Thanks to reader Chiara for noting this meeting of corporate reformers in Chicago. Funding was provided by the Walton Foundation, which pours about $160 million into charter schools and vouchers every single year, as well as advocacy for privatization in some of our major media.
The ironic note is that the first selling point in the invitation to the meeting is that it will offer “small classes.” Corporate reformers mock the idea of small classes for children in public schools. But it is a selling point for their own meetings.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
160 million is not a lot of money……compared to money spent which goes to such things as a California state commissioner decision(they lost)…..no limit on politics..plenty of money.
Things for kids..more cosmetic.
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Visit your local McWallyWorld and see your future, Teachers …
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For sure we know who they want their audience to be! $500 registration for the entire 2 day workshop. What did the Waltons fund?
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Pumpkins Spice Lattes …
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lol
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Wow. Hey Walton Foundation and others like you — How about a summit for preserving America’s neighborhoods and their schools? Take that aging, doomed-to-be-closed or already shuttered elementary school and turn it into the most dynamic, vibrant community center providing wrap-around services to that neighborhood. Keep the local elementary students and their classrooms there but also engage a public-private consortium of benefits for all living in the neighborhood — high-quality day care, preschool, adult day services, medical, optical and dental providers. A satellite food pantry, three balanced meals a day…arts lesson, nutrition classes, counseling, legal advice…whatever the community sees as a need. Take that $160 million and make an actual, measurable difference in someone’s life and the life of the community. Restore pride, jobs, the arts, and elevate quality of life. Bring in the YMCA, medical residents, volunteers, artists, spiritual leaders, charities, youth sports….those are all real and worthy expenses in my book. Thanks.
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Emily,
Excellent points. Alas and alack, the bogus philanthropic foundations don’t use their tax-advantaged 501(c)(3)’s that way, because it won’t further enrich them.
Job actions against Walmart are planned across the country, in honor of Black Friday. Everyone should consider participating in one.
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Let’s stop using the word “reformer”(s), when referring to corporations that are intent on destroying public education: these so-called corporate reformers are corporate elites, or corporate oligarchs.
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Raiders from Los Arkansas …
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Staff at the linked website come from jobs lost or left behind : Broad Foundation, McKinsey & Co., corporate training, executive search, tutoring service, charter administrator who bailed but claimed he doubled enrollment. Another case of corporate and foundation inbreeding and spawning of like minded profit seekers and experts at anything other than education.
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Check out the “Philanthropic Roundtable” website. You may be as disgusted as I was. I.
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“REAL CHICAGO-SPECIFIC CASE STUDIES”
That means you and your kids, Chicagoland.
From now on, you may consider yourselves “case studies” 🙂
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Where do we picket?
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From the brochure:
“All workshops will be held in Downtown Chicago. The exact locations will be shared with participants closer to the event dates.”
I think they might be anticipating something, eh???
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If anyone finds out, I will post it
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The last one I went to like this (Gates Funded, very inBloom) was at 1871. A tech start up office space.
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Thank you, Paul–that was going to be my question.
And thanks, Diane–we’ll be looking forward to finding out where!
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More like, reform groups brainfart.
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