Matthew Pulver, writing at Salon.com, describes Jeb Bush’s dangerous belief in privatization and free markets in education.
It is not so much a belief as an ideology, one that is impervious to evidence. The many studies showing thAt privately managed charters do not get higher test scores than public schools do not register with Jeb. The numbers of charters that open with grand promises and soon lose their doors with big debts does not affect his belief system. He is a zealot for school choice, period.
Not even the failure of the charter school he founded in Liberty City, a poor black neighborhood, dampens his passion for charters and vouchers.
Writes Pulver:
“There’s nothing else as large in all of society. Not the military—nothing—is bigger.”
“That’s how Randy Best, Jeb Bush’s business partner, sees public education, as an untapped market where untold billions are to be made when kids and their families become educational customers. Touting his impressive assault on public education while Florida governor in yesterday’s announcement of his 2016 candidacy, Bush may become the loudest proponent yet of turning public education into a for-profit enterprise.
“Before getting into Bush’s record and financial interests in for-profit education, a full understanding of the dystopian horrors of for-profit, privatized education is necessary. Bush offers it with a handful of Milton Friedman-esque catchwords and focus-grouped slogans, and it may be that the proposals sound innocuous and vaguely innovative until the slightest scrutiny is applied to the ideas — at which point, it’s difficult to imagine much worse than public education turned into a for-profit market. Because the most basic and collectively understood truisms about markets, when applied to children, take on a horrifying character.”
It should be noted that Bush’s partner, Randy Best, was one of the biggest beneficiaries of Reading First, the ill-fated program enacted as part of NCLB but eventually discontinued because of sweetheart deals and conflicts of interest. Best, an entrepreneur, not an educator, created a commercial reading company (Voyager Learning), which he later sold for $360 million. Best admits that he can’t read, that he is acutely dyslexic. But he knows how to make money.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on Kmareka.com and commented:
We’re already part of the way there. If elected, Jeb Bush will take us as far as privatization can go.
WWHD? (What Will Hillary Do?)
I read the transcript of her speech last week and the only mention of K-12 schools was “great teachers”. I bet the plan is to offer preschool and community college vouchers to distract from the fact that the Dem “ed plan” is identical to that of Jeb Bush.
You know, they keep telling me ed reform is wildly popular, but I can’t help but notice Democrats don’t actually run on it. President Obama didn’t run on it either.
“It’s the love, stupid”
It’s not about statistic
And not about a fact
Don’t mean to be simplistic
But love is not an act
We love our schools and children
And love our teachers too
And don’t want Milton Friedman
To make them green and blue
Such a lovely statement on the public schools 90% of children attend and where millions of Americans work:
“the United States has “over 13,000 government-run monopolies run by unions.”
When he parachutes into Ohio and uses your local public school and your children as props for a campaign event, remind him that he opposes public schools.
The problem for public school supporters and voters is, outside anti-public school rhetoric, his positions are identical to the Obama Administration and the rest of the DC Democrats.
Read them, and show me a substantive difference between Jeb Bush and President Obama, or George W Bush, for that matter:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/06/15/heres-what-jeb-bush-really-did-to-public-education-in-florida/
So what do you do if you’re a pro-public school voter? Sit this one out and focus on electing state and local public school supporters? Flip a coin? What is the difference?
He’s a Bush, what would one expect. I know he wants to go by Jeb, but he’s a Bush.
Not only does Jeb (and the other GOP clown car brigade) want to privatize public education or what he and the GOPers sneeringly refer to as government schools. But he also wants to privatize, voucherize and “reform” Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and also the ACA which is already quite privatized. Actually, like most GOPers, maybe he will try to repeal the ACA, who knows? Any time a GOPER or libertarian uses the term “reform,” watch out, it really means to eliminate, liquidate and obliterate. George Bush tried to privatize Social security in 2005 but mercifully failed at that attempt. He did manage to partially privatize Medicare with his Medicare Part D which was a sellout to the pharmaceutical companies which wrote a huge chunk of the legislation.
“. . . what he and the GOPers sneeringly refer to as government schools.”
No, they don’t refer to them as “government schools”. They refer to them as “gubmint monopoly schools”.
Jeb Bush is an opportunist. America is tired of the Bush family inflicting their vulture capitalistic and misguided agenda on its people. Despite being known as the “education expert,” Jeb knows nothing other than how to build relationships that will make him money. His “Florida miracle” is no more than hyperbole and hype without substance. His virtual schools are a joke as are his letter rating system for schools. He is surrounded by dark money, and his only vision is to make public money his personal ATM. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/12/1384223/-Jeb-Bush-staffing-non-campaign-through-dark-money-non-profit
Jeb talkin'” (apologies to the Bee Gees “Jive Talkin’ )
It’s just your Jeb talkin’ telling me lies
Jeb talkin’, you wear a disguise
Jeb talkin’, so misunderstood, yeah
Jeb talkin’, you’re really no good
Oh, my child, you’ll never know
That you’re so mean to me
Oh, my child, you got so much
You gonna take away my schools for free
With all your Jeb talkin’ telling me lies
Good hyping still gets in my eyes
Nobody believes what you say
It’s just your Jeb talkin’ that gets in the way
Oh, my love, you’re so good
Treating me so cruel
There you go with your fancy lies
Leaving me looking like a dumb struck fool
All your Jeb talkin’ telling me lies, yeah
Jeb talkin’, you wear a disguise
(C’mon, c’mon)
Jeb talkin’, so misunderstood, yeah
Jeb talkin’, you just ain’t no good
Love your poem. It’s right on.
Though I would like to take credit, it’s not mine.
It’s the Bee Gees’ (Jive Talkin’)
I only changed a few words (although one of them got changed many times. “Find and replace all” is a wonderful thing)
The Bee Gees had Jeb Bush (and other “reformers”) nailed long ago — and Lewis Carroll, long before that (with Jabbertalky)
Hillary is also an opportunist. No more Clintons, no more Bushes.
Of all the candidates in the GOP clown car, I fear Jeb Bush and Scott Walker the most. I think they would be the most hostile to public education.
I thought the clown car was non-partisan.
Bernie Sanders rides a foot-propelled scooter.
I think the public will deeply regret privatizing US public schools, just as the public in Sweden deeply regrets privatizing their schools.
But how will we hold politicians accountable when this collapses? Haven’t they effectively immunized themselves from political accountability by all joining the chorus?
Since both Parties support an identical agenda, how will we “throw the bums out” after our schools are gone and the realization of what we did sets in? They’re all part of it. They’re protected by “bipartisanship”. They’re all to blame which (effectively) means no one is to blame. We’ve seen this again with reckless, bad decisions- if it’s “bipartisan” no one is ever held accountable.
Citizens of Chile also regret privatizing their schools. From this week, “Chile’s Students and Teachers fight together for Free Public Education”
http://www.teachersolidarity.com/blog/chiles-students-and-teachers-fight-together-for-free-public-education
From a purely economic perspective for the country, privatization makes zero sense. If charters did get miracle results it might be worth it, but even then we are not seeing proof that a better educated population creates meaningful employment.
If you privatize and transfer all that money from middle class professionals to entrepreneurs paying minimally trained employees much less, that money is being transferred out of local economies and local taxes and even out of the United States.
It seems like trickle down economics all over again – how much proof do we need that meritocracy in our society is an idealistic fantasy and that business people are failing to create businesses not for lack of access to finance or overtaxation.
I find it shocking that there’s absolutely no consideration for how radically different the country will be without public schools.
I know many of them didn’t attend public schools but surely they’re aware that the vast majority of us did, and do. Our schools have NO value to communities? None? One can just pitch them in the trash with no downside risk?
That’s not just reckless, it’s insane.
It the Overclass wants to discredit the entire electoral process in this country, they couldn’t do a better job than to have another Clinton vs. Bush presidential election.
Having experienced and been further disillusioned by the cynical marketing slogans (“Hope” and “Change”) that Obama put over on the electorate, voters will then be faced with a choice between a literal dynasty (the Bush Family) and an aspiring one (the Clinton’s).
If you wanted to provide an object lesson to the American public that voting changes nothing, and that elections are meaningless theater, though lucrative for the people who stage them, you’d have a hard time time surpassing a Hillary-Jeb contest, which would probably lay the groundwork for the eventual dissolution of the two-party system.
I will have to disagree a bit. Agreed, Obama is horrible on education, just as bad as Bush or worse. BUT……………..he did not appoint more right wing/libertarians to the supreme court, that’s big. He did not try to privatize or voucherize Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Obama is actually liberal on climate change and social issues like gay marriage, other LGBT issues, and abortion. I will vote for Bernie in the primary but I would vote for Hillary to block Scott Walker, Jeb Bush or any other GOPer. There are more issues on the table than education.
Joe, you are a realist, as I am. While I think Hillary is a default candidate, she did not make any hostile moves toward public education when she was a senator from New York, and she supported Medicare and Social Security. The only way to get better candidates is to overturn Citizens’ United and put spending limits on campaigns. As for the block Bush or Walker, I am with you.
Obama wanted to strike a “Grand Bargain” on Social Security, the basis of which was ideas pushed for years by Pete Peterson, the billionaire whose goal in life appears to be its destabilization and privatization. The only reason Obama didn’t pursue it more strenuously was the clinical insanity of the Republicans, for whom it apparently wasn’t enough.
Hillary’s husband, when President, was making noises about opening Social Security up to Wall Street looting not long before the Lewinsky scandal forced him to make nice with the Democratic Partry’s left wing. Someday, Monica should receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for the fellatio that saved the New Deals’ greatest legacy.
Regarding LGBT rights, Obama had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to support gay marriage, and only acted when explicitly threatened by large campaign contributors from the gay community.
Anyway, you nevertheless make a fair point about his judicial appointments, and I have no interest in scolding anyone for voting for Hillary against Jeb, as long as they have no illusions about their vote. Still, I stand by my main point, which is that if there is a Bush-Clinton election, it will further alienate people from civic participation – something the Overclass is happy with – and will further discredit an already-stressed political system.
“Someday, Monica should receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for the fellatio that saved the New Deals’ greatest legacy.”
TAGrO!
Please also consider Lincoln Chaffee who is running on the same progressive platform as Bernie Sanders, but as a former Governor, plus as a legislator, has more experience, and is far younger. For me, at this point, it is a tossup between Chaffee and Sanders, and I will choose who is more electable. Anyone but HIllary.
Ellen, forget about Chafee. He was governor at a time when RI relied heavily on standardized testing and introduced charter schools, which have gained new momentum. His state superintendent was Deborah Gist, who was (and remains) a member of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs for Change.
Michael,
The most important question is not whether Democrats and Independents will vote for Hillary over Bush in the general election, but whether they will vote for Bernie over Hillary in the primary.
For now, you’re absolutely right.
I’m just assuming, despite her brittleness and the fact that much can change in the oncoming months, that Hillary will be the nominee.
MoJo has a quick article about private prisons: http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/06/private-prisons-profit The most important point in the article is how the private prisons get to pick and choose the least expensive and easiest prisoners.
Does no one (besides most readers of this blog) make the connection with privatized education?
The push to privatization scares me, because to me it means that the US private sector is out of ideas.
They got nothing. They don’t know how to make money without taking a piece of the public sector dollar.
It’s as much a bankruptcy of private sector “innovation” as it is story of capture and corruption by political actors. If Bush really were a fan of markets this should horrify him. There is nothing US business interests know how to do now to make money other than take pieces of publicly-funded services until the public sector is gone? That’s not “creating” anything of value. It’s just moving money around.
Good point. Sad, but good.
Fear for the future of a republic where the elite feels compelled to cannibalize the public goods and resources upon which its future depends.
Really sharp observation about the monster that Milton Friedman unleashed…anything not producting profits is ripe for exploitation.
another example can be found in current efforts to create financial products around preschools, with Goldman Sachs, Harvard, USDE among other promoting this, also some variants to replace the role of counselors in middle and high schools with college students. The financial products are called social impact bonds or pay-for-performance contracts. They are not quite the same as stocks in the for profit “corrections” industry. The public university system is on the same track profit-seeking track with leaders who view a higher education institution as nothing more than a holding company for more or less productive intellectual talent. In Ohio, that means measurable contributions to the economy of the state and ASAP, short term not long run.
Not only that, but politicians have empowered the overlords to make their billions by gambling –with money, pensions, assets, etc., both private and public equity– in very high risk ventures and all can be easily lost. If the past is a good gauge of the future, neither political party will hold them accountable for it either and we underlings will take the fall.
Chiara, You said it beautifully. That is exactly what is happening. The rich politicians have trashed our economy and nothing is left. As a matter of fact, economists say that we are not that far away from our economy totally crashing. They are moving in on public schools because they need “public funds” to make profits now. It is sickening. As far as Jeb goes, I am a registered Republican and I cannot stand him. Jeb as President would be horrible for everyone. Our country cannot take a 3rd Bush in office. It is a horrific thought.
I just think it’s crazy to say they’re “creating private sector jobs” when all they’re doing is replacing public sector employees and services.
They’re not “creating” anything, and they’re certainly not “creating” wealth. They’re skimming off a portion of something that already existed and was probably higher quality, overall.
https://consortiumnews.com/2015/06/12/jeb-bushs-tangled-part/
https://consortiumnews.com/2015/06/12/jeb-bushs-tangled-past/
Diane and readers…hope you see this and take the time to read. Let’s start using this messaging! I don’t think the arguement against charters that they do not perform better is strong enough. This article has helped me to frame the issue differently….hope it helps you to!
http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/paul_fanlund/paul-fanlund-why-progressives-fail-to-grab-the-moral-high/article_a0d72b1d-8901-5c4d-b176-32fec61e4dc7.html
Let us not forget that Neil Bush, the all but totally hidden from view Bush brother involved in the savings and loan scandal a few decades ago has been making significant money in the education software biz, selling programs to help consumers (I mean students) pass tests. While brother Jeb said that Neil was not doing business while Jeb was working to push through his privatizing agenda as gov, few believed either of them……. it is the Bush family business, to make our public dollars their private money stream……
Review Neil’s role in Silverado, and his text book publishing company, as part of the Bush brothers free market credo. Poppy was able to keep Neil from being indicted, it would seem.
But sadly Doug, Hillary and her husband fit right into the conspiracy of this dynasty leadership….”to make our public dollars their private money stream.”
It already is being privatized. Charters are taking care of that.
Well first, its a Bush so NO.
Second, again, a politician with no experience teaching making decisions about how to teach our kids.
The error of the Republicans is to believe that private marketplace competition is the solution to every public issue. This is not true. Furthermore, there is competition among schools, so the magic of competition is not missing from the public system. It occurs by parents moving around, or sending kids in neighborhoods with bad schools to private schools. The public school system is part of the public trust. It can only be managed well, or badly. It is not a mystery which schools are ill managed, or which teachers are good. The production of big data for uninvolved layers of politicians at the high state or federal level to read, is expensive and nearly totally irrelevant to the problem of running a better school.
If he’s elected, this is our future…
http://teachingted.com/comic/a-reason-for-everything/