This is Julian Vasquez Heilig’s continuing series called the Teat, in which he follows the money behind corporate reform. This one focuses on the so-called parent trigger. Previous installments have looked at TFA and KIPP.
I posted Gary Cohn’s excellent analysis of the funding behind Parent Revolution, the group created by charter advocates to trick parents into turning their public school over to charter corporations.
The name of the organization is the first hoax: Apparently the Walton family, the Broad family, and the Gates family want to start a “revolution.”
What kind of revolution would billionaires foment?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Come on, George. You’re late to your “admonishing Diane yet again for not reading the bill” session. 😛
For years Caroline Grannan and myself were the only people writing about Parent Revolution, its funders, and its aims. We were vilified, stalked, harangued, and beset with criticisms for our efforts.
It’s so vindicating to finally see a broad, mainstream dialog about Ben Austin and his band of fellow scoundrels. Let’s hope this public illuminating of their activities brings about an end to this dark chapter of giving schools away to private corporations.
it just makes me so sick every time I hear about the money that has been wasted on this whole reform issue, both from the government and the billionaire boys club. All this money could have been used for so many needed programs. It could also have been used to have really helped education. These billionares should be ashamed at their waste, especially at a time when so many people could have really used their help.
Everything stated is absolutely true. But “As they Say it is not the whole story.” I seem to be the only one who is talking about the other reality of the “Parent Trigger” and that is how you use it against the privatizer corporatists. In California and Florida parents, teachers and community can use the “Parent Trigger” for their own purposes and leave those other guys in the dust. If you educrats would wake up to reality and turn this law they intend to use only for them for you what do you think they would do? Do any of you know strategy and politics I have to wonder? Have any of you actually been involved in the process and understand what is really going on and how to do it? It doesn’t seem so to us. You are all talking about 24th Street and the Parent Trigger in LAUSD. Have any of you read the application for 24th Street? Well, what it says in about the 2nd paragraph is that they love the parents and parent participation is wonderful and in the next sentence parents are eliminated from the board which runs the school. Now tell me what does that mean? Now what would you do with that information if it was you? We know what to do. Blow it public and give them a black eye and possibly delay the implementation of that charter, get the press to respond, do what I am here, embarress them, take action, don’t just cry in your beer wailing “What can I do?” and in the meantime they finish off the job. No way, not here. What would it make them look like if this got any grip that they say they love parents and then tell them after they voted for this and it is their children to tell them “Now go home keep your mouth shut we are the professionals and you have no right from now on.” This crazy sociopathic game can be turned on its head by going into the board or to the board behind the lines, depending on your connections inside, and throwing a wrench in their works. Now, if that happened what do you think could happen if you actually think and use their rules to mess up their game on us?
George,
Please post how to find the California Trigger Law including the modifications made since it was first enacted.
Thanks
LG, the fact is that it is real easy for a pro who does their work to know that she has and almost everyone else commenting has not read the bill word for word. Do you really believe as teachers which I assume most of you are or were to teach a class and to never have actually read or know what you are teaching? Is that acceptable in the classroom much less concerning a national information center? Was it OK for Tavis Smiley after he did not even punch in Deasy name into Google to just take a little look at who he promoted in his last Truancy presentation? I told him after his premier in L.A. about Deasy’s phony PHD and where to get the information. His eyes got as big as pie tins. I let it go as I realize what it takes to recut an hour film. Then, after he has a chance to check out Deasy he puts out an article praising him. Now, what do you think I think of the ethics and honesty of Tavis Smiley? Do you think I will believe a thing he ever says again about education without double checking it? Are you kidding. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Credibility is earned not given. Credibility is the gold coin of the realm. That is all there is to it. If you want to talk about something know what you are talking about. In over 20 years with all those animals you are talking about no one has ever been able to prove a thing I have said or documents provided to be false no matter how mad or effort to suppress. There is a reason for that. NEVER BE A TRUE BELIEVER. I have seen enough of that with cults. Not being in them fighting them. I had a lot of success there and you would not believe the games they played. Very dangerous, they lost. You cannot have fear in this game of high stakes. The truth shall set you free. Is that correct is my question?
THERE it is. George, you do not disappoint.
I fully admit that I personally have not read the CA bill. My concern is with the use of the term “parent” as if parents are the only citizens who should have a say in the appropriations of tax funding. I do not care for that terminology as it leaves out the concerns of the elderly (with no school-aged children) and the childless alike.
If you take the general law as mentioned in another of Julian’s posts–see below–the empowerment is in the hands of parents.
http://cloakinginequity.com/2013/03/25/parent-trigger-laws-wolves-in-sheeps-clothing-and-astroturfing/
Thank you for bringing it to our attention that other groups are given the same power in CA. I’m not certain that I would want that kind of collective power as a teacher, but then I’ve never been in a position where my district schools have been a detriment to the community.
In any case, every district should have people who read their laws as thoroughly as you do. In my state, we rely on paid professionals to read and summarize every bit of education legislation for our union members benefit. I’m happy to pay them, too, since I already have a full-time job and graduate work to do.
“What kind of revolution would the billionaires forment?
Well, it would probably look something like a restoration of the United States before the New Deal, with the addition of everyone wearing a digital tag and leash.