Michael Klonsky here gives us an update on the Chicago mayoral election, which is a week away.
Will Rahm get away with his unprecedented closure of 50 public schools to make way for privately managed charter schools?
Klonsky quotes an astute observation by Stephanie Simon of Politico.com:
If Rahm can get re-elected after fighting the teachers’ union, after closing 50 schools in mostly black communities, by expanding privately managed charter schools, by attacking tenure, and tying teachers’ evaluations to test scores, it will embolden other Democratic mayors to act like Republicans. (Last point was mine, not hers!)
Diane Ravitch's blog 
If Rahm is re-elected, then I know for sure this country is in big trouble from the oligarchy and that democracy is a sham.
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Rahm, a democrat, an oligarch hmm!
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You’re not trying to say that Democrats can’t be oligarchs, are you?
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Raj, if you actually pay attention to the comments, you’ll see that they don’t spare anyone from criticism. And, yes, both parties can be oligarchs.
In fact, read the Economist which recently had an article about the hardening of class lines in America. It points out that social and economic mobility isn’t what it used to be.
We definitely have a ruling class.
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Raj: we all feel helpless at some times… but believe me these folks on here are making great strides. It takes time for a coalition to build and we need the parents as well as the education professionals (who haven’t been bought out). ASCD finally came out with a statement about holding off two years on tests/policies etc…. These organizations will not always lead; so speak up … say what you believe everywhere you go…. we need more leadership to develop because that’s what grass roots is all about. And it’s not like Freedom Works and Dick Armey spreading their “grass roots” diatribe.
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His FUNDERS are the oligarchs, Raj, obviously.
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Rahm (D) and Gov. Rauner (R) were and are financial and social buddies who treat people alike and rule alike. They serve the interests of Penny Pritzker, her brother and others on the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. The oligarchs have names. Look at the Civic Committee page online.
(D) and (R) are marks on paper of two warring camps fighting to serve themselves as they do the work of supplying the oligarchs. It actually IS an oligarch club – no joke, no exaggeration.
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“If Rahm can get re-elected after fighting the teachers’ union, after closing 50 schools in mostly black communities, by expanding privately managed charter schools, by attacking tenure, and tying teachers’ evaluations to test scores, it will embolden other Democratic mayors to act like Republicans. ” if they can’t get the families to self-deport when they close the schools and turn the water off , then they will set up the charter school, give parents a voucher and in two years take the voucher away because it ‘s welfare. This gets around the constitutional requirement in a state to provide thorough and efficient education (I think that is the wording in our state’s constitutional obligation)
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“(I think that is the wording in our state’s constitutional obligation)”
I’m currently getting together the raisson de etre as per each state constitution and am analyzing commonalities, differences, etc to try to come up with a general statement about the purpose of public education.. MA’s wording:
Massachusetts:
Chapter V, Section II.
The Encouragement of Literature, etc.
Wisdom, and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people, being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties; and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in the various parts of the country, and among the different orders of the people, it shall be the duty of legislatures and magistrates, in all future periods of this commonwealth, to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences, and all seminaries of them; especially the university at Cambridge, public schools and grammar schools in the towns; to encourage private societies and public institutions, rewards and immunities, for the promotion of agriculture, arts, sciences, commerce, trades, manufactures, and a natural history of the country; to countenance and inculcate the principles of humanity and general benevolence, public and private charity, industry and frugality, honesty and punctuality in their dealings; sincerity, good humor, and all social affections, and generous sentiments among the people.
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Duane: what a marvelous undertaking…. I am impressed with your work…. in the detail I was referring to the financial obligations that a state is required to provide for the public schools and the measure of financial “standard” is defined by T & E …. i’ll be glad to follow up on anything you suggest… I often do that , lose details in stretching to understand something that is happening on a broader scale… Oligarchs have decided along the way they won’t fund anything called a public school or a public library… and the governors , in many cases are convinced. The states are finding ways of backing out of the basic obligations : “Let Arne do it” is not satisfactory in my way of thinking; neither is the “privatize it and give vouchers” … every day Jay P. Greene is on blog promoting the “accounts” for financial planning for your child’s education (something like a 401?) …. I personally believe that a state will give out a voucher for 2 maybe 3 years and then take it away “because you know it is welfare and those lazy people just won’t work”…. because this is in the press every day about the feckless parents and the incompetent teachers…..
jeanhaverhill@aol.com
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Duane: we had “land grant” colleges that stood on some important considerations as well… I don’t know if all the pillars have been knocked out from under them… I do know each teacher prep college is to come up with a conceptual framework ; it does get edited gradually along the way but it is substantially the same (tied to state legislative goals to update)…. I previously mentioned that the go-around 10 years ago was “get that language about social justice out of your conceptual framework” but the college doesn’t always have to cave in either…. we need some better “spines”…
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Ken: you have described what is happening here in this state as well. Plus our professional organizations sold us out when they took the Gates money and signed on to approve and push this particular model of education that Duncan has imposed. We have the added “ed commish” who has a major career goal for himself to climb the Pearson ladder by forcing his agenda on testing using PARRC on all the schools (and Pearson sends him around the world and to London to market the tests). A state ethics board says there is no conflict here (the commissioner and Pearson).
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Massachusetts was formerly a democratic state; currently there are many more registered as Independent; in the last election many voted “green party” because of this view that both parties are pushing the same agenda (oligarchs’ agenda). Politics does make strange bed fellows; in educational domain I find myself reading more of the facts and opinions and evidence coming from Pioneer Instiute (a right-leaning organization) but I don’t lean their way on the proposed solution (which is charter school)…. I think the well-intentioned people can be misguided; they see the facts and the evidence but they grab someone’s instant solution either because it has the appearance of doing something about a serious problem or because they don’t have the time to do all the research; it takes time to be vigilant, wary and cautious and people are trying to build their own lives — politicians take advantage of that and know how to “sell snake oil”.
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the oligarchs and the bureaucrats have teamed up to push this agenda…. it’s time to tell the Governor and the legislature dollars are being wasted…. Cheri Kiesecker of Colorado shared this calculator; you can figure out how the dollars in your state are being spent to push the Pearson agenda. In Massachusetts we would have to add the cost of the Commissioner being a full time marketing specialist and spending all his time shepherding the states to buy the Pearson products.
http://www.commoncoreforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/parcccalculator.html
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Bad news from Minnesota
I thought you might find this article interesting.
Minnesota House passes teacher seniority bill
http://erstarnews.com/2012/02/24/minnesota-house-passes-teacher-seniority-bill/
Rebecca Miller
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Rebecca,
New Jersey is in its second year of its tenure reform. Two years of Partially Effective or Ineffective may result in a teacher being brought up on tenure charges. The shinola should hit the fan in June.
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I find that the distinguishing characteristics that used to separate the Democrats from the Republicans almost invisible. Right now both are bought and paid for and usually from the same puppet masters. The rhetoric sometimes changes according to audience but the actions are the same. As an independent I just try to look at who is funding different candidates so I know who I am really voting for. The actual politician is becoming less and less relevant. The scariest part of all is more and more often it is same people funding both sides so it does not even matter who wins. As a person who always felt if you do not vote you cannot complain, I am starting to rethink the whole pseudo-democracy phenomena.
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you are right Janna: today I’ m disheartened to hear Maggie Hassan (NH) spouting what she gets from the governors NGA group about all the educational policies. Well intentioned people get brainwashed and we need to turn that around by contact with locally elected, newspapers, state level reps/senators etc…. as best we can… It’s not easy
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I would question their intentions Jean.
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I do always question NJ Teacher; I give a couple the benefit of the doubt that they haven’t yet been informed; I I’ve a few the excuse they are “duped” by the professional organizations that sold us out (like the commissioners) and I give the benefit of TIME for people like Elizabeth Warren who maintains her integrity through all this “hash” (you can read a vernacular word here; it will take some new politician types TIME to get into the arenas; and I give a benefit of doubt to the people who have stood beside me on different battles and some we have lost — I defended Randi Weingarten for a year (even though I don’t live in her state) but I’ve given her enough time (in my book) to figure things out…. The one’s I won’t tolerate are those who are lying through their teeth ; or who have a monetary interest in “selling” something to the public. I even give Petrilli the excuse he has no gravitas but I still go after him… I’m not a person who accepts a politician by party lines. One time I even handed a personal note to the Senator of Utah who was pushing WAR (in the reign of George Bush the First)… I can’t say he ever read it but at least the FBI didn’t knock e to the floor. When I donate at all it is to women like Elizabeth Warren — I haven’t donated anything to Hassan. I write emails to Kelly Ayotte every week because she was the ONLY New England Senator who voted against background checks on sales of guns and the illegal guns we get here in MA are largely coming from out of state. If you think of more I can do please give me a list.
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cx…. I meant the commissioners sold us out also (as professional organizations)
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“Heads, they win”
The coin is double-sided
And flipping doesn’t matter
It’s oligarch-provided
Beholden to the latter
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Why would Rahm think that expanding FBI raided Concept charter schools is a good idea? Thanks to Dan Mihalopoulos and the Chicago Sun Times for covering the FBI raids on the headquarters and many Concept individual schools. See Early and Often.
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Is the pre-k funding really only 2600 kids?
Voters should examine Democratic Party claims on pre-K funding closely. It’s looking more and more like a scam to dupe liberals into supporting their privatization schemes.
http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-public-fools/2015/02/lets-sink-this-ship-of-fools/?utm_content=buffer317d9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
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I really question the influence of labor unions on Democratic politicians, too. I think it’s become abundantly clear they are no longer dependent on labor voters, judging by how they’ve jettisoned any support for labor other than mumbling something or other about “collective bargaining” when they campaigning in certain states.
I know there’s this cherished US fantasy of the mighty clout of labor, but Democratic and Republican politicians have really effectively removed that obstacle from their path.
Labor went under the ‘ol campaign bus a long time ago. They still need the rhetoric in some eastern and midwest states but that’s the extent of the support.
Their “support” for private sector unions goes next. That’s been the pattern. They gut public sector unions and then start the campaign to kill off support for the few remaining private sector union members. How many Democratic politicians actually know or spend time with or socialize with a rank and file union member personally? Not a lot, I would wager.
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Union membership and influence have steadily declined. When the US lost most of its manufacturing, it lost many union members along with companies paying a living wage. Competing in the global economy has further eroded union membership. Now corporations are designing laws to impede the growth of unions. If the US signs the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement, corporations will be able to price fix across borders, limit the right of individuals to sue due to corporate malfeasance while giving them the green light to import cheap, foreign labor, especially in the tech sector.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/business/union-membership-drops-despite-job-growth.html
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Emanual got over $600,000 in campaign contributions from investment funds that manage Chicago pension investment funds! story at Politico
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