The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette points to signs that the corporate reform movement is losing steam. Indiana is an epicenter of school privatization and teacher-bashing, yet even there the movement seems to be lagging. The epic defeat of state superintendent Tony Bennett was one clear indication of public opposition to his reforms. The failure of efforts to strip power away from his successor, Glenda Ritz, is another.
More signs of the movement’s weakening:
*The rebellion against the Common Core;
*The widespread criticism of state testing;
*The activism of grassroots groups like the Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education, and its leader, Phyllis Bush, who is a member of the board of the Network for Public Education;
*The victory of Monica Ratliff in Los Angeles over a corporate funded candidate who raised more than $2 million compared to Ratliff’s $52,000.
*News coverage is turning more critical, as evidenced by John Merrow’s continuing scrutiny of Michelle Rhee’s claims.
*Parents are joining the backlash against privatization and misuse of testing.
As the “reforms” are shown to be ineffective and in many cases inspired by financial motives,, expect the backlash to grow stronger.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Don’t forget the Indiana parents and teachers,with no funding, who got anti-common core legislation passed against the wishes of the well funded and powerful Chamber of Commerce and Stand for Children.
Money stops talking when legislators fear losing their seats due to public outrage.
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Who will be accountable for the damage done to the educational quality for students educated during NCLB and worse, RttT? Will anybody go to jail? Without responsible leaders corporations will promote almost anything if there is money to be made. It’s my understanding that former Superintendent Hall faces possible jail time. What about Michelle Rhee? She’s still going about promoting her fraudulent claims exposed by Merrow, apparently without fear of any consequences.
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I’m happy to read this but we’re sure not seeing it in Chicago. Right now we see our public school system going up in smoke and all the media, local and national, raving about a new day! 21st century education! taking control! more money for education! (That’s from a Crain’s Chicago Business piece yesterday: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130608/ISSUE01/306089974/chicago-schools-buck-trend-up-per-pupil-spending)
We read this while we receive our school budgets, which for some schools are down several hundred thousand to a million or more dollars, and lose teaching positions left and right. We read this as they dismantle special ed and remove support staff and overcrowd our schools (now CPS has admitted that it will likely use “modules,” you know, trailers, to house kids who don’t fit into our new cobbled-together frankenschools).
Our marches and boycotts and press conferences and data gathering and plain old simple complaints have been absolutely ignored, have amounted to nothing, and now CPS is telling us one of its core “Five Pillars” is communicating with parents. I’m losing heart over here. My deep, profound thanks for you and your blog Diane: it’s the only bright spot anywhere.
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The article you linked says that Chicago is the second in the nation in per-pupil spending ($11,000ish) behind New York ($19,000ish). No mention is made of DC which is, what, $29,000ish? But of course no one calls them on their lies.
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Good morning Diane,
The University of Phoenix would appreciate permission to link to one or more pages within your blog, the Diane Ravitch website. The links will be provided to students, and may point to specific pages within your site that we feel may be useful for certain classes. The content will not be copied. Although your terms of service seem to allow linking, we prefer to seek permission.
Does the University of Phoenix have permission to link to pages in https://dianeravitch.net/?
Thank you very much for your time!
The University of Phoenix is a for-profit university, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and is a member of the North Central Association.
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I am glad to grant permission to reprint the content of the blog so long as you give credit
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Thank you, Diane! We would be happy to. At this point, we are only planning on linking to your site (no reproduction of content), but I will make note of our conversation in our records. Have a great day!
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Tabitha, be sure to link, not to reproduce content in full. The fair use doctrine apples.
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Now we just have to start shaming the politicians who continue to back this.
We need to use the word “corrupt” as often as “corporate” when describing these reforms.
It isn’t about mistaken ideology or idealism, it’s about someone looking to make a buck off our kids without really caring if they get better or worse service.
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Every politicians who still votes for these policies should be asked, “Why do you continue to vote for failed, corrupt, corporate education “reform” policies?”
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Let’s hope change comes fast and surely. Here in Oregon, there have been movements to more fully embrace the reform paradigm. For example, my institution, Willamette University, just closed its Graduate School of Education. The Board, though dissimulating, believed that the university had no need of a program of guided, high quality, liberal arts approach to teaching. It sees teacher ed as much a commodity: either it fattens the bottom line or it can be cut loose. Too bad, also, Oregon DOE had jumped in with CAEP and will soon implement VAM into pre-service teacher expectations.
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SAD.
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This is good news. I have felt for some time now that the general public is not aware that their public schools are being privatized for personal gain. Once this information spreads, we’ll see an end to corporate reform.
When I meet with Los Angeles people to combat “reform” in our area, I’m going to suggest a campaign to let citizens know what is happening. Thanks to Diane for helping to organize a pushback against corporate fraud in education. It’s working!
The public schools belong to the public.
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Thank you, Linda Johnson. The job of educators is to educate. Educate the public and the nightmare of privatization will end.
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“The Truth Shall Set You Free.” We are kicking their !@#$% here in L.A. It is not an accident that Marshall Tuck is going as CEO of Villaraigosa’s PLAS here. As we are exposing their total lack of student performance and the disappearing act of the money and the parents are understanding this their fantasy world is crumbling. Through the help of the national community Monica Ratliff won that 4-3 seat at LAUSD. In July the mayor changes from Villaraigosa to Garcetti. The new board of LAUSD is inaugurated and Monica Garcia will never be board president of LAUSD again. Dynamics are now different. Also I want all of you to know especially in L.A. that the mayors office of Los Angeles does not have control of PLAS as it is a separate non profit corporation. Eric Garcetti does not and will not unless PLAS says so run PLAS. Go look at the Board of Directors of PLAS. The new CEO is currently #2 on the PLAS Board of Directors and until becoming CEO of PLAS was Villaraigosa’s head of his education dept. She has resigned from the city job they say. You must know your budgets. This is how to take them out. It is all about the money as there are no programs without steady funding.
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Teachers, be sure to turn in the list of supplies you need for 2013-2014.
Maximum $50.00
From a county..in a state..that tests the bejukas our of the kids.
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Texas parents through Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment (TAMSA) have successfully pushed back the Pearson testing machine despite massive lobbying from Pearson’s insiders like Sandy Kress, one of the NCLB architects.
TAMSA members raised questions related to the misuse of testing and registered concerns with governors and state legislators about Pearson’s multi-million dollar contracts. Voices are trickling up to Obama and Duncan.
Share these links with others –
http://www.tamsatx.org
https://www.facebook.com/tamsatx
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“Voices are trickling up to Obama and Duncan.”
They may be trickling up but they ain’t being listened to.
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It takes a critical mass of voters with voices and a certain amount of backbone. Obama, Gates, Duncan, legislators and governors will have no choice but to listen. Organize like TAMSA. File open records requests and run the numbers with PowerPoint presentations on websites. Use the facts to speak with districts, community organizations, etc. All participants in the audience will have a child, grandchild, niece, nephew or a student who is significant to them and who is affected by the corrupt corporate testing takeover.
TAMSA parents did the homework on Pearson’s contracts and the subcontractors. Texas data demonstrates NO value for education. ONLY profits for the corporations and the favorite subcontractors for over 15 years.
Watch the TAMSA video on youtube and read the presentation on the TAMSA website.
http://www.tamsatx.org
Voices are trickling up to Pearson, Gates, Obama, and others. They are listening, but are fearful of losing face. They will double down. Bring the popcorn.
US teachers need to learn from Seattle and TAMSA by exposing the facts and saying NO.
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