Under the leadership of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the conservative-dominated House of Representatives is debating a bill today that would reauthorize federal support for the charter school industry and provide $300 million, some of which is for facilities.
The members of the House will ignore, of course, the report issued this week showing that charter schools–which are deregulated by design and usually unsupervised– were responsible for $100 million in corruption, fraud, and waste of taxpayer dollars in only 14 states. Obviously, a full accounting would show even more waste, fraud, corruption, and abuse.
An informant in Washington passed along the following information:
HR10 is the charter legislation now being debated in the House. It it supported by the GOP House leadership, which intends to make its support for charters the major plank of the GOP education platform this fall. The bill is co-sponsored by outgoing Democrat George Miller, who is a favorite of the hedge fund managers group Democrats for Education Reform.
The House Rules Committee would not permit debates on the floor on such issues as:
*state caps on charter schools
*whether charter boards are required to hold open meetings
*whether charters are subject to public audit requirements
*conflict of interest guidelines for charter schools (some states exempt charter schools from conflict of interest laws–too intrusive)
In short, what the charter industry is lobbying to prevent is any limitation on their growth, any requirements for open meetings, any requirements for public audits of their finances, and any amendments that would bar conflict of interest (only charter schools receiving federal assistance would be required to avoid conflicts of interest). The charter industry wants public money but no public accountability or transparency.
This is from Politico.Pro:
5/8/14 1:51 PM EDT
The House of Representatives began floor debate on a bill that would reauthorize charter school law in the U.S. this afternoon.
On Friday, after today’s floor debate, the House plans to consider 12 amendments and vote on the bill. There are three bipartisan amendments, three from Republicans and six from Democrats.
The National Education Association, which has maintained a neutral position on the bill, threw its weight behind several amendments today, including two that focus on charter school transparency: One, from Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore, would require charters to disclose private funding sources and another, from Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor, would establish conflict of interest guidelines.
— Maggie Severns
If you want to stop the privatization of American public education, if you believe that public dollars should go to public schools, not to corporate charter chains, contact your Congressman and your Senator and tell them to vote no on the charter legislation.
Perhaps if we all were multimillionaires and could “feather their nest” we might have a better chance of stopping the madness.
Every week is charter schools week in DC.
When’s the last time these folks mentioned public schools other than to use them as a political punching bag? It’s not like they don’t have time. They’re the least productive Congress in the last 50 years.
Wouldn’t it be great if public schools had such passionate advocates in DC?
Where ARE the advocates for public schools? Do we have any? Can we hire some?
They are working during the day. Parents and teachers would have to leave work (unpaid) to advocate. There’s has to be a hedge fund manager willing to pay me full time to advocate for public schools…
again, scroll to the bottom of the message and click Unsubscribe
$100 million is meaningless without some context. Where, for example, is a comparison to all the money that public school officials mismanaged, wasted, or embezzled during the same 10-year period? For example, see these NY school officials (one of whom was still collecting a $173,495 annual pension while in prison): http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/ex-roslyn-school-officials-collect-pensions-in-prison-1.882275
At least he is in prison for his role in stealing tax payer dollars. Furthermore, steps have been to taken by lawmakers to block the collection of pensions by public employees who have embezzled public money. A pension should be forfeited in a situation like that. However, there is no accountability and transparency in the charter industry and the politicians and media either don’t care, are clueless or getting paid off.
Is there anyone in the House of Reps on the side of public education???? Anyone who will stand up and defend this all-important democratic institution??? How upsetting that these legislators that are SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE IGNORE THE CORRUPTION that was just exposed! What was it .. 100 million dollars and that is just charters in 15 of 48 states with charters??? Ughh!
I wonder how this bill is connected to some schemes to sell BILLIONS of dollars in bonds
to cover school “construction” projects that will simultaneously give away schools to
charter operators, in Baltimore City for example, project nicknamed “The Money Pit”.
The drafters of the bill, stealth charter operators, have been careful to hide the charter
school connections, pretending they’re not charter schools. They don’t even put the
word “charter” in their names anymore.
Md. Law Chapter 641- http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/Chapters_noln/CH_647_hb0860e.pdf
The thinking is just as stinking in our capital Annapolis, where a Gulan outpost
finds a home. In support of Maryland House Bill 349
Click to access HB0349WM.pdf
the “Maryland Association of Counties” insists – “Private investment in school
construction should not be impeded” – I read that as they want us to rent back our own
buildings that they made us pay for, Reminds me of horror stories where victims dig their
own graves.
Just for the public record, Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes (son of ret. Maryland
Republican Senator Paul Sarbanes) has a brother who is executive director of the
Baltimore City school system’s “Engagement Office” .
This is also the school system that employed Jemma Bush somehow.
Sorry! not sure what happened to the formatting on that post.
Charter schools, which are investment tools for the wealthy are hijacking our public schools. One CEO of three charter schools in NYC makes $475,000.00 plus benefits. As an investment advisor I expect a return on my investment.. My property taxes and federal tax as well as state taxes are going to professional hijackers. We are all losing except the rich who are insuring a t.heir takeover. Ask Mike Milliken about it
Passed overwhelmingly: 360 to 45.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DO NOT BOTHER US ANY MORE WITH YOUR COMPLAINTS OF YOUR INABILITY TO UNSUBSCIRBE THE MESSAGE HERE, EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Time to fight it in the Senate. I’ll contact my Senators.
Petitions in favor of public schools will get the attention of these elected public servants. Gathering signatures in favor of actual public education in most districts that are still overwhelmingly PUBLIC, which they all are!! will be easy. I’m organizing.