An earlier post described a secret GOP poll that acknowledges Governor Corbett’s weakness and recommends that he could gain popularity by attacking the Philadelphia teachers’ union. The strategy is that he can portray himself as a “leader” and “reformer” trying to solve the Philadelphia fiscal disaster by blaming the union.
New documents reveal that the poll was paid for by a pro-voucher group called PennCAN, which is affiliated with the pro-privatization 50CAN and the original group ConnCAN.
The story says:
“PennCAN funders include: the William Penn Foundation, which was heavily criticized for its support of “school choice” during the brief tenure of Jeremy Nowak; Robert J. Hall, publisher at Interstate General Media, parent company of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com; and Michael O’Neill, who contributed $100,000 to pay for Boston Consulting Group’s controversial “Blueprint” for transforming Philly schools.
“PennCAN has also received funding from Janine and Jeff Yass, the latter being one of three partners at the Bala Cynwyd-based hedge fund Susquehanna International Group and major givers to causes supporting school vouchers and similar free-market inspired reforms. In 2010, they donated an astronomical $5 million to support the quixotic gubernatorial bid of state Sen. Anthony Williams, a high-profile supporter of school vouchers.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
MinnCAN contributed to the NCTQ report released yesterday.
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Do people still fall for “blame the teacher”?
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Seems more every day. I hear the “reformers” talking points parroted by friends and relatives all the time.
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Only until we patiently and kindly disabuse them of that notion. Then they are pissed that they have been played for fools by those who do not have their best interests at heart. Reformers lie, we debunk & win over more people who will call their elected pseudo representatives.
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Sheila, yes… if they aren’t really paying attention.
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Do people still “blame the teacher”? I don’t know, do they?
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More on this in the Philadelphia Public School Notebook:
Corbett speaks out on schools; leaked poll suggests that he take on teachers’ union
For the first time, Gov. Corbett has issued a formal statement on Philadelphia’s school-funding crisis, saying he is “committed to finding a solution … that is focused on students and is fiscally responsible for taxpayers.”
His statement came minutes after Daniel Denvir of City Paper published a leaked poll, conducted by a prominent national Republican polling group, Public Opinion Strategies. The poll of Pennsylvania voters concludes that Corbett can increase his popularity — and chances for re-election — by taking on the Philadelphia teachers’ union, especially on the issue of teacher seniority.
PennCAN, a chapter of a national education reform organization that emphasizes school choice and “better measures of teacher effectiveness,” paid for the poll, said its executive director, Jon Cetel.
Among other things, the poll asked more than 600 respondents whether they supported proposals that the School District is asking for in contract negotiations with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers — using “performance” rather than seniority in assigning and transferring teachers, giving principals more say in who teaches in their buildings, and ending automatic raises for extra years of service and additional degrees or certifications.
http://tinyurl.com/kgdxaw5
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