The Center for Media and Democracy keeps a careful watch on the activities of ALEC, the ultra-conservative organization of state legislators. One of ALEC’s model law is a “parent trigger” bill.
The new film “Won’t Back Down” pulls together the threads of corporate backing for the privatization of public education.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Coming Attractions —
http://theunitedstatesofalec.org/documentary/
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Hi Diane,
I attended the advance screening for the movie on Tuesday in Newark. Wrote a review I thought you might be interested in reading. I also took notes from the panel following the movie. A lot of parents fed up. One parent shouted, “I’m about to homeschool my child because I’m tired of this mess.” http://teacherunderconstruction.com/2012/09/19/my-review-of-wont-back-down-and-notes-from-panel/
Best,
Stephanie
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I am peeved to no end how americans which are for the most part are poor,and without a voice can allow the minority of rich fat cats to dictate how anything and I mean anything in the u.s. of a to be run. The poor in this country have allowed privatization of almost our lives. Government leaders that we elect to represent the people only represent themselves and special intrest. From the privatism of the penal system, our utilities, and now our schools. As a veteran that has seen first hand how countries abroad educate their children with the money given them by our government and in most cases countries we’ve distroyed and rebuilt. For example the country of Germany send their kids to school from kindergarden to four years of college for free. Ours schools cost. And then to add insult, our kids are asked to compete (illequiped) in a global economy. Our public school teachers are demeaned. Being a school teacher doesnt have the clout it once had. Management ask them to do more for less pay. What’s next our sex lives. That’s being done in one.country right now. Over the last forty years private industry has profited in nearly all aspects of our lives. The majority of americans are below the poverty line and because there is no voice to speak for them, they are exploited! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!! 😥
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The movie was about positively privatizing a public school. I do not understand what your response has to do with the movie. In response to your opinion however, I do think that you should remember that the United States was built by private industry and secondly, as someone who says he has travelled to other countries (albeit in the military you said, which is VERY different than living in that country) you also know that the poorest of the U.S. are still MUCH better off than the poor in truly poverty stricken countries. If the poor in the U.S. are truly being exploited, as you have said, they at least have the freedom to bring themselves out of it. Through education and the betterment of themselves. I just wouldn’t expect much from a public school education to help that process.
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The response has everything to do with the movie…Did you watch the movie? ‘Privatizing a school’?… When did it say that?
In any case, I too have traveled the world. First generation American, my family comes from four different regions of the world so its not as if I am vacationing on a secluded resort.. Yes, the ‘private industry’ ‘builds’ countries…and establishments…and corporations..so does that make it ok? Does it build the quality of a neighborhood? Traveling the world, meeting foreigners has proven that these poor people that you speak of are too but products of their environments. Good, smart, strong, hardworking people that just happen to be poor, and many times from a history of poverty…
Let me ask you. Why is it ok for a private establishment to build a country but not a public establishment to build a community?…Traveling, I have seen the type of education distributed in other countries. You must know that many of the corporations in these countries belong to America. And then so, the dollar must be continuing to build our nation…???
Alas, I am confused…
Do you believe in the trickle down theory? If so why isn’t it trickling down? Look at the numbers, they do not add up, or rather, subtract–
the subtraction problem seems to carry an error.
Are you saying that we shouldn’t expect much from a ‘public’ school education?
Are you saying that the people in the poor communities should buckle down and better themselves through hardwork and education? Absouletly!
But let’s examine how one obtains work? Through education. And if obtaining education were dependent on more than the dollar– like ‘hardwork’— then I think the world would be a little more harmonious, but seeing as countries and such are built on ‘privatization’, then it is unlikely that people from poverty will be able to achieve betterment without..what again? Oh yeah education…
Did you watch the movie? That is what these poor women did in that community. They built a community, with more than some tons of money. They built a community off of humanity– leadership, freedom, betterment, equality, education, wisdom, strength… Something we as a leading country in this global capital market are lacking.
Americans are poor. Comparisons with other first-world countries will not lie.
Moreover, we are suppose to be one of the newest of these countries– would not our concepts be more mobilized from the pioneers of privitization? Oh yeah, that’s right, our country was built on freedom, and betterment, through the type of education (however religious) we the people saught, not the kind we were dictated to.
Can we continue with the status quo? Will we better ourselves? What will we become?
If we do not expect more from the public, then we will continue to be run by these privates.
Moreover, when did freedom become a right given to the people by a country? Its my God given right.
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