Kevin Johnson, who was a basketball star but is now the Mayor of Sacramento (and the husband of Michelle Rhee), recently visited Bridgeport, Connecticut, to urge its citizens to support a mayoral takeover of the public schools. He asked them to end the practice of electing their local school board. This is a big goal of privatizers, as it will remove an obstacle to closing more public schools and turning them over to charter operators.
John Bagley wrote an opinion piece answering Kevin Johnson. Bagley is not only a member of the elected board in Bridgeport, but a former NBA basketball player, like Kevin Johnson.
Bagley points out that New Haven, with its appointed board, has more “failing schools” than Bridgeport. And Sacramento has an elected board.
His advice to Mayor Johnson: “Don’t come into my house and mess with my right to vote.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Michelle may have to spread herself around and hook up with some NFL stars, MLB, NHL…..the sky is the limit missy….get going on that, but please check their criminal records first….Best of luck!
LOL!
One of the most insidious lies of corporate education reformers is that the “civil rights issue of our time,” as practiced by them, is predicated on the disenfranchisement of the (largely poor, minority) communities they claim to want to help.
And from two adult “professionals” who also represent minorities – civil right$ i$$ue all right.
The opinion link to the article is dead.
“Right On” about the criminal records! I downloaded the Phoenix police Report on Mr. Rhee-Johnson.
Thanks. You do a great job everywhere.
It is amazing that it is suddenly OK to take away the most fundamental right of local control and representation of local public schools. Talk about civil rights??? I can’t believe this would ever be allowed to happen to middle class and wealthy families. It is sad that children in poverty have no one in power to speak for them. Where are our Civil Rights leaders? When will they begin to speak up? Dr. King would be ashamed of the lack of outrage. He fought and gave his life. Have people so easily forgotten?
And shouldn’t that civil rights leader or that person in power be our first bi-racial president? Shouldn’t he be fighting for the people?
Aren’t his girls of color? If he didn’t have prestige and money, wouldn’t they possibly be students in the Chicago public schools?
Where is Al Sharton? Jesse Jackson? Isn’t Kevin Johnson an African American? Yes, good question, where have all our leaders gone?
They have been replaced by people like Condoleeza Rice who talk about civil rights but have no idea what poverty does to families and children. It’s POVERTY STUPID! 😕
take away the most fundamental right of local control … Where are our Civil Rights leaders?
Civil rights leaders are willing to buy the same broken promises three times over. (cf the US response to CERD, the Equity and Excellence Commission, and the Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans) During Republican administrations, civil libertarians decry a “human rights whitewash.” Despite lack of progress, civil rights leaders hush up when the Obama administration promises to “work very closely” with them:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2010/07/civil_rights_groups_call_for_n.html
Thanks Eric. It is interesting to look back in time to see the comments from two years ago. I especially like the comments from Patricia Kokinos. Although I have been working with children and families in poverty for many years now, thanks to this blog, I am just now beginning to understand the political side of this.
Over two years ago, Dr. Ravitch commented (Why Civil Rights Groups Oppose the Obama Agenda), “If the Obama administration won’t listen to the groups who are most assertive in defending America’s neediest children, if they listen instead to hedge-fund managers and venture philanthropists, what hope is there for a more thoughtful approach to federal policy?”
The civil rights groups had noted, “For far too long, communities of color have been testing grounds for unproven methods of educational change while all levels of government have resisted the tough decisions required to expand access to effective educational methods.”
Years ago, (I believe in Congressional testimony) Dr. E. D. Hirsch decried “unwarranted experimentation” on involuntary human subjects (schoolchildren) in public schools. The solution? Offering the Core Knowledge curriculum–in charter schools if necessary. I’ve read that University of Virginia students are counseled not to enroll in Dr. Hirsch’s courses; apparently the “unwarranted experimentation” is a disposition ed schools promote in their graduates.
http://www.magicjohnsonbridgescape.com/
Another former basketball player wants to ride the charter school gravey train pretending to “care” for children. How cruddy!