Politico.com, in its useful summary of happening events, posts the following two items:
FSU REVOLTS AGAINST THRASHER: Florida State University students are calling for a national day of action as the university’s Board of Governors is set to finalize the appointment of state Sen. John Thrasher as FSU’s next president. Students have railed against Thrasher for months, questioning how a politician with no higher education experience can run the school. They’ve also questioned [http://bit.ly/1rmitpk ] Thrasher’s ties to the billionaire libertarian Koch brothers, who have previously given him campaign cash. Today, students are rallying against the “corporatization of education” by taking to social media with hashtags like #UnKoch and #FSUisNotforSale. They’re asking supporters to change their profile pictures on Facebook in solidarity. And they want to see pictures of students holding signs that read “We support FSU students in their fight against corruption” posted online. The students are also denouncing what they call the corrupt influence of Republican Gov. Rick Scott and the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council. Twenty schools are supporting the effort, the protesters tell Morning Education, in addition to five organizations including the American Federation of Teachers. More information: http://on.fb.me/ZEGKvA
HOW EDUCATION IS PLAYING IN THE PINE TREE STATE: The Maine gubernatorial race is a competitive three-way battle between incumbent Republican Gov. Paul LePage, Democratic candidate Rep. Mike Michaud and Independent Eliot Cutler. Michaud wants to give students enrolled in public colleges a free sophomore year as a way to reduce dropouts. He also wants to ditch A-F grades for schools, which he has called “demeaning,” and he has said he worries about the financial impact that charter schools have on traditional public schools [http://bit.ly/1tQYBvu ]. LePage, however, is a big fan of charter schools and has led a major expansion effort in the state. In 2011, he signed legislation [http://bit.ly/1qlEpNp] that made Maine the 41st state to allow the creation of publicly funded charter schools. That legislation allows a state commission to approve up to 10 charter schools over 10 years, but LePage wants to expand beyond that limit. LePage has also been a strong support of virtual charter schools, which Michaud opposes. Cutler has said [http://bit.ly/1lSoXpB ] he supports capping the number of charter schools, including virtual charters, at 10.
FLORIDA: State Senator John Thrasher has no qualifications to be president of Florida State University. As the item says, he has close ties to the powerful Koch brothers. The Koch brothers have generously funded programs in higher education to spread their message of free-market libertarianism. Apparently one of the brothers bought control of the Economics Department at Florida State University, so why not the Presidency? A staff writer for the Tampa Bay Times wrote in 2011:
A conservative billionaire who opposes government meddling in business has bought a rare commodity: the right to interfere in faculty hiring at a publicly funded university.
A foundation bankrolled by Libertarian businessman Charles G. Koch has pledged $1.5 million for positions in Florida State University’s economics department. In return, his representatives get to screen and sign off on any hires for a new program promoting “political economy and free enterprise.”
Traditionally, university donors have little official input into choosing the person who fills a chair they’ve funded. The power of university faculty and officials to choose professors without outside interference is considered a hallmark of academic freedom.
Under the agreement with the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, however, faculty only retain the illusion of control. The contract specifies that an advisory committee appointed by Koch decides which candidates should be considered. The foundation can also withdraw its funding if it’s not happy with the faculty’s choice or if the hires don’t meet “objectives” set by Koch during annual evaluations.
It is good news that the students at FSU are standing up for their university and for academic integrity. Will the Koch brothers care? Probably not. Will the Board of Governors? We will see.
MAINE: Governor LePage is a Tea Party radical who wants to tear down public education in the state by opening charter schools to splinter communities and even a virtual charter school, which will extract cash from local school districts and transfer it to shareholders in a for-profit corporation. Two years ago, the Portland (Maine) Press Herald published a blockbuster story about the profit motive behind the governor’s push for a virtual charter school. The writer, Colin Woodard, won a prize for investigative journalism for reporting on the links between Maine education officials and Jeb Bush’s “Foundation for Educational Excellence,” while following the money trail behind Maine’s sudden interest in having a virtual charter. LePage won last time when he received a plurality of votes, as two candidates split the majority. Maine does not have a run-off. Once again, he is facing two good candidates, and neither will drop out. If I lived in Maine (one of my best friends does), I would vote for Congressman Mike Michaud, who is well-qualified and likelier to defeat LePage. He was president of the Maine Senate before his election to Congress.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Yeah Florida’s a mess. here is another story I am working on for Education Matters.
Gary Chartrand is the chair of the state board of education
The State Board of Education over sees the Department of Education and hired commissioner Pam Stewart.
The Department of Education is handing out grants, 3.3 million dollars’ worth to only three winners, to foster partnerships between districts and charter schools.
Gary Chartrand is on the board of the KIPP charter school in Jacksonville.
Superintendent Vitti and the Duval County School board (Jacksonville) have applied for the grant. Vitti said, “KIPP is here to stay, and the KIPP expansion will occur with or without the grant,” Vitti said. “If there’s an opportunity to write a grant that benefits KIPP but also the school district, then I think it would be rather foolish financially to walk away from that.”
Gary Chartrand and the board of KIPP have given thousands and thousands of dollars to six member of the school board and thousands more to have the seventh Paula Wright defeated.
WJCT Jacksonville’s public radio station did what I consider a puff piece on the district applying for the charter grant that left out a lot of important information. They didn’t mention that last year KIPP was protected by the states rule saying schools could only drop one letter grade, a rule that Chartrand had a hand in developing. KIPP’s real school grades are F, B, C(D) B. They also didn’t mention how KIPP spends about a third more per pupil, has longer days, smaller classes, requires its parents to at least be marginally involved and may or may not be counseling out under performers, only 64 of its first class of 88 finished. The piece made it sound like that KIPP is just better.
The Chartrand foundation at least partially funds WJCT’s education coverage.
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As a Mainer, Diane, and a Green or Dem. voter, I think you missed some critical details: LePage is the only candidate who has called for abandoning Common Core. In fact, leaving Common Core is a key platform element of the Maine GOP.
Indpendent Elliot Cutler is very pro-Common Core.
Democrat Mike Michaud has ducked the issue entirely. He’s been silent on charters as far as I know. Most folks see him as solidly in the Obama camp, which means he’ll support Duncan.
Dem. Senate candidate Shenna Bellows has come out strongly against CC and NCLB, so Michaud’s silence is troubing. Sadly, the state’s teachers union, the MEA, has been very cagey about CC.
So, the issues for Maine education in this election are very complex. Yes, LePage has been pro-charter and was wrapped up with ALEC. But like plenty of democrat governors, he signed up for Race to the Top without understanding anything. The GOP base is very angry about the CC and testing. And the charter picture here is not as rosy as it is in places like OH and FL; Maine has an independent Charter Commission that has been much more circumspect in allowing charters to go forward.
So, yes more money would be great, but not IMHO if it goes to Common Core and testing. Sure, the idiotic grading should go too. But that’s a minor issue compared to CC, testing, and data collection.
I think this election will be a very tough decision for teachers and parents. I fear that if CC gets established, then it will be nearly impossible to remove. The early indications of implementation here in Maine from teachers I know well is that we’ll soon be like those state that have gone ahead of us. Voting for LePage looks to be the better chance to get rid of CC and testing, and then we can fight the other battles.
Sometimes, politics makes strange bedfellows of us all.
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I am a Maine teacher, parent and I am supporting Mike Michaud. I disagree with the position of moosesnsquirrels that LePage will oppose the Common Core. Everything LePage has done vis a vis education has been an attempt to dismantle the “public” in public schools. He is no friend of public education.
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Hi, Robin. Here’s the link to LePage’s statement:
http://wabi.tv/2014/10/27/gubernatorial-candidate-profile-common-core/.
I’m no fan of LePage. I’m only trying to point out that right now in Maine, the GOP has staked out an strong anti-CC position, which is consistent with the Tea Party base the party has here. On the other hand, the major Dems—Shenna Bellows excepted—have no expressed an opinion or have straddled the fence just like the MEA.
Remember that it has Arne Duncan who foisted charters, CC, testing, and evaluations. Remember that Obama has supported Duncan to the hilt. Remember that the Dems have not backed away from NCLB, CC, or any of the other destructive policies we’ve suffered the past six years.
So, it’s a tough choice. Do you vote Democrat and hope they’ll changee their policies? Do you vote GOP and hope they’ll follow through and remove CC so you can fight another day with new Democrats?
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