Jeb Bush went before the convention of the National Urban League and touted his credentials as a reformer. He started a charter school in 1996 in high-poverty Liberty City.
Politico reports:
“Jeb Bush spoke about his time founding Florida’s first charter school and boasted about his track record on education as Florida governor in a speech to the National Urban League. The experience of starting a school “still shapes the way I see the deep-seated challenges facing people in urban communities today,” Bush said. “So many people could do so much better in life if we could come together and get even a few big things right in government. I acted on that belief as governor of Florida. It’s a record I’ll gladly compare with anyone else in the field.”
But Jeb didn’t tell the whole story. He didn’t say that the school developed financial problems, and he lost interest in it. He didn’t say that the school closed its doors in 2008.
He didn’t tell the whole truth. He didn’t talk about the kids who were stranded when the school closed. He didn’t mention that Florida has become a rich playground for for-profit charter entrepreneurs. He didn’t share his knowledge about the perils of charters that open and close with frequency.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Like others who have misspoke (lied), JEB just misremembered. A sort of convenient memory lapse.
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Jeb is a JOKE.
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Jeb covered up A LOT about what he did to public education in Florida, particularly through his destructive expansion of charter schools. I’ve just come back from an investigation of this story in South Florida where I spoke to numerous officials and parents. Watch for Part One of my report later this week in Alternet and then Part Two later this month.
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Jeff,
The Bush family’s loaded. A fraction of their wealth could have kept that school afloat in the short therm. Then they could have passed the hat among their billionaire buddies and corporate reform organizations to keep it open in the long term.
They simply didn’t want to spend or donate their own money in the cause of saving that school.
I have a friend, an Iraq war veteran, who favored and defended George W. … until last month, that is. When it reported that George W. was charging $100,000 to give a speech to a veterans (of all wars) group, he went ballistic, using every four-letter word Patton ever used in condemning Bush. He then contrasted this action of George W. with that of actor Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan in FORREST GUMP), who constantly donates money, time, etc. to veterans.
George W. simply couldn’t pass up an opportunity to line his pockets… force of habit. Ask any waiter or waitress… the wealthiest people are the worst tippers, the cheapest customers.
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Oh, and here’s something for your Alternet article (posted on this blog last spring by Chiara)
CHIARA:
Apparently this has been known in Florida for quite a while. Here’s a letter from a former employee:
“He frequently campaigned there, disrupting staff and administration by his visits, and bringing public relations, media and individuals whose sole interest was political gain.
‘Immediately after he won the race for governor by winning the black vote, he abandoned the school and the poor children and families with whom he had developed a personal relationship.
“Jeb Bush failed to bring success to his own school. Worse, he abandoned it while it was still in operation.”
— Alicia Banuchi, former administrative assistant to the principal, Liberty City Charter School, Hollywood
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article10557896.html#storylink=cpy
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Jeff –
Hope you’re aware of the connection between the Bush family and that of Harold McGraw, of McGraw Hill. It goes back nearly 90 years to Prescott Bush, grandfather to Jeb! and W.
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2006/08/mcgraw-hill-bush-graft-and-twig.html
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Also Jim Trelease:
http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/whatsnu_bush-mcgraw.html
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What a surprise….
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Nor did Jeb mention that Florida voters rejected his school voucher plan in the 2012 referendum.
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Nor did he mention that his alphabetical rating of schools is not useful or meaningful. In fact, the system is so poor that Texas is adopting it. Misguided states may as well share “stupid.”
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Misguided states may as well share “stupid.”…
Indiana also rates schools by A-F. How wonderful it would be if politicians understood the damage they are doing. Indiana dropped Common Core but now has more testing that CC. Our governor says it is because we have a higher standard.
I’m also a retired teacher.
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And that several states, including Utah, have done the exact same stupid thing. In Utah, for our convenience, we have TWO different grading systems, using TWO different metrics. What fun (not)!
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New Mexico went down the same road with A-F School Grading. No surprise here. Secretary of Education Skandera worked for Jeb Boy. She has brought with her to this state everything from Florida — School Grading, the Florida Teacher evaluation system, the PARCC that Jeb Boy is pushing, etc., etc. All of which failed, is failing in Florida. Is failing in New Mexico. Skandera is a disaster as an education leader and Secretary of Education. Skandera NEVER taught one single day in any classroom. Skandera is a phony pushed off on the Students, Parents, Teachers, and Taxpayers of New Mexico.
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We have two presidential candidates who are directly involved in charter school scandals.
John Kasich sees “no need” to investigate why the “choice” office at the Ohio Department of Education broke the law to favor large campaign donors:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/08/04/Kasich_on_school_board.html
Remember when Kasich said he was planning on regulating charter schools? They’re going backward. Now they’re just flagrantly breaking the law.
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Has Jeb Bush ever made a campaign appearance in a public school? Are they all planning on just avoiding public schools completely- pretending they no longer exist?
Is there some reason public school parents should hire these people? Say your child just happens to attend one of the unfashionable “government schools”? That child is just out of luck with out current crop of politicians?
Ridiculous.
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Why is this not surprising to me?
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