Brian Malone, documentary film-maker, has self-funded a film about the corporate assault on public education.
His film is a MUST-SEE. It is titled EDUCATION, INC.
Malone is a parent of two children in the public schools of Douglas County, Colorado. He documents the well-funded effort to take control of the local school board. Grassroots activists running for school board raised $40,000. Corporate reform privatizers received over $1 million in funding, which they used for a slick propaganda campaign. They won control of the school board and immediately began implementing their plans for vouchers, charters, union-busting, and salary caps for teachers. The exodus of teachers from the district more than doubled. The district paid hired guns (including former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett) to praise its “reforms.” A commissioned study by Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute hailed DougCo as “the most interesting district” in the nation.
Malone crisscrosses the nation, interviewing teachers, parents, and trying to interview leaders of the privatization movement (who usually refuse to be interviewed).
What he shows dramatically is the huge pot of money coming from organizations connected to the Koch brothers, Jeb Bush, Michael Bloomberg, and other advocates for dismantling the public school system and replacing it with a free market of unregulated private schools and charters. He takes a close look at ALEC and its national network of rightwing extremists dedicated to privatization. Extremists and billionaires are pouring large sums into state and local school board races and into state legislative races. The only way to stop them is to go to the polls and vote for candidates who support public schools. The only way to make that happen is to education the public.
This is an important film about the future of American education. It is a call for citizens to get involved and take back their public schools from those seeking to privatize them.
Malone plans a national “house party” to show the film on August 14. Please contact him and get a copy and invite your friends and neighbors. EDUCATION INC. is a great place to start informing the public about the monied elite that wants to steal their schools and divert the funds to corporations, entrepreneurs, consultants, charter schools, and vouchers.
Go to the website for the film to learn how to get a copy: http://www.edincmovie.com or google Education, Inc.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Diane, does anybody know where/how I can get in touch with the architects of Douglas County’s education reforms? We want some of that down here in Loudoun County, Virginia!
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This movie should be shown in every public library in America.
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Every PTA group should show this film in their public schools.
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Wow! I just watched the 3 min trailer and just ordered my copy. P.S. been a teacher for 43 years and still going strong !
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cross posted at http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Education-Inc–A-Stunn-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Activists_Citizens_Corporations_Diane-Ravitch-150727-42.html
with this comment which has links to each!
If you want to see the dismantling of our INSTITUTION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, state by state,Go to my quicklinks series on education,series here: 15,880 Districts in 50 States: already divided for conquering. OR
Ending democracy: end the institution of public schools
15,880/50, and The WAR ON PUBLIC EDUCATION or follow it yourself at the Ravitch Blog. Get the feed… nothing is more important than this!
Colorado is under assault. IN another Ravitch post, Jeff Bryant recounts the story of Jefferson County, Colorado, known as “Jeffco,” where parents are battling religious zealots and charter advocates for control of their community’s schools.
In Nevada: “EduShyster interviewed Seth Rau, a prominent young reformer in Nevada, about the Silver State’s “universal choice” or “Education Savings Account” program, which gives every student $5,700 to spend in the school of their choice. Here Ravitch gives us Anthony Cody, explaining the failure of the Common Core and Vam, but no where in the media is the reality known.
“Nevada has made its bid for a gold medal in the race to the bottom of the barrel for public education. The state’s GOP legislature, with help from Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (a name that belongs in Orwellian annals right next to “Peacekeeper Missile”), has created an all-state voucher system. The backers of the bill are as delighted as they are divorced from reality. Here’s bill sponsor Senator Scott Hammond, quoted in the Washington Post
IN Ohio, ravitch gives us:
Ohio: Who Bought the Legislature?” Tax funds have likely made White Hat Charter school operator David Brennan and ECOT operator Bill Lager very, very rich. (Some out-of-state charter operators are also cashing in on Ohio’s Wild, Wild West charter industry.)”
a tiny fraction of what is ongoing under our noses, as the media watches Iran, the elections, and celebrity news.
Scott Walker’s War on Public Education in Wisconsin More Privatization in Wisconsin: Legislators Propose Additional Charters
Jeannie Kaplan: How Denver Reformers Lost Nearly $1 Billion
The Big Business of Charter Schools
Peter Greene: Kevin Huffman Sells Tennessee Snake Oil in Pennsylvania
Jon Pelto: Connecticut Governor Malloy Says No State Budget Without Money for New Charters
Larry Lee: Follow the Charter Money in Alabama
Innovation Ohio: E-Schools Are Terrible Schools with Politically Powerful Sponsors
and these are but a few of what is happening in the 50 states as the public watches th corruption in FIFA and the debacle of the primaries, and worries about ISIS and gun violence and racial profiling and….
Submitted on Monday, Jul 27, 2015 at 8:59:53 AM
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I’m surprised there isn’t a showing in Jeffco.
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I ordered a copy of the DVD. It was the easiest PayPal transaction I’ve ever made. Seamless. Much easier than the other times I have used Pay Pal.
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Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
I just ordered a DVD of this documentary through Pay Pal. Easiest Pay Pal transaction I’ve ever made. Order your copy today and learn what the psychopaths are doing to our democratic, transparent, non-profit public schools.
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It’s unfortunate that public schools don’t seem to have the support of wealthy corporations who could do the same thing that was done with ‘waiting for superman’ Public schools need a version like that so that this documentary can be blasted across the nation for free! Advertisement works. Certainly there must be foundations willing to support Public Education? Certainly they all can’t be in support of charter schools ?
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Pennsylvania, thanks to Gov. Wolf and editorials like this one in today’s Lancaster newspaper, may just be leading the way in taking back our public schools from the corporate raiders. Education, Inc. contains a powerful message. There is reason for hope:
http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/broaden-education-policy-beyond-standardized-tests/article_8cc6b5ac-3245-11e5-bbe3-2f3cc5046224.html
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It sounds like Gov. Wolf is an honest leader that takes his responsibilities seriously. How refreshing! He needs to keep a watchful eye on the shift in leadership in Philly’s schools. It seems like some of Corbett’s cronies are still at play.
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And it is ALL about money!
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/07/27/common-core-giant-pearson-to-sell-financial-times-to-focus-on-education/
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This should get people to think twice about what’s going on in education.
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Susan Lee Schwartz – You mentioned Jefferson County (Jeffco) in Colorado: “Colorado is under assault. In another Ravitch post, Jeff Bryant recounts the story of Jefferson County, Colorado, known as “Jeffco,” where parents are battling religious zealots and charter advocates for control of their community’s schools.” The citizens of Jeffco are calling for a recall of three of the five Board members. “Jeffco United for Action” has organized a petition that requires at least 15,000 signatures per candidate to move forward. They were given 30 days to complete this mission. As of today, two weeks into the process, they have collected more than 30,000 signatures per candidate. The Recall will go through a signature check and if all is verified, the Recall will appear on the November ballot. The election is in an “off-year” so it will be interesting to see what the turnout will be. Hopefully our collective voices will prevail.
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Great news! Glad you got enough signatures! We’re watching this closely in Collier Co., FL.
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And it doesn’t stop there. Interview higher ed professors and you will learn how publishing companies like Pearson are actually paying professors to use their textbooks or “try them out”. Some learning tools are online which means students need to enter their data.
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Thanks for these enlightening reports!
There is definitely a conspiracy to privatize public education funded by well-heeled individuals as was the case in Dallas with the chaos create by Mike Miles and “Home Rule” Gang!
With assistance from our Mayor and others wanted to chance the governance model of the Dallas and Texas Public Schools!
No to Charters and Vouchers!
No to Home Rule!
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Hector,
The “reform” efforts in Dallas were typical in their use of deceptive language. A group funded by Houston billionaire John Arnold was called “Save Our Public Schools.” It promoted “home rule,” which meant an all-charter district. The goal was privatization of all schools, which would mean NOT saving public schools. Its advocates might say in their defense that the way to “save” the public schools was to turn them over to private management. I guess.
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Education, like anything else should be rewarded. College students can gain a degree online, so should everyone else, tax payers should NOT, NOT, NOT have to pay for google retards!!!!! NEVER TAX anyone for any kid education!!! GO Charters!
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