If Jeb Bush should run for President, this article bears re-reading.
Bush spoke at a rightwing policy conference in Michigan, where he “trashed” public schools.
“MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — Jeb Bush praised charter schools and slammed traditional public schools and teachers unions in a speech here Wednesday, saying that public education “dumbs down standards to make adults look better,” a phrase often used by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
“We must expand [school] choice,” said Bush, delivering a keynote speech at the annual Mackinac Policy Conference in northern Michigan. “Our governance model includes over 13,000 government-run monopolies run by unions.”
“Since he left office, the former Florida governor has become an evangelist for a certain strand of education reform; through his $19 million Foundation for Excellence in Education, he advocates for online education, grading schools based on test scores and forcing students to repeat grades if they don’t pass standardized exams.”
Bush is also an ardent fan of vouchers.
In his speech, he praised Michigan’s charter sector. Not everyone agrees with his enthusiasm. The Detroit Free Press ran a series of articles in July 2014 concluding that the state of Michigan spends $1 billion every year on charters with no accountability.
Here are the newspaper’s findings:
“What the Free Press found:
A yearlong Free Press investigation of Michigan’s charter schools found wasteful spending, conflicts of interest, poor performing schools and a failure to close the worst of the worst. Among the findings:
Charter schools spend $1billion per year in state taxpayer money, often with little transparency.
Some charter schools are innovative and have excellent academic outcomes — but those that don’t are allowed to stay open year after year.
A majority of the worst-ranked charter schools in Michigan have been open 10 years or more.
Charter schools as a whole fare no better than traditional schools in educating students in poverty.
Michigan has substantially more for-profit companies running schools than any other state.
Some charter school board members were forced out after demanding financial details from management companies.
State law does not prevent insider dealing and self-enrichment by those who operate schools.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Jeb Bush, like is brother, is a failed businessman. He uses his name to leverage deals, and he is the worst example of a vulture capitalist. He has nothing to offer the people of our country, and he is surrounded by “dark money” http://thinkprogress.org/election/2014/11/21/3594461/jeb-bush-mysterious-businesses/
We will have a choice. Elizabeth Warren will run against Hillary.
I hope all who struggle with a Bush v. Billary confrontation, these dynasty reactionary plutocrats (really 3) candidates cut from the same clothe, will instead support Warren starting today.
If all folks who want Warren for Prez will start writing about it positively, as a fait accompli, and not fold to the assumed status quo, it will happen.
I would move from Bernie Sanders to Elizabeth Warren if I believed her education policies would be different from Hillary’s. I love her attacks on Wall Street and her fight to stop the spending bill that Obama caved on, but I haven’t heard anything from her on education or,for that matter, unions. Can you shed some light on her positions on these issues of concern to public school teachers?
Elizabeth Warren is not running, she’s made that crystal clear.
Diane wrote about Warren and her attitude toward public ed. They had a face to face conversation on this issue some months back…but I cannot seem to find that post.
Please, Diane, repost your insights on GST’s question.
Unless she has changed her mind very recently, Warren has in the past proposed a universal public school voucher plan (“the money travels with the student”) that is indistinguishable from the signature education reform plan of the Romney-Ryan campaign.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/04/21/the-warren-brief
The fingerprints of free market guru Milton Friedman is on Jeb Bush and will drive any discussion of education policy. http://publicschoolscentral.com/2014/12/03/jeb-bush-another-friedmanomic-devotee-redefines-public-schools/
I don’t even think he has to parachute into the midwest to encounter some ed reform reality. Florida charter schools are nothing to brag about. He should visit his “home state”, maybe pick up a local paper, read one of the investigatory pieces on charters. Have a staff member do it, whatever.
The next time you’re in your local public school remember this:
“Our governance model includes over 13,000 government-run monopolies run by unions.”
That HORROR he’s describing? That’s how he sees your local public school. How well are public schools going to do when they’re run by people who oppose their continued existence? Not well.
I don’t think public schools will survive three US Presidents in a row who are anti-public schools. No public entity could withstand that.
Then we’re doomed, because Hilary Clinton looks like she’s going to be more of the same where education is concerned.
“Our governance model includes over 13,000 government-run monopolies run by unions.”
Think about the logic of that sentence-or should I say illogic???
Blithering f%*&ing idiot like his bro Georgie.
Maybe I am misinformed, but it seems to me that Jeb Bush and others who advocate vouchers are trying to blur the lines between the separation of church and state.
It is a way to get taxpayers to fund religious schools or home-schoolers who think they are protecting their kids from the harm of knowing ideas or hearing anything their parents deem as being detrimental to their development …assuring their kids never think for themselves, but just parrot off indoctrination.
There are about 30,000 protestant denominations, affiliated versions of the purpose of the gospel, and I don’t know if too many people who have families that even agree on what is right or wrong religiously. So, there is not a likely scenario where a public school could address all these versions of the same truth. Hence, schools are academic learning institutions.
I wonder if Jeb would happily confer vouchers to those off ther faiths wanting to send their children to a Moslem, or Buddhist, or Hindu, or Wikkan school, to name a few.
Most people who I have run into with the provoucher stance are far right wing fundamentalists, who often think that everything we must learn can be found in the bible.
Yet, they talk about freedom for all, and they don’t care about all. They simply care about getting their narrow views pounded into their children’s heads and they detest anyone else who does the same. I am personally sick of this behavior.
“. . . it seems to me that Jeb Bush and others who advocate vouchers are trying to blur the lines between the separation of church and state.”
That’s part of the plan. If Jeezus ain’t yo god then you’se a goin to hell.
“. . . where a public school could address all these versions of the same truth.” Sure they could, just become Catholic schools.
The problem as I see it is if it comes down to Jeb or Hilary in 2016, who do you vote for? We know where Jeb stands, but can we trust Hillary to listen to teachers and do the right thing? As long as the elections are bought and paid for by her Wall Street friends, I think not. Unlike Jeb she will take the right stands on social issues but when it comes to workers’ rights, forget it.
We need Bernie Sanders to make up his mind already and get into the race so someone can out Hillary and the rest of the false Democrats in the Presidential primary debates.
No you can’t trust Hillary look no further than Obama. Geesh people wake the hell up already and realize that a Democrat or a Republican equates to the same end result stop voting for these crooks. Obama has been worse for education than even GW and that is hard to believe but the only thing you can muster up is a warning about Jeb, as if we don’t already know? Vote green or suffer the consequences!
I’m mildly interested in how Democrats will distinguish themselves from Republicans on public schools in places like OH, MI, PA and FL because it’s much different on the ground than in DC.
Democrats have followed Republicans on public schools. They don’t lead. Over the last 20 years Democrats have adopted each and every GOP policy on public schools. They don’t have any of their own ideas.
Even if you agree with ed reform why vote for the Democratic followers of Republican leaders? You could have the people who invented ed reform- Republicans. Why support their wishy-washy Democratic imitators?
Chiara, in PA the next governor, Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said all the right things in the campaign against the ridiculous and incompetent Tom Corbett. Wolf wants the state to finally pass a fair funding formula for the public schools, he called for the state to relinquish control of the Philly schools after the state commission cancelled the teachers contract, and he wants to end corporate tax breaks, raise taxes on the rich, and tax the frackers to pay for education. But it is unclear that he has focused on the demoralization of teachers across the state by reason of the onslaught of Common Core, more and more standardized testing, and a new teacher evaluation system and school performance evaluation system which is designed to break the unions and result in more charters. And anyway, the legislature he inherits next month is even more right leaning than the one Corbett had, and the frackers will probably be shutting down, even before Wolf tries to tax them, since the drop in oil prices will make Fracking not worth the expense and environmental devastation. Plus, thanks to Corbett’s no-tax policies, Wolf will come into office with a 2 billion dollar deficit, so where will the money for public schools come from. It won’t come from the Feds – they are only good for delivering new mandates.
So, who knows.
OPEC has increased oil production to put the frackers out of business. In the meantime, the consumers benefit from lower prices, and many more benefit from safer water. It will be interesting to see what happens.
I do hope that Tom Wolf will bring progressive ideas to the Commonwealth and that public education is a beneficiary of his policies. I hope he will make a positive difference.
Why are those the only two alternatives? I’m betting that if you polled the country, well over 50% would choose neither of the above. So why isn’t there more effort being put into third party candidates? If everyone who says they can’t stand [Bush/Clinton] but third party candidates don’t have a chance would actually give third parties a chance, we could send both Bush and Clinton packing and enjoy watching the door hit them in the — on the way out.
It is completing fascinating that neo-liberal politicians are still bashing schools after they have implemented their reforms since 2002. In reality, they started in the middle eighties with ” A Nation at Risk.” In an ironic twist, they are admitting their policies have failed. We have implemented NCLB and Race to the Top (Who thought up and supported that phrase for education). Their reforms have not worked! Most of us are empathic individuals trusting in our leaders do the correct thing for children. We are seeing our leaders create a no-win situation for teachers in public schools to turn education into a profit maker. Diane, what you are saying carries a lot of weight, because you were a part of their reform efforts. You had the courage to speak up when you saw that the theory behind the policy was not supported by evidence in the classroom–thank you.
We can only hope and pray that we do not get “Bush-whacked” again. We will, I fear, NEVER overcome the idiocy of the “W” “Shrub”, presidency. I for one lost a lot of faith in our Supreme Court when they elected him.
Reblogged this on Lloyd Lofthouse.
Also, I hate to let reality intrude into politician’s positioning and using public schools to score points with the donor base, but Andrew Cuomo said pretty much the same thing.
Cuomo said it with Duncan sitting next to him, at some ridiculous “forum” two weeks ago. If the Obama Administration disagrees with Jeb Bush, they sure don’t act like it.
Can we ask them about these Very Important People about these statements they make when they appear in our public schools to use our kids as photo ops in their campaign(s), or is that impolite? 🙂
They say them. They should be accountable for them when they enter a public school.
I will move to Canada.
I can relate.
When I retire from teaching in Pennsylvania I am planning my escape to the People’s Republic of Vermont.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Canada wants us.
Take me with you Donna!
Canada and its healthcare system are still better than ours by very very far, but they are unraveling little by little due to the Koch brother’s influence over Harper.
“Lost in the Bushes”
Bush the first
Was not the worst
And Bush the second
Wrecked all heck and
Bush the third
Was empty word
But Bush num four?
Best bar the door
Third or fourth or fifth parties don’t stand a chance against the R/D juggernaut. It will take a revolution in thought and attitude of the American public to break the hold of the duopoly. The GOP has morphed into a far right wing nutty party totally beholden to the economic royalists. The Democrats have moved rightward but not to the extent of the GOP. The Democrats are beholden to the plutocrats but at least they select moderates to the supreme court as opposed to more right wing GOP ideologues. Both parties are toxic to public education but education is not the only issue at stake. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren aren’t running and would never win because we have a huge chunk of Americans that get their news from Fox Corp and hate wing radio. I would vote for Hillary to block another Bush in the White House.
Poor Jeb.
Mommy Bush said openly at a press conference that she does not want Jebbie-Webbie to run because “I think we’ve had enough Bushes in the White House for president, I honestly do”.
But Babs also said the residents of New Orleans probably would not mind the astrodome to live in during Katrina because they were already used to such deplorable living conditions, and this was better than nothing.
Them them eat cake.
Barbara Bush should stock to pearl clutching and maybe should have her mouth surgically removed.
She is wrong about Jeb. He will run for president. Hopefully, the American people will have become a bit smarter from their outright oppression and not vote for him.
And Andy Cuomo might run also, but I think he has a better chance mixing batter and making piped rosettes as a guest star on “Cake Boss” than becoming president . . . .
They are ALL so depraved . . . . ..
Liz Warren, will you run?
Why don’t you run Robert?
And you . . . . as my campaign manager?
Are you in?
Well, truth be known:
I hate too many people, and I tell the truth too much. That’s like adding gasoline to fire.
A recipe for disaster. . . although while not a perfect angel, I support Elizabeth Warren and I would support Bernie Sanders. They are both golden in my book.
The pols, they mostly all _______.
Hill is a phony. Bill is a reformer and will only support Hill’s neo-liberal platform. Daughter Chelsey is a faux-journalist who could not write an article for Highlights magazine if someone paid her $600K to do it. . .the GOP is fast, cheap and out of control, and most democrats resemble food left in a frat house refrigerator: no longer recognizable and now a science experiment turned green. Nancy Pelosi is more ghoulish and horrifying than Bela Lugosi . . . . Harry Reid is laden with compromise and cloaked greed. Corey Booker from NJ has whored himself more than would a hooker.
The only running I sometimes feel is that away from this country with a path leading to Western Europe. I speak Spanish and French just fine, but my age is a factor.
Live and learn. It’s all rebbe gelt . . . . .
Do I get health insurance Robert? I am the verge of losing my present gig/career.
NJT,
I am very sorry to hear that. I will be pushing for none other than single payer system so that your situation will be but a bad memory for you and a few hundred million others. . . . .
There is a growing movement – with testimonies up at Albany – for a single payer NY state. Vermont is already phasing one in.
I hope things improve for you.
Dear Jeb,
Always listen to your mommy!
signed
USA public school teacher, 43 years, retired
“Our governance model includes over 13,000 government-run monopolies run by unions.” Wait, are the monopolies run by governments or unions? I guess it’s all the same thing. Government = bad. Monopolies = bad. Unions = really bad. How dare all those unpaid elected school board members and modestly paid career teachers try to educate all of the children who live in their districts, for free?
We must expand the choice of schools, principals, and school boards to use proven, evidence-based, professionally endorsed curriculum and strategies adapted for individual needs OR punitive, exam-based, rigid, mandated, topdown, evidence-dismissed curriculum and strategies. THAT’S the choice that is in the best interest of students and their/our future.
The above comment meaning that the testing-for-profit and “choice” narrative is SKIPPING the idea that, firstly, we should use proven, evidence-based, professionally endorsed curriculum and strategies adapted for individual needs……where as CC and PARCC are NOT!!! We need to remind folks that that critical first step is crucial and available! But we are being told, “Don’t look at that. Don’t look at that. Look over here.”