Chiara sends this good news from Michigan, where more than 80% of charters operate for profit and entire districts have been given to for-profit chains.
We will awaken the public, we will organize, the politicians will follow, and we will win.
Chair a writes:
“Challenger in Michigan governor’s race calls for transparency and accountability in charter schools:
He’s the first I’ve seen using this issue in a campaign. Michigan has a big for-profit K-12 industry at this point, they have whole districts that are completely privatized, so I’m not surprised it started there. It’s great to see that he’s talking about what they’re spending on advertising.
Should be interesting to see if this spreads to the neighboring big for-profit K-12 ed state, Ohio.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Here’s some more good news from Michigan: http://www.eclectablog.com/2013/09/interview-rep-ellen-cogen-lipton-on-exposing-violations-of-federal-law-by-the-education-achievement-authority-failing-our-kids.html
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This is brave, considering even the US Sec of Ed promotes “blended learning” every day:
“Requiring traditional students to spend at least 80% of the school day in a classroom with certified teachers. Technology has an important role to play in classroom learning, but the so-called “cyber schools” model is not an effective substitute for in-person instruction by highly trained teachers.”
My fear is working class and middle class kids will be shunted to online learning because it’s cheap, while wealthier districts will still insist on teachers in classrooms. Since I’m in a working class/ middle class district, this is a real concern.
I just don’t trust a consortium of billionaires led by Arne Duncan and various celebrities to have a free hand with replacing teachers with a screen. Our kids will lose. I know they will.
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How refreshing. Elect him and let’s see what happens. Can’t be worse than the present guy.
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As a Michigan resident (who lives just outside the metro Detroit area), I agree that it is refreshing to hear a potential candidate for a major office ask these questions and raise these issues. These items need to be more publicized and be part of a larger public conversation.
I will add that he faces very tall odds in defeating the incumbent. Rick Snyder will be heavily supported by the likes of the Kochs and DeVos family. Passing right to work through a lame duck session has its perks I suppose. Also, Snyder has a diehard following among Republicans here. Sure there are a few Tea Party types who don’t like his stance on Obamacare exchanges but that won’t be enough to derail their votes when they step in the booth.
And remember that aside from right-to-work, the EAA is his baby. Detroiter, I love the link you posted but there is no way we will know what is truly happening with the EAA until Snyder is out of office. There were numerous reports of testing issues and gaming systems immediately. In a Detroit News article, one EAA building administration directly stated that they had put a lot of effort into “building a test culture.” Kind of tells us that they’re playing a game right there. Expect lots of smokescreens because it must either succeed or give the impression of success. Snyder needs to have a major policy success with actual visible outcomes. (Right-to-work has done nothing in its short appearance. Michigan’s unemployment rate is flat or worsening and we were 50th in the nation in terms of household income growth since 2010.)
My teaching colleagues in districts immediately surrounding Detroit have mentioned the influx of students doing everything they can to escape the EAA. Meanwhile, it gets massive donations (one fund has collected $60M for the EAA) to go with loans from Detroit Public Schools (odd for a district with an emergency manager) and Broad Grants totaling another $35M. Plus Arne Duncan loves the EAA!
Democratic challenger Mark Schauer is to be commended for raising these issues in a major daily newspaper, but Snyder will be very tough to beat.
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EAA????
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Click on my link above on the EAA. Broad planned and financed, but I believe unique to Michigan.
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Thanks,
I was just wondering what the acronym stood for.
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It’s about time!! Remember, the voters said “no” to the EM which was a reflection of the disapproval of Snyder’s leadership. The EAA is awful. I know many people who have worked there and most have quit. The teachers weren’t even given enough textbooks for students. They don’t have supplies and are buying extra textbooks and supplies with their own money. It is all hush, hush. Gov. Snyder should be ashamed. He claimed he was all about transparency but has been the exact opposite. I really hope the people of Mich. demand transparency in charters because the taxpayer is being ripped off by shysters!!!!!!!
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Group composed of privileged millennial philanthropists decry big philanthropy’s involvement in PA’s public schools.
Let’s be honest, young people aren’t often positively represented here (they tend to be TFAers, charter school teachers, inexperienced). Nice to see the other side.
http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/philanthropy/22959-millennial-philanthropists-decry-philanthropic-interference-in-schools.html
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Any word on how those districts who have gone “charter” are doing?
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Probably about as good as The SS Minnow.
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At least the Minnow washed ashore. The districts are on their way to the bottom of the sea.
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This is a comment posted about Muskegon, in response to the EAA article mentioned above. Muskegon was made 100% charter as a result of being taken over by one of Snyder’s appointments of an Emergency Manager:
TeacherPatti • 3 hours ago −
“I absolutely love this woman! I am so thankful that she and a few others are on this. Now my next question is…did you hear the reports about the “all charter” district out in Muskegon that released its “data”? It claims that its students increased by a whole grade level since the charter took over? I laughed so hard that I seriously almost wet myself. This is the same school that had principals and teachers walking out, *students* complaining about the situation and serious problems providing services to special education students (NPR article from last May). Yet…they increased an entire grade level? I would love to do some FOIA’ing on this one!”
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/06/emergency_in_the_heights_serie_1.html
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Ever get the feeling you’re living on ANIMAL FARM?
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or Dante’s Inferno. It like reliving the same hell.
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Day of the Locusts meets Brave New World in LA.
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If you believe they increased an entire grade level I have lovely swampland to sell you.
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“Chair a writes”
Gotta love auto-correct almost as much as the edudeforming privateers, eh!
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Would that neighboring state be Ohio?
Charters here get free transportation provided by the taxpayer-funded local public school district, even if that same district had to cut transportation back to state minimums (busing only for students who live at least 2 miles from their public school) for its own students. I believe many parents in city school districts put their children into charter schools because walking to school such long distances is too dangerous.
The other thing charters do is get local per-pupil funding and then apparently don’t give any of it back if the student soon transfers back into his/her local public school.
It’s state-sponsored larceny.
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