein put it far better than I could have. We know where Duncan and the current administration stand on the issue of public education. They stand with Rhee/Klein/Bloomberg/Gates/Broad/Murdoch/Walton & Pearson.
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Obama is a PROGRESSIVE (far left) ,not an old school Democrat. The far right of the Republican party shares the same strategy. Privatization and corporatization of the US.
Gates $, Soros $ Foundations $, Hedge fund$…
This is where the competition for control lies.It helps to explain why so many now choose to call themselves conservatives aor Independents orTeapartiers.
Their plan is not a conspiracy as it is out in the open, and always has been. One world government which demands a compliant populace. What better way to begin than by creating an illiterate, dependent citizenry than through the education system. All of us KNOW that but thought and hoped it could not happen here. Well, it has, and it is being done deliberately.
Solution…I wish I had one. Interesting to note that when we shine the light of truth on their plans, they scurry to remove You Tube presentations. There is no room to stray from the fold or they marginalize their own.
Control is the name of their game. Freedom and Liberty is our game, our battle. Truth is our most powerful weapon. Keep up the research.
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Obama is not a progressive. He is further right than Nixon was.
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Forgot to add my new tag line to the end of my previous post.
FIRE DUNCAN! Hire Ravitch!
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I second this motion.
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By acclamation. All in favor?
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The privatizers plan may be in the open in that with a little investigation on the internet you can find out their agenda. However, they do operate by stealth. They do not openly come out and say they are going to privatize schools because there would be massive opposition.
Instead, they use Orwellian methods to disguise what they are up to. They use cutesy names such as “Students First” (because those evil unions teachers wanting a living wage is putting themselves first), “Stand Up for Children” (who doesn’t), “American Federation of Children” (not a child in sight, but they will protect children from those evil teachers) If you expose them they shriek that you are infringing on their freedom of speech. All use the “Waiting for Superman” method of saying public schools are bad for kids and they need to be rescued, not holding public officials accountable for underfunding of education.
Their method as well as their agenda must be exposed.
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You are right about them operating by stealth. When folks start to ‘catch on” they just change the name or the terms.
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And it goes beyond changing names. Charters insist on being called “public” schools.
Yet in Pennsylvania charters are in court trying to prevent laws requiring them to be transparent about their operations, as public schools are required to do.
The state legislature just passed a law requiring 50% of teacher evaluations to be based test scores. The law EXEMPTS charter teachers from this new evaluation system.
In the ALEC rush of legislation at the close of its session last week, a bill was introduced in the PA legislature to EXEMPT charters from the state’s Sunshine Law which requires public institutions receiving state money to be transparent about their contracts. It received 120 favorable votes in the House and failed by a few votes in the Senate.
In Philadelphia we have a charter operator, Universal, which was given Audenreid High School, which was made a charter as soon as a new facility was built at tax payer expense, operating for the past year rent and maintenance cost free. Next year they will have to pay $500,000 which just a quarter of the expense for rent and maintanence. The SRC will cover the rest. This is in a School District which has a $265 million deficit, plans to close 65 public schools over the next few years, and is threatening to unilaterally cut the wages and benefits of public school employees.
So I take back what I said at the beginning of this thread. Charter schools are not open to public scrutiny.
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Diane, do you think that there is a means to let Obama know that there is a significant number of teachers ( and parents and other support personnel etc) who may agree with him on some matters but complete disagree with him on education/Arne Duncan DoE? How could this really be done? I am not really up on the unions status but it seems that they jumped the gun by supporting Obama without asking for some strong considerations or even concessions first. Am I mistaken in this perspective?
It Is it depressing to think the choices are more of the same on education with Obama or worse with Romney. I would like to support Obama but it is deeply troubling to do this with the education piece as it is.
I secretly hope that he is staying the course so as not to appear like a flip flopper during the election period ( too like Romney) but is there any indication that he would change course during the next team in office.
On a side question, I see that you went to public school but your own children went to private school. What went into making that decision for your own children as you mention a grand child in your blog posts who does attend public school.
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Concerned, that is is really the only we would have a shot. Someone who has direct access to the president. In addition, he had a real chance four years ago when he had to decide where to send his children to school to make a real statement. He sent his kids to private school. Just think of the statement he would have made (albeit, can you blame him for not sending them to a Michelle Rhee school) had he sent his kids to public school like Jimmy Carter did (his best decision as president), but he decided to send them to testing free, arts & PE filled private school. Just think what that would have really done to Washington DC public schools.
FIRE DUNCAN! Hire Ravitch!
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When I think of the word vision, I think of progress. I think positive. I think of hope. Describing John White as a “visionary leader” sure doesn’t meet my definition of a leader with vision for a better public education in Louisiana. Louisiana’s public education is definitely being ripped apart and thrown to the wind with his “visionary leadership” supported by the pompous Gov. Jindal. You are so right in asking the questions. I don’t see or hear a word of support for public schools, only support for privatizing and getting rid of all the “bad teachers” and disregarding the voice of the professionals.
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I’m from Wisconsin, when Diane mentioned Madison I started crying. My state always supported education and I was proud to pay my taxes for our UW system. These are not gentle winds blowing across our nation.
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At the beginning of this thread I printed excepts from the 2009 Broad Mission Statement. http://www.broadfoundation.org/asset/101-2009.10%20annual%20report.pdf
I gave a partial list of the 2009 Board of Directors of The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems. This is the complete list:
Page 25
Joel Klein, Chair, Chancellor New York City Department of Education
Barry Munitz, Vice Chair, Trustee Professor California State University, Los Angeles
Arlene Ackerman, Superintendent of Philadelphia Public Schools
Richard Barth (Chief Executive Officer KIPP Foundation)
Henry Cisneros, Chairman of City View America, former U.S. Secretary of HUD
Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education (on Board until Feb. 2009)
Louis Gerstner, Jr., Retired Chairman and CEO, IBM Corporation
Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Superintendent Seattle Public Schools
Dan Katzir, Managing Director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation
Wendy Kopp (CEO and Founder of Teach for America)
Margaret Spellings, President and CEO of Margaret Spellings and Company, former U.S. Secretary of DOE
Melissa Megliola Zaikos, Autonomous Management and Performance Schools Program Officer, Chicago Public Schools
Michelle Rhee, Chancellor District of Columbia Schools
Lawrence Summers, Director National Economic Council
Mortimer Zuckerman, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, U.S. News & World Report; Publisher of the New York Daily News
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The other question you might ask is, “Is Arne Duncan anti teacher’s union?” If he is, why does Obama support him?
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He like all of the other supposed experts have no idea about how to invest in Americas future and this is soon why we will be a nation of ignorance devoid of critical and enlightened thinkers.
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