We will see many discussions of what the strike accomplished, who won, who lost. This one takes a balanced view and sees the strike as a lesson about working with teachers and de-emphasizing test scores.
As another reader pointed out, it is interesting that the anti-union forces usually keep hands off police and firefighters, the male-dominated unions, but go after teaching, nursing and social work. Wonder why?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The Muskegon Heights Michigan school district has now been taken over completely by a for-profit management company. The school district is now gone, and the for-profit company is in charge. This is the first time in the nation this has happened, and it appears to be a disaster. I would love to have this situation covered by a national media outlet.
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send me information and I will write about it.
I know how it happened, but need more details on what is happening now.
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I’m sure there’s an element of sexism in this distinction. But don’t forget that the police and fire department also protect the property of our 1% “ownership society”. But they’ll get replaced soon enough by private police and fire services. I seem to recall reading that some CPD officers said just as much (“we’re next”) to the striking teachers.
Yves Smith excellent blog, Naked Capitalism, carried a very interesting and frightening discussion of the libertarian vision our soon-to-be overlords (unless we get organized):
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/11/journey-into-a-libertarian-future-part-i-%E2%80%93the-vision.html
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Look the statement the U.S. Conference of Mayors released about the Chicago strike.(Link in the article linked below.)
This article from Dan Denvir at the Philadelphia City Paper also shows the game Mayor Nutter of Philadelphia, who is currently President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, is playing with the Philadelphia public in regard to school “reform” in tying to coverup his true political agenda:
Mayors Conference takes hard line against teachers unions but Nutter flees Philly controversy
http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/nakedcity/Mayors-Conference-takes-a-hard-line-against-teachers-unions-but-Nutter-flees-Philly-controversy.html
In related information in Pennsylvania, protesters in Philadelphia let Governor Corbett know what they think of his education and other policies.
Protesters disrupt Corbett’s town hall at Art Museum
from the Philadelphia Inquirer
“Gov. Corbett was repeatedly interrupted by protesters representing a variety of interests during a town-hall meeting Wednesday night at the Philadelphia Museum of Art organized by a conservative talk-radio host.
WPHT’s Dom Giordano ended the event a half-hour earlier than its planned 90 minutes when it became clear that Corbett could not answer questions without being shouted at inside the Van Pelt Auditorium. Police removed more than 10 people from the meeting.
At one point, protesters interrupted the program for seven minutes. Several groups unfurled banners and chanted against expanding the state prison system: “Fund education, not incarceration.”
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20120919_Protesters_disrupt_Corbetts_town_hall_at_Art_Museum.html
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Here’s the Muskegon story from NPR:
The emergency manager in Muskegon Heights, Mich., announced on Monday that he’s turning over the entire school district to a for-profit charter operator. Like many struggling districts in the state, Muskegon Heights is low-performing and deeply in debt. Unlike the others, though, the elected school board voted for the emergency manager. Now, will they and the public support privatizing the public schools?
http://www.npr.org/2012/07/10/156573487/struggling-michigan-city-privatizes-public-schools
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Maybe I’m naive (have been before), but it seems like there may be a silver lining to this story, since they’re taking over the entire district. They won’t be able to kick out low performing students, right? Seems like either this for-profit company will prove it’s mettle or it will be revealed for the sham it is.
Well, either that or they’ll cheat as usual. But I can dream, can’t I?
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The company, Mosaica, is running charters elsewhere in Michigan and getting mediocre results
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So what you’re saying is we already know it’s a sham and yet they got the green light anyway. Sigh. Well, it was a thought.
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I’m not sure if this is good or bad, but NBC’s EducationNation says they’ll be looking at some of the underlying issues of the Chicago strike.
I think this article does a decent job in highlighting the poverty issue.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/20/13991699-chicago-strike-reveals-a-broken-system?lite
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I tweeted Melissa Harris-Perry a few guest suggestions. Diane was one. This young man, Nikhil Goyal will be on. http://nikhilgoyal.me/book/
Perhaps, like my old Public Policy Prof said, “Change is incremental”. There is some hope.
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Scott Walker supposedly exempted firefighters and police officers in WI because he didn’t want there to be any disruptions of emergency services. Well, Rick Scott in Florida hit EVERYONE in Florida with pension reform and there was no crisis. So, I do believe there was some bias on Walker’s part.
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