The Los Angeles Times reports two late donations to the campaign to elect a board that supports privatization.
The California Charter Schools Association put up $300,000.
Rupert Murdoch’s News America Corporation added $250,000.
The charter association anticipates increased numbers of privately managed charters with no supervision.
The Murdoch corporation has financial involvement through its subsidiary run by Joel Klein, who previously gave $25,000.
Los Angeles already has more charters than any other city in the nation. School board member Steve Zimmer had the temerity to propose that the board develop a policy for oversight of charters before creating new ones. Zimmer enraged the charter lobby, which wants no oversight and no moratorium.
Zimmer, who started his career in Teach for America and remained in the public schools as a career teacher, is in his first term. He is known as a moderate who is independent, belonging to no bloc.
The billionaires don’t want independents on the L.A. School board. They want people who will support more charters, more onerous teacher evaluations, more high-stakes testing, more closing of public schools.
With Mayor Bloomberg’s time in office coming to an end, and the possibility that his reforms will be tossed out by the next mayor, the corporate reformers don’t want to risk losing control of Los Angeles.
Crain’s NY ran an unscientific poll asking “which of Mayor Bloomberg’s policies should the next mayor abandon first?” There were five choices. More than 60% of respondents picked “education” as the first Bloomberg policy to be eliminated by the next mayor. Quinniapiac University ran a scientific poll asking New Yorkers what they thought of mayoral control. Only 18% want to see the mayor in charge of the public schools.
So now the next battle to take over the public schools shifts to Los Angeles.
Where is Governor Brown and Gaven Newsom, both are nown for fighting for whats right. I can’t believe they think this is right, but their not speaking. The silence from everyone you think would be speaking out is what I find deafening.
I know the theory here is that charter schools are generally bad because they are privately run with public funds. My dilemma is that I live in a rural area where our public school system is run by a bunch of Rhee wannabe’s, and yet there is no alternative for my children due to the remoteness of the central school district. My children are experiencing a top-down, state testing frenzied, intolerant education which is a great source of problems for me. If there were a charter school within 100 miles I would rather send my kids there. I need any option at all, at this point, and I have none. What, as a supporter of public education, am I to do with this horrible school district that I am stuck with? Example: The whole of last week (six days) my 13 year old’s entire English class took practice tests instead of learning. Example: my 9 year old spends every other day in the Alternative Learning Center for becoming disruptive during the endless repetition of the morning routine. He is a special needs child, but the teachers and administrators
have no idea how to handle a frustrated, spirited child except to physically remove him from the classroom. I might add that he actually does not mind the ‘punishment’ because he is at least out of the boredom. Please, what alternative, what recourse do I have with this third rate school district?
It may be that your state legislators are trying to make the public schools so unbearable that parents like you want to escape.
I suggest you join with other parents and elect a new school board to stop the madness.
Where did you get the idea that a charter school would be an answer? They are still required to follow the same state mandates and use drill and kill. They would throw your spirited son out in two seconds. Didn’t you know they suspend people left and right and don’t provide much for special needs? They are trying to make money. I would follow Diane’s advice. Parents need to fight back against the politicians ruining America’s schools.
Have you considered trying to opt-out your kids from standardized testing? Here’s info on opting-out: http://www.fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out
Be sure to also click where it says, “Resistance” to see their “8 Ways To Fight High-Stakes Testing Infographic,” as well as the link to the Barleby Project, where students are invited to request that they be opted out of all standardized testing and test preparation activities.
Early election results are showing Zimmerman leading in the LA school board election: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/03/garcia-zimmer-hold-early-leads-in-school-board-race.html All fingers and toes crossed in hopes that grassroots trumps astroturf!
Correction: That should have been Zimmer not Zimmerman.