Earlier today, I posted an article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times about Parent Revolution forcing the ouster of an excellent principal, Irma Cobian.
I keep thinking about it. I think about the way her staff admired and respected her, how 21 of 22 teachers requested a transfer when she was targeted by the phony Parent Revolution.
Ben Austin is loathsome. He ruined the life and career of a dedicated educator. She was devoted to the children, he is devoted to the equally culpable foundations that fund his Frankenstein organization–Walton, Gates, and Broad. His biggest funder is the reactionary Walton Family Foundation, which spends $160 million every year to advance privatization.
Ben Austin is Walton’s useful idiot. He prattles on about his liberal credentials, but actions speak louder than words.
Here is my lifelong wish for him.
Ben, every day when you wake up, you should think of Irma Cobian. When you look in the mirror, think Irma Cobian. Your last thought every night should be Irma Cobian.
Ben, you ruined the life of a good person for filthy lucre. Never forget her. She should be on your conscience–if you have one–forever.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Hear, hear!
In the interview linked to BELOW, Parent Revolution leader
Ben Austin characterizes the opposition to the Parent
Trigger in Compton(December 2010) thusly:
“The teachers’ union struck back”,
He then proceeds to describe McKinley Elementary
in Compton (the target school) overall as a
child-abusing hell-hole.
(Oh really? Then why did 90% of the parents
choose to remain at McKinley… the child-abusing hell-hole…
instead of at the charter school that Parent Revolution helped
open just a block away?)
Seriously, Dr. Ravitch. You’re not going to believe this—but Austin claims
THAT the the unionized teachers at McKinley retaliated against the the
pro-Parent Trigger parents by physically torturing the children of
those parents (???!!!) while the children of anti-Parent-Trigger,
pro-evil-union parents were spared this Abu Ghraib-like physical
and mental torment.
Austin said this an interview for the far-right-wing, anti-union Choice Matters,
where he is being interviewed by Bob Bowden, who had previously made
an anti-union, pro-charter documentary, “THE CARTEL”.
Check out this link for the video:
(NOTE: the scary, unnerving tinkling piano music underscoring the urination / defecation torture story)
Next, try watching it while reading along to my transcript:
(ALSO NOTE: Dr. Ravitch, I was very precise in my transcription of this part of the interview—including all the pauses, ellipses ( … ), “uhh” ‘s, “uhhmm” ‘s, etc.. .
I did this to illustrate that Ben Austin is clearly lying his head off. Show this video
to any police detective, or anyone else trained in lie detection, and see
what they say. Compare Austin’s delivery and demeanor to that of
the interviewer Bowden, who is not under pressure to knowingly lie.
Austin is bumbling, while Bowden remains smooth.
Lying is hard work. It places intense cognitive demands and pressures
on the person who is lying, and as a result, when you get someone who
is not very effective and/or experienced in lying, you get a ridiculous, stumbling,
bumbling performance like that of Austin’s in the video.
Also, the bolding during the torture story is mine, Jack)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
TRANSCRIPT: (00:41 – 02:06)
AUSTIN: “Instead of being embraced and applauded for getting involve
in the education of their own children, (THE PRO-PARENT-TRIGGER PARENTS) were intimidated uhhh… and abused and harassed… uhhmm… and… uhmmm… we quiclkly found out that there were few… moral boundaries that the other side was unwilling to cross.
“One story in particular that was… uhmmm… jaw-dropping.. was that… uhmm… we found out pretty quickly that parents… whose… who—uhh… children whose parents signed the petitions… uhhm… were not allowed to go to the bathroom, and… when the children peed in their pants, they were sent to the… Nurse’s Office… uhh… and… that is where the parents… uhmm… parents got called in to bring in clean underwear… uhh… and that’s where the parents got hit up to give their … uhhh… to rescind their… signatures.”
BOWDEN: “Let me get this straight? In the same classroom where the parents who didn’t support the Parent Trigger petition… those students were allowed to go to the bathroom, and if your mom or dad supported the Parent Trigger, you were told, ‘Too bad. Stay there.’ ” (and thus, be forced to urinate/defecate on yourself, Jack)
AUSTIN: “That’s right. I mean it’s.. it’s… i-i-i-i-i… the-the… Things got so bad that the parents… uhhmmm… uhh… had to
—-(AUSTIN STARES DOWN AT SOMETHING… another “tell” of lying)
” … uhhmmm… sue the school district… and uhhmm… they … ”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Austin doesn’t even seem to believe the
bullshit that he’s spewing. His mind is jumping
around awkwardly… rambling about kids peeing in
their pants, then about parents forced to
bring clean underwear…
It’s like he’s trying to remember whatever phony story
that he, Gabe Rose, Pat DeTemple, and/or other Parent Rev. folks
vomited up during a secret strategy session.
In this instance at least, Austin’s a pretty unconvincing liar.
the same video is also here:
I have never seen a video where it was
more completely obvious that someone (Austin) is
lying his head off. The “uhh..”‘s,
“uhhmmm”s… pauses etc…. repeatedly’
the staring down, and looking to the side.
Again, note the contrast with cadence
and manner of the interviewer,
who is not lying.
CONCLUSION:
THIS__STORY__IS___TOTAL___AND___UTTER___BULLSHIT.
NOTE: Austin was an uncredited consultant to the
screenwriters of ‘WON’T BACK DOWN’. The urination
scene is in the movie, with the added wrinkle
that the evil unionized teacher first locked the
pro-Parent-Trigger parent’s kid in a dark closet.
When the hero mom shows up, the evil teacher
says that’s what your kid gets for you being
a trouble-maker—i.e. signing the petition,
and gathering signatures.
Sheesh!
If that ever happened in real life, the teacher
would be taken out of the school in handcuffs.
These Parent Rev. people are sociopaths, or
psychopaths who are so steeped in pathological dishonesty—
telling whatever lie they want to tell
whenever they want to tell it, so long as
it advances their agenda—that, in this
instance at least, they’ve lost
touch with reality.
In my next post, I’ll tell you about
1) the bogus “McKINLEY PARENTS FOR CHANGE” flyer
that Robert Skeels wrote about:
2) Parent Revolution’s despicable “Plan B” they tried to put into effect in Compton, and which ultimately failed.
Reply
Jack
May 30, 2013 at 12:54 am
Before I get to the post about the flyer and “Plan B”, check out this near the end of the BEN AUSTIN / BOBBY BOWDEN INTERVIEW video:
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
( 02:51 – 03:13 )
BOWDEN: “What happened to the teachers who did that?”
AUSTIN: “Nothing”
—-LONG PAUSE where Ben doesn’t clarify this in the least
BOWDEN: “They’re still working?”
AUSTIN: “Uhhmmm… yeah… and… and… I mean our-our goal is not to teacher-bash… or even union-bash… for some people see this simply as a struggle for power… not an issue of social justice… not an issue of …. ”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Right… Ben says that he and Parent Revolution are “not about teacher-bashing”… Oh, no… not at all… he just tells some horrific (and totally bogus) story about teachers at a school torturing children as a means of winning a “struggle for power.”
As anyone on either side of the issue would, Bowden is genuinely interested in whether or not the perpetrators of this were ever held accountable for this alleged conspiracy of abuse.
But Ben doesn’t want to go there… other than to say “Nothing.” when asked if the anything happened to these teachers.
Somewhat embarrassed and staring down (another “tell” of lying), Ben just quickly moves on from this line of questioning to blather about “struggle for power” and “issue of social justice.”
—I’m going into Sam Kinison voice as I type this (I know that dates me with some folks reading)
Hey Ben!!!!!
Didn’t someone ever think of alerting Compton Unified?!!!
Didn’t you think of calling the police?!!
Have those kids gotten psychological treatment?!
Have the child victims’ parents done anything in response?
Are they suing?
The answer to all these question is,,,
—more Sam Kinison Voice
HELL- NO!!!!
Why?
BECAUSE NONE OF THIS EVER FREAKIN’ HAPPENED!!!!!
OH!! OH!! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!
OH!!! OH!!! OHHHHHH!!!!!
BEN AUSTIN… YOU FREAKIN’ LIAR!!!!
OH!! OH!! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!
OH!!! OH!!! OHHHHHH!!!!!
—back to normal voice
I’m an elementary school teacher who has to take the Child Abuse Awareness Training video and test annually.
Here’s how it works.
If I—or ANY teacher / administrator—became aware that another teacher or an administrator had been torturing a child—forcing the child to urinate / defecate on himself / herself…
Like all teachers, administrators and other “mandated reporters”, I am required BY LAW to report this immediately… if not, I will be immediately removed from the classroom, will be prosecuted, and will be open to be sued for a six-figure sum (at least), and I will lose my job and my credential… and eventually get banned from teaching for life.
Look at how blase Austin is when Bowden asks him if anything happened to these teachers. There’s not the slightest bit of anger or outrage on Austin’s part… he’s a bit annoyed at the question, and instead moves on..
Oh well, la-di-dah… kids got tortured… let’s change the subject…
Austin then abruptly changes the topic to “we’re not here to teacher bash or union bash”…
Ridiculous!
If this HAD actually happened, the Parent Revolution douchebags would have gone to the police, held press conferences, had the “pro-bono legal team” sue everyone and every organization in sight—Compton Unified, the teachers, the union, the administrators… etc.
And then publicize the hell outta ALL OF THE ABOVE from now till Doomsday. They’d milk this for all its worth, AS PROOF OF HOW EVIL TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND and HOW EVIL TEACHER UNIONS ARE.
Why haven’t they?
—going back into a Sam Kinison Voice
BECAUSE_IT_NEVER_FREAKIN’_HAPPENED!!!!!!
—more Sam Kinison Voice
OH!! OH!! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!
OH!!! OH!!! OHHHHHH!!!!!
BEN AUSTIN… YOU FREAKIN’ LIAR!!!!
OH!! OH!! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!
OH!!! OH!!! OHHHHHH!!!!!
In the interview linked to BELOW, Parent Revolution leader
Ben Austin characterizes the opposition to the Parent
Trigger in Compton(December 2010) thusly:
“The teachers’ union struck back”,
He then proceeds to describe McKinley Elementary
in Compton (the target school) overall as a
child-abusing hell-hole.
(Oh really? Then why did 90% of the parents
choose to remain at McKinley… the child-abusing hell-hole…
instead of at the charter school that Parent Revolution helped
open just a block away?)
Seriously, Dr. Ravitch. You’re not going to believe this—but Austin claims
THAT the the unionized teachers at McKinley retaliated against the the
pro-Parent Trigger parents by physically torturing the children of
those parents (???!!!) while the children of anti-Parent-Trigger,
pro-evil-union parents were spared this Abu Ghraib-like physical
and mental torment.
Austin said this an interview for the far-right-wing, anti-union Choice Matters,
where he is being interviewed by Bob Bowden, who had previously made
an anti-union, pro-charter documentary, “THE CARTEL”.
Check out this link for the video:
(NOTE: the scary, unnerving tinkling piano music underscoring the urination / defecation torture story)
Next, try watching it while reading along to my transcript:
(ALSO NOTE: Dr. Ravitch, I was very precise in my transcription of this part of the interview—including all the pauses, ellipses ( … ), “uhh” ‘s, “uhhmm” ‘s, etc.. .
I did this to illustrate that Ben Austin is clearly lying his head off. Show this video
to any police detective, or anyone else trained in lie detection, and see
what they say. Compare Austin’s delivery and demeanor to that of
the interviewer Bowden, who is not under pressure to knowingly lie.
Austin is bumbling, while Bowden remains smooth.
Lying is hard work. It places intense cognitive demands and pressures
on the person who is lying, and as a result, when you get someone who
is not very effective and/or experienced in lying, you get a ridiculous, stumbling,
bumbling performance like that of Austin’s in the video.
Also, the bolding during the torture story is mine, Jack)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
TRANSCRIPT: (00:41 – 02:06)
AUSTIN: “Instead of being embraced and applauded for getting involve
in the education of their own children, (THE PRO-PARENT-TRIGGER PARENTS) were intimidated uhhh… and abused and harassed… uhhmm… and… uhmmm… we quiclkly found out that there were few… moral boundaries that the other side was unwilling to cross.
“One story in particular that was… uhmmm… jaw-dropping.. was that… uhmm… we found out pretty quickly that parents… whose… who—uhh… children whose parents signed the petitions… uhhm… were not allowed to go to the bathroom, and… when the children peed in their pants, they were sent to the… Nurse’s Office… uhh… and… that is where the parents… uhmm… parents got called in to bring in clean underwear… uhh… and that’s where the parents got hit up to give their … uhhh… to rescind their… signatures.”
BOWDEN: “Let me get this straight? In the same classroom where the parents who didn’t support the Parent Trigger petition… those students were allowed to go to the bathroom, and if your mom or dad supported the Parent Trigger, you were told, ‘Too bad. Stay there.’ ” (and thus, be forced to urinate/defecate on yourself, Jack)
AUSTIN: “That’s right. I mean it’s.. it’s… i-i-i-i-i… the-the… Things got so bad that the parents… uhhmmm… uhh… had to
—-(AUSTIN STARES DOWN AT SOMETHING… another “tell” of lying)
” … uhhmmm… sue the school district… and uhhmm… they … ”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Austin doesn’t even seem to believe the
bullshit that he’s spewing. His mind is jumping
around awkwardly… rambling about kids peeing in
their pants, then about parents forced to
bring clean underwear…
It’s like he’s trying to remember whatever phony story
that he, Gabe Rose, Pat DeTemple, and/or other Parent Rev. folks
vomited up during a secret strategy session.
In this instance at least, Austin’s a pretty unconvincing liar.
the same video is also here:
I have never seen a video where it was
more completely obvious that someone (Austin) is
lying his head off. The “uhh..”‘s,
“uhhmmm”s… pauses etc…. repeatedly’
the staring down, and looking to the side.
Again, note the contrast with cadence
and manner of the interviewer,
who is not lying.
CONCLUSION:
THIS__STORY__IS___TOTAL___AND___UTTER___BULLSHIT.
NOTE: Austin was an uncredited consultant to the
screenwriters of ‘WON’T BACK DOWN’. The urination
scene is in the movie, with the added wrinkle
that the evil unionized teacher first locked the
pro-Parent-Trigger parent’s kid in a dark closet.
When the hero mom shows up, the evil teacher
says that’s what your kid gets for you being
a trouble-maker—i.e. signing the petition,
and gathering signatures.
Sheesh!
If that ever happened in real life, the teacher
would be taken out of the school in handcuffs.
These Parent Rev. people are sociopaths, or
psychopaths who are so steeped in pathological dishonesty—
telling whatever lie they want to tell
whenever they want to tell it, so long as
it advances their agenda—that, in this
instance at least, they’ve lost
touch with reality.
In my next post, I’ll tell you about
1) the bogus “McKINLEY PARENTS FOR CHANGE” flyer
that Robert Skeels wrote about:
2) Parent Revolution’s despicable “Plan B” they tried to put into effect in Compton, and which ultimately failed.
I’m reposting the above post with a link to the video
Before I get to the post about the flyer and “Plan B”, check out this near the end of the BEN AUSTIN / BOBBY BOWDEN INTERVIEW video:
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
( 02:51 – 03:13 )
BOWDEN: “What happened to the teachers who did that?”
AUSTIN: “Nothing”
—-LONG PAUSE where Ben doesn’t clarify this in the least
BOWDEN: “They’re still working?”
AUSTIN: “Uhhmmm… yeah… and… and… I mean our-our goal is not to teacher-bash… or even union-bash… for some people see this simply as a struggle for power… not an issue of social justice… not an issue of …. ”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Right… Ben says that he and Parent Revolution are “not about teacher-bashing”… Oh, no… not at all… he just tells some horrific (and totally bogus) story about teachers at a school torturing children as a means of winning a “struggle for power.”
As anyone on either side of the issue would, Bowden is genuinely interested in whether or not the perpetrators of this were ever held accountable for this alleged conspiracy of abuse.
But Ben doesn’t want to go there… other than to say “Nothing.” when asked if the anything happened to these teachers.
Somewhat embarrassed and staring down (another “tell” of lying), Ben just quickly moves on from this line of questioning to blather about “struggle for power” and “issue of social justice.”
—I’m going into Sam Kinison voice as I type this (I know that dates me with some folks reading)
Hey Ben!!!!!
Didn’t someone ever think of alerting Compton Unified?!!!
Didn’t you think of calling the police?!!
Have those kids gotten psychological treatment?!
Have the child victims’ parents done anything in response?
Are they suing?
The answer to all these question is,,,
—more Sam Kinison Voice
HELL- NO!!!!
Why?
BECAUSE NONE OF THIS EVER FREAKIN’ HAPPENED!!!!!
OH!! OH!! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!
OH!!! OH!!! OHHHHHH!!!!!
BEN AUSTIN… YOU FREAKIN’ LIAR!!!!
OH!! OH!! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!
OH!!! OH!!! OHHHHHH!!!!!
—back to normal voice
I’m an elementary school teacher who has to take the Child Abuse Awareness Training video and test annually.
Here’s how it works.
If I—or ANY teacher / administrator—became aware that another teacher or an administrator had been torturing a child—forcing the child to urinate / defecate on himself / herself…
Like all teachers, administrators and other “mandated reporters”, I am required BY LAW to report this immediately… if not, I will be immediately removed from the classroom, will be prosecuted, and will be open to be sued for a six-figure sum (at least), and I will lose my job and my credential… and eventually get banned from teaching for life.
Look at how blase Austin is when Bowden asks him if anything happened to these teachers. There’s not the slightest bit of anger or outrage on Austin’s part… he’s a bit annoyed at the question, and instead moves on..
Oh well, la-di-dah… kids got tortured… let’s change the subject…
Austin then abruptly changes the topic to “we’re not here to teacher bash or union bash”…
Ridiculous!
If this HAD actually happened, the Parent Revolution douchebags would have gone to the police, held press conferences, had the “pro-bono legal team” sue everyone and every organization in sight—Compton Unified, the teachers, the union, the administrators… etc.
And then publicize the hell outta ALL OF THE ABOVE from now till Doomsday. They’d milk this for all its worth, AS PROOF OF HOW EVIL TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND and HOW EVIL TEACHER UNIONS ARE.
Why haven’t they?
—going back into a Sam Kinison Voice
BECAUSE_IT_NEVER_FREAKIN’_HAPPENED!!!!!!
—more Sam Kinison Voice
OH!! OH!! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!
OH!!! OH!!! OHHHHHH!!!!!
BEN AUSTIN… YOU FREAKIN’ LIAR!!!!
OH!! OH!! OHHHHHHH!!!!!!
OH!!! OH!!! OHHHHHH!!!!!
Jack the person you are talking about happens to be my dad. He sometimes stubble in his words, not to mention he was being interviewed by a reporter and so he like any other human might have been nervous hints the stuttering, though I’m glad you had time to make your own transcript. Seems like you are very busy.
Ben’s daughter, I’m pretty sure your dad would really prefer that you NOT resurface this issue, which covered him and the operation he was fronting with disgrace and flamboyantly crashed and burned.
This is a powerful story.
Incidentally, anyone with a lick of common sense (refiners seem to lack) could have seen this coming. A small group of disgruntled parents destroy a public school over real or imagined grudges.
This should be spread far and wide and Rhee and others should have to explain why they’re dividing communities and destroying careers.
It’s outrageous and they should have to own it. It was a dumb idea and there will be more stories like this.
I’ll spread this as far as I can, but it really deserves placement on other than a holiday weekend.
It’s damaging to them.
The parents and kids who were harmed by this stupid, reckless gimmick of Parent Revolution should be interviewed.
Diane,
I’ve never heard you to be, in public, so angry and emotionally verbal about the negative aspects of the reform movement. After having read more about Parent Revolution, I am revolted.
What I would like to say about Ben Austin can’t be in public print.
He epitomizes “villain”.
Me too Diane. The only thing worse that I can think of is the LA teacher that committed suicide when the Times printed his name.
I read over their web site to see what it’s about. Some, maybe many of the Parent Revolution staff attended public schools in CA. Their web site says they did not ask the teachers to resign or transfer. Indirectly, yes, you did.
How did such uncaring people get such power over someone who obviously cared a lot for kids?
God help the kids and Ms. Cobian.
No, they didn’t ask the teachers to resign. They forced out an excellent principal. Did they have a party to celebrate her public shaming?
Any group that funds these Revolting opportunistic provocateurs should be ashamed.
The California legislature should repeal the parent trigger law and put these mercenaries out of business.
They should merge with ALEC
“Lori Drummer Armistead is a program officer for the Systemic K-12 Education Reform Focus Area [at the Walton Family Foundation]. Prior to her role with the Foundation, she served as director of state projects at the national non-profits Alliance for School Choice and Advocates for School Choice. Previously, she was the director of public affairs and the director of the education task force at the American Legislative Exchange Council.”
Diane,
“They” are already merged with ALEC, if by they you mean the legislators.
Robert,
I try not to get emotional but it burned me up to think that Ben Austin and his cronies damaged the life and reputation of a respected educator for fun and profit.
I agree and do not think any less of you for feeling this way and writing as such.
I think our best weapon will be to follow closley what becomes of this school, it’s students and parents under the new model that Parent Revolution (PR) has won. If one can follow it closely enough and document what are most likely to be its failures, there will be an arsenal of persusive weaponry to further prove how deceptive parent trigger laws are and how nefarious PR is.
I think we should call upon all people- children, parents, teachers, board members, etc. in this school and keep in touch with them, if possible, to find out how this evolves.
I look forward to the new model’s demise, even if there are casualties There should not have to be, but sometimes, things have to be at their absolute worst before they get better.
Education is a public trust, and this one was destroyed bu private interests instead of being funded properly with wrap-around services, better space, materials, etc.
Robert, I was thinking the same thing. I’m sure they’ll put out a million pieces of propaganda about what their takeover has done. We all know that they aren’t going to do anything but figure out ways to steal from the community. This story made me sick. If the newspapers are turning it shows that the people of Parent Revolution are becoming the villains. Their actions will be their undoing. Who would have any sympathy for a group of super wealthy people putting caring people out of work. They are scum.
Multiply this story by the tens of thousands of teachers victimized by high stakes testing for social conditions over which they have no control. Multiply these children by the hundreds of thousands who have been left confused and bewildered, wondering about the capricious world they are growing up in. All for greedy elites who see themselves as later day aristocrats. We really do have to rise up against this!
Agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Philaken, I am a teacher forced out not by testing per se but because I spoke out about standards of equity, ethics, and school climate (with standing up to some threatening parents thrown in to the mix). It is all part of the same trend: administrators and board members practice willful ignorance and adopt simplistic, short-sighted solutions to make themSELVES look good. But I have to take issue with Diane’s lament that a fine principal’s life is ruined. It has been unfairly traumatized–as has my life and the lives of those tens of thousands you mention–and so our various gifts have, at least for the time, been denied the children we sought to enable. But it is when our colleagues and wiser community members rise up and speak out that we will eventually thrive and prevail. Blogs like this (and comments like yours) give me strength and help me know there is more to do and my life is NOT ruined! although the economics are proving tough to deal with. [ Look some of us up onlne at We Are Kindling Schist]
Parent Revolution says on their site that they would like to hear from us…
I just emailed them and asked if they were proud of their work. I think we should all ask them that.
http://parentrevolution.org/content/contact-us
I’m with you Dr. Burris, they’ll hear from us whether they want to or not. The only word I can think of for them is reprehensible.
The Los Angeles Times painted a very flattering picture of Ms. Cobian — and a very unflattering picture of Parent Revolution.
I’ve already passed the story on to school board members here in San Francisco — she sounds worthy of hiring here. I wouldn’t be surprised, either, if administrators in other districts reached out to her.
Meanwhile, that story is unlikely to help Parent Revolution score points with its funders at all. Favorable publicity is Parent Revolution’s currency. Behaving in a manner that turned the formerly friendly Los Angeles Times against it may have been a very, very big mistake.
Biggest funder of Parent Revolution is the Walton Family Foundation. Unfortunately, no Twitter account for them.
Bruno Manno is a “senior advisor for the Systemic K-12 Education Reform Focus Area” at the Walton Family Foundation.
Here’s what the Annenberg Institute for Education Reform has to say about what Bruno advocates:
“For example, Manno lauds the current efforts across the country to win “Parent Trigger” legislation. Parent trigger legislation allows parents to petition to “transform” their school by turning it into a charter or effecting some other (pre-determined) governance change. Once parents have signed the petition, their involvement is done. This situation creates “instant,” not staying, power for parents. Power and authority is quickly transferred to the charter or education management organization that is awarded control of the school, sometimes the same organization that was behind the parent trigger push in the first place. Recently, even proponents of parent trigger legislation have been forced to take a step back and reconsider how their efforts have not effected meaningful parent engagement (see “Lessons of ‘parent trigger’” Los Angeles Times 11/14/11).
In contrast, the organizing work around school transformation being conducted by the national Coalition for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) is focused on building “staying” power with parents. This set of over 20 organizing groups has developed a proposal for school transformation that puts parents directly at the decision-making table. Under the CEPS proposal – “Sustainable School Transformation” – parents, students, teachers, and community members would thoroughly assess their schools’ individual challenges and needs and develop a reform plan to addresses those needs. The plan must be research-based, it must include supports for students and their families, and it requires an ongoing role for parent leaders to assess the outcomes of the reform efforts and to shape and reshape the plan until it works.”
Austin has a checkered past. According to Schools Matter http://www.schoolsmatter.info/search?q=ben+austin he was under investigation for ethics & conflicts of interest violations while working in the LA City Attorney’s office as well as kicked off the State Bar in California: http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2011/11/parent-trigger-charlatan-ben-austin.html
“Austin knows a quite a bit about conflicts of interest and ethics violations, he was under investigation by the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission (Case # 2010-36) when he was collecting a check at the City Attorney Office while being a full time charter school advocate (and part time Green Dot Employee) at Los Angeles Parents Union (aka Parent Revolution). He was also using his connections to host closed meetings with his political connections garnered from his City job, like with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.”
Austin, to say the least, has a checkered past. We might characterize him the used car salesman of education. He was kicked off the State Bar of California for failure to take a legal ethics course:
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2011/11/parent-trigger-charlatan-ben-austin.html
According to Robert Skeels of SchoolsMatter, Austin was under investigation for ethics & conflicts of interest while working for the City of LA:
“Austin knows a quite a bit about conflicts of interest and ethics violations, he was under investigation by the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission (Case # 2010-36) when he was collecting a check at the City Attorney Office while being a full time charter school advocate (and part time Green Dot Employee) at Los Angeles Parents Union (aka Parent Revolution). He was also using his connections to host closed meetings with his political connections garnered from his City job, like with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.”
Wow. An unethical crook. He’ll fit right into the charter movement. They’ll rob the community blind.
When are all of you going to wake up? You cannot beat someone and turn around an illegal operation unless you know what you are legally talking about. Parent Revolution has used illegal signature gathering methods. Read California Parent Empowerment Regulation 4, page 2, item (g) and then you will know how to do more than just talk about that which you know nothing of. Is it any wonder they rip and tear you educators? You have no concept of how things work and do not do your HOMEWORK. The billionaires are laughing every time they read something like this as they understand clearly that not one of you knows what you are talking about concerning how to fight them legally. Only one person used my email yesterday to receive the rules and regs. They were sent immediately. We then had a long conversation which was excellent. How can you call yourself educators when in policy you are ignorant and talk about thing of which you have no knowledge. Would that be acceptable as a teacher to teach that which you have no knowledge and have never spent time studying? If so get out of this profession as you are not a professional. What a bad example for your students. Last week I had some high school students tell me that I was the first person who taught them to critically think. I never mentioned that phrase and was not trying to do so. They knew what it was, had never experienced it yet knew when it was happening. One of the nicest things ever said to me and it was by students which made it even better. How about their teachers and administrators now wanting to do critical thinking?
George: I believe we’re on the same team here. Not all of us can focus on all aspects of this education reform (except maybe Diane). We have to assume that those of us on this side of the war against the reformers are doing the best we can. Thank you for doing your part.
To answer he question you posted
“How can you call yourself educators when in policy you are ignorant and talk about thing of which you have no knowledge. ”
1. Maybe some of us are not educators
2. The rest are just TESTERS working under ignorant people running the show from the Hills for Greed, Power, Money, and Politics..
Reblogged this on Transparent Christina.
And. The person born without conscience laughs all the way to the bank!
Finally, here’s a post describing how Ben makes a false equivalency between elections and signature gathering for a petition… as a hare-brained way to defend parents not being able to rescind their signatures.
This little tid-bit relates to Parent Revolution’s biggest “success” to date…
the takeover in Adelanto.
A hastily-organized and penniless group of parents
in Adelanto tried to have their signatures rescinded,
claiming that they had been lied to and misled into
signing the petition by Parent Revolution operatives.
They even testified to that in court.
This testimony from Ben Austin responding to their claims says it all:
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
BEN AUSTIN: “There are certainly voters who are going to vote
on ballot initiatives this November that do not understand
everything they’re voting on… That doesn’t illegitimize
an election.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Wow!
That is some Classic Ben Austin! You can find it here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/03/wont-back-down-inspiratio_n_1935876.html
Ben is tacitly admitting that—in the course of Parent Revolution’s
signature gathering—there were and are indeed petition signers
who were misled and confused when signing on
(and presumably would not have signed otherwise)…
with Austin conceding that it was AT LEAST SOME OF
HIS OWN SIGNATURE GATHERERS WERE DELIBERATELY
MISLEADING AND CONFUSING PEOPLE.
There were almost 100 parents who wanted to rescind
their signatures after finding out they had been “duped”.
ANATOMY OF THE “DUPING”:
the Parent Revolution organizers rented a house
across the street from the school, and elicited what
the parents by saying, “This is to make the school better… ”
Well, duh! Who’s not going to sign that?
In an argument that inexplicably prevailed with
an appeals court judge, Ben tries to draw an equivalency…
between petitions and elections…
in that both usually have signers / voters
who may be misled or confused when they
vote for / sign something… and so what if they do?
Once again…
– – – – – – – – – – – –
BEN AUSTIN: “There are certainly voters who are going to vote
on ballot initiatives this November that do not understand
everything they’re voting on… That doesn’t illegitimize
an election.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – –
WTF???!!!
This idiotic argument—attempting to equate elections
and signature-gathering for a petition—essentially legitimizes
wholesale fraud in signature-gathering.
It essentially gives license to any and
every kind of dishonest tactic:
— lying,
—phony promises
—threats
and on and on…
Because later, you can just claim… “well, they do this in elections,
and you’re not allowed to take your vote back… so you shouldn’t
be allowed to take your signature back.”
Unlike an election, petition-gatherer engages in a one-on-one communication
and relationships with the prospective signer… one in which the prospective signer
is at the mercy of the signature-gatherer as to what he or she is
saying—promises, representations, threats, etc.—are actually
truthful.
If the signer of the petition—once he discovers that has “been had”—
is not then allowed to rescind the signature… then the whole fraud
will then run rampant.
An election is nothing of the kind.
The only reason this was not appealed to the Supreme Court was that the School Board in Adelanto had been financially drained by Parent Revolution’s high-powered lawyers. This cash-poor school district was broke, so they had to basically surrender at this point.
The blog L.A. School Report, run (from Brooklyn!) by avid pro-“reform” blogger Alexander Russo, has a post claiming that Parent Revolution is now reaching out to parents. I posted about the Ben Austin video interview. http://laschoolreport.com/parent-revolution-reaching-out-to-utla/#comment-322