Jeannie Kaplan plays the game of “Where’s Waldo?” to describe the curious absences of Denver’s Broad-trained superintendent over the past few months. Crises were handled by subordinates. It turns out that Tom Boasberg was busy lining up votes in the legislatures to reduce funding for the teachers’ pensions.
She writes:
“What was the true importance of this bill? Well, one could always dream it was about restoring the educational opportunities “education reform” has stolen from our kids but in spite of Boasberg’s declaration about two or three more teachers per building, we who have followed this Broad trained superintendent know better. The reality of his appearances at the Capitol and the reality of his lobbying efforts are not really about more teachers. After all, “reformers” don’t believe in smaller class size, so they only mention it when they think it will score points with the public, and obviously politicians. What is and is not important to the superintendent has become abundantly clear in these last months: grade changing, weapons in schools, reorganizations, not so important. Defunding a public pension, politics and winning, pretty important. The reality is if you are a businessman and privatizer masquerading as an educator you really only care about the bottom line. If you can sell paying bankers and lawyers hundreds of millions of dollars instead of putting that money into your company’s pension plan and then sell that scenario to the public and state legislators as somehow having “saved” money, you will be regarded by the business world as a success. Forget about learning, forget about the people, forget about safety, forget about data. Just show me the money. And silly me. I thought the head of a public school district should care about delivering an equitable 21st century education, care about the welfare of his constituents, not just in theory but in reality. This superintendent’s absenteeism and abdication of leadership can now be explained. Who knew that finding Waldo would be easier than finding the DPS superintendent?”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Defined contribution plans are the biggest fraud perpetuated on American workers since the country started. Few workers have the extra income after necessities, kid’s college, transportation, and health care. At first, 401ks were enticing. Skyrocketing returns, generous company matches, low fees. But funny how the benefit to employees eroded over the years to favor Wall Street and corporations. The true “free market”. Now Republicans, led by these same people, relentlessly attack the remaining safety nets – Social Security, pensions, health care. Remember George W. wanted to privatize Social Security. These people will not be happy until every retiree but them is eating dog food. The question is why voters keep voting against their own self interests.
In Ohio, Republican legislators are pushing to force every Obamacare Medicaid recipient to contribute $100 to a HSA. Now, HSAs have failed the “free market” test – few can afford them, they do not provide ample coverage for the cost, they are cumbersome and risky. When offered freely, most people know a bad deal and skip them. But Ohio wants to force people to choose between food and clothing and the GOP beloved HSA. If they miss an HSA payment, they lose Obamacare coverage. In reality, the ulterior motive is to force people off Obamacare Medicaid expansion onto – what? As usual, the Republicans have no alternative plan. And these guys blame teachers for poverty.
UCCS’ Dean of the College of Education, co-wrote a paper with the TIAA Institute’s senior economist, in 2013. The paper written while she was at the tax supported, public Ohio University, “Retirement Plans …in Higher Education”, is available online. It states public policy analysts should consider defined contribution plans, instead of defined benefit plans, as the model for retirement plans.
Those who study the attacks on the public sector recognize the privatization of public pensions creates the playbook for the destruction of Social Security and, they understand the threat the attack poses to contractual promises made to people who contribute to the nation’s GDP, unlike the hedge funds who plot for labor’s savings.
IMO, tax-paid employees should not undermine university and K-12 public education, prisons, pensions and other community supported entities.
If those employees feel compelled to speak for profiteers and libertarians, they should do so from the private sector.
Unfunded and underfunded pensions are real, and also red meat for conservative politicians who ignore the bipartisan antics that created these liabilities.
Conservatives regard all public sector workers as a drain on the economy, a source of lost profits. It is probable that this superintendent is getting credentials to run for a state office.
Laura,
The last Denver superintendent, who invested in dubious bonds, is now a Senator and a fervent charter advocate.
Probability just increased.
That’s so right, Diane. And he never taught, of course.
Great piece. I think a discussion on what the reform movement focuses on and prioritizes tells us a lot about the reform movement- much more than what they say.
There’s so much energy around the anti-labor, political aspects of “reform” one really does have to ask if this is more about “adult interests” than public schools.
It’s really interesting to me that there was this huge political “will” to get rid of pensions right as it became clear that defined contribution plans are proving inadequate for retirement for most people and people are getting some really poor financial advice from self-interested marketers of the plans. There’s actually a regulatory push to protect investors at the federal level right now.
I think it gets much worse before it gets better because the “secure” retirees will move thru the system and be replaced by insecure retirees and I don’t think anyone knows the downstream effects of that change. A financially secure retired person actually provides an indirect benefit to younger people, because they pass assets along when they go and don’t drain their adult children who are of course taking care of their OWN children so are strapped anyway. The Middle Class is more than a snapshot of a group of people- the benefit ripples to the next generation.
I know a few pension retirees who feel secure, but unless a retiree is police or fire, Detroit demonstrates we are in this together. The modest pensioners there took heavy losses. If the bottom is cut out, the top cannot be sustained.
Denver has been the victim of both education and financial reform. I have been remiss in not writing about financial failures here because of the complexity of the issue. But the bottom line in Denver is in 2008 then superintendent Michael Bennet and current superintendent Tom Boasberg, borrowed $750 million in a risky variable rate swap deal to supposedly fill the unfunded liability in DPS’ pension. How has that worked out? UAAL has risen from $400 million to over $700 million and the pension debt has risen from $300 million to $950 million. Yes that’s right, close to one billion dollars. The two were somehow able to get the Colorado legislature to write off (they call it an offset) bank and legal payments with the end result being less actual money is being paid into the pension. A legal defunding. Amazing, no?
Yes, so true, Jeannie.
The more I read, the more I think that the only thing that will stop people like Tom Boasberg will be riots in every city leading to an armed revolution. Nothing seems to stop these crooks.
I taught in Denver for 11 years. I was there when they gave Bennet the super job and I lived through some of Boasberg. Treacherous is an understatement on day to day work and watching what was once a good district be destroyed. There is a rumor that Senetor Johnston will take Boasberg’s place. Johnston will not be up for election next year and his term is over. Boasberg would probably follow his ivy league buddy Bennet who appointed him in the first place. When Bennet made a bad investment someone hacked into our computers to let us know. When asked about it, security sent out an email saying they would make sure our email was protected. Again, Boasberg had nothing to say about it, but sent someone else take care of the mess. Denver fired my principal and instated another who turned out to be Boasberg’s neighbor and she fired all the teachers and turned the school into Expeditionary Learning against the communities wishes. There were some hefty board meetings, but the community was not heard. The school had a great rating when this happened. Right now, the same school is rated in the bottom ten while the neighborhood is in arms over them closing another school and telling the parents that they will have to go to a charter, Strive Prep. Denver is a very repressive district who prides themselves on choice. Soon the only choice will be charter. Words cannot describe how bad it is.
Michael Bennet has proven to be a traitor to public education in Colorado. I regret voting and campaigning for the guy. I was duped, as were others.