This is the story of what is happening in Little Rock, Arkansas, told by a white parent with children in the public schools. Barclay Key is a professor of history at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock.
Little Rock has a special place in our nation’s history. In 1957, three years after the Brown decision declaring “separate but equal” schools unconstitutional, nine black students attempted to enroll in Central High School. Governor Orval Faubus called out the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the students from entering. The NAACP won a federal district court injunction against Governor Faubus. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. urged President Dwight D. Eisenhower to intervene. President Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to protect the students and uphold the law.
Fast forward to to 2015. The schools of Little Rock are again under siege, different cast of characters. This it is about both race and power.
Parents have been trying to protect their public schools against a Walton takeover. What is the metaphor? Not David and Goliath. More like the lone young Chinese man who stood up against a long line of tanks during the suppression of the rebellion in Tienanmen Square.
Barclay Key writes::
“From the chaos of initial desegregation efforts to the white flight of the past few decades, Little Rock’s hopes for strong public schools have consistently been sacrificed on the altar of white supremacy. As a historian, I knew the general contours of this story before my family and I moved here in 2012. The story differs only in its details as one travels the country….
“One cannot possibly overlook the state’s role in suppressing black political power and local white elites supporting that suppression. Even though students in the LRSD have been majority black for forty years, a white majority controlled the school board until 2006. We had a democratically elected board with three new black members and a strong white ally. The state board of education replaced our democratically elected board with Tony Wood, the white state education commissioner. He literally had no specific plans for the LRSD or the “academically distressed” schools, outside of what was already occurring. There was no magic wand, no special scenario that he or the Arkansas Department of Education was prepared to implement.
“It’s worth noting, however, that the state immediately took one action. It appointed Baker Kurrus to chair a “budget efficiency advisory committee” for the LRSD. The district was not in financial distress. Cuts were looming because of the loss of those desegregation funds, but plans were already being developed by the elected board to minimize the effects of that loss. The state’s sudden concern over LRSD finances suggested fears over a progressive-minded school board with a facilities plan and firm commitment to equality that would almost certainly give a fair share of business to minority-owned companies for construction and renovation projects. Kurrus, a white businessman and attorney, previously served on the LRSD board for twelve years. The state, which had just complained of long-term dysfunction on the LRSD board, chose to appoint as superintendent a former white board member who served during some of the board’s most tumultuous—some might say dysfunctional—years….
“This point deserves emphasis: a majority black school board in a majority black school district was displaced by whites who accept the status quo about the education of many of our children. Democrats were responsible for the initial damage, but now Republicans have taken firm control of state government to continue the barrage. Mr. Wood resigned his position as state education commissioner and our new governor, Asa Hutchinson, appointed a white political crony named Johnny Key to take his place. His only qualification appears to be service on the state senate’s education committee and operation of a private Christian daycare. Indeed the governor announced his appointment before the law could be changed to make Key eligible to serve in this capacity. And by serve I mean make $130,000 per year….
“Now on the eve of another school year, the state just announced that it will renege on its contract with our teachers, citing financial worries. The negotiated agreement has been in place for fifty years, and these financial worries didn’t prevent Mr. Kurrus from giving teachers a one-time bonus of $350 in the spring. Most of our teachers deserved that and more, I’m sure, but it was irresponsible to give those bonuses and clearly intended to placate union leadership before this contract controversy. I’ve been around public education for all of my life, but I’m having a difficult time understanding how undermining our teachers’ financial stability, cutting their benefits, and targeting their union for destruction will help our “academically distressed” schools. We will neither attract nor retain the best teachers for our students. Even a casual observer must admit that the state of Arkansas seems hell-bent on destroying our school system, maintaining white supremacy, and keeping our most vulnerable children in a cycle of poverty. The vultures of privatization are circling.”
And so the story goes. The billionaires are buying the schools, the children, our democracy.
Where is the national media? 60 Minutes? Rachel Maddow? Anderson Cooper? The New York Times? The Washington Post?
I would really like to get some answers to Diane’s questions about where the mainstream and “progressive” media are and have been during the corporate takeover of public school systems.
They are part of the deformers making money off the public dole. Easy money, no accountability. That’s why they say nothing.
I’d really like to see the media respond to why they deem the war on public school education and, ultimately, on the destruction of our largest democratic institution, to be un-newsworthy.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Public school proponent and teacher Brian Jones attended an NYC gala for SUCCESS ACADEMY back in 2009, and was stunned that the concept of SUCCESS ACADEMY schools being separate AND equal was being celebrated:
http://socialistworker.org/2009/11/13/charter-school-charade
————
BRIAN JONES:
“Over the din of hundreds of casual conversations, Klein, too, was mostly inaudible. I could make out the themes, though. He mostly talked about the civil rights movement. He mentioned that his wife had clerked for Thurgood Marshall. Describing the education system of those days, he concluded: ‘It sure was separate, but it was never equal.’
“He went on to praise Harlem Success Academy for finally fulfilling the mission of the civil rights movement.
“I thought to myself: Surely, he realizes he’s speaking to an audience entirely composed of Black and Latino parents! Surely, he realizes that he’s speaking to people who still attend segregated schools! What was the point of his message? That Harlem Success Academy schools ‘may be separate, but now they’re equal’?
“Who needs Brown v. Board of Education? Klein seemed pleased to have fulfilled the promise of Plessey v. Ferguson! I have a hard time believing this irony would have been lost on Thurgood Marshall himself.”
Where is the national media? The answer is simple: Six corporations own 90% of the national media that’s controlled by six white men who are given HUGE salaries with bonuses.
Amen!!!
Where are the national media??? Probably collecting pay checks from friends of the Waltons!
We need to stop couching our discussions about the selling of our schools and democracy under the guise of education. Our education and democracy are being bought and people “bought off” by the highest bidder. Little Rock School District is simply the clearest example to date. How do we get and keep a revolution going that will protect our nation’s children, their education, and the authority of all to be involved–really involved–in the leadership of our country?!?!?!
I’ve never been to Arkansas. Perhaps it’s time for this retired teacher to go see that state and the city of Little Rock. My car can carry four people, in addition to myself, three if you are muscle bound.
Come on down! We would love to have you!
As much as I use and/or think the word revolution as a way to end the RheeForm movement funded by a small number of mostly neo-liberal, neo-conservative and libertarian billionaire oligarchs, I think a short pause to reflect on what we are saying and thinking is in order—maybe this comment is a reminder for me too.
For instance, Gandhi led a civil disobedience—not a revolution, and when hundreds-of-thousands of students across the United States refused to take the high stakes standardized tests last school year that was a civil disobedience.
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power.
A revolution is a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system.
Resistance is the refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument.
I think that before we resort to a revolution we should continue down the path of civil disobedience and resistance following, for instance, in the footsteps of Ghandhi.
And Martin Luther King said, “We maintained the hope while transforming the hate of traditional revolutions into positive nonviolent power. … ”
I support civil disobedience and resistance against the RheeFormers 100%.
Civil disobedience in the form that would hurt most is NOT TO PAY TAXES until our hard earned cash goes to support public education, social security, and universal health care. This can be viable with little effort of the legislature. We are all terrified of the IRS however, since they can, under the law, swoop in an take all our assets.
But here are 6 points that every American taxpayer should be fighting to implement……
1. Raise the cutoff of FICA payments from $118,000 to $1 Million.
2. Reinstate Glass Steagal, and adhere strictly to Dodd Frank.
3. Make all corporations (e.g. Exxon Mobil, Verizon, Microsoft, etc.) pay taxes, and stop giving them the public’s money in rebates.
4. Do NOT give legislators lifetime benefits of health care and pensions, when their constituents do not have these perks.
5. Stop all insider trading for legislators.
6. Disembowel Citizen’s United and McCutcheon.
This is only a starting point…and a pipe dream. But how about starting a real online revolution with these 6 directives?
Without a free media presence, which is no longer available in the US due to the extreme wealth of a very few robber barons, and with almost the total wealth of our nation in the hands of a small group of billionaires, it seems quite hopeless to think their will be any change without massive revolution.
Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson and maybe Jimmy Carter, were the last Presidents to truly value democracy. If you think Hillary and Bill will represent the people, not the aristocracy, you are living in lalaland.
What about not paying state income tax? Most of the money for public education comes from state and local sources and not the feds.
If you click on the following link, you will discover that public school revenue form the feds is small. We could still pay the feared IRS but refuse to pay the states if possible. Of course, if school funding comes from property tax, the state would just step in and sell our house.
http://blogs.census.gov/2012/06/21/education-funding-where-do-schools-get-their-money-how-do-they-spend-it/
Thank you, Lloyd. I truly mean civil disobedience, as practiced by Gandhi and Dr. King. Having studied with some of those who taught and marched with Dr. King, I think of Dr. King’s actions and leadership as revolutionary in preaching and working towards The Beloved Community.
Of course, Lloyd, State tax also should be on the chopping block. But I do not want my hard earned educator pay to be used for the salaries of Obama/Duncan and/or other inhibitors of our former democratic republic. Nor for tax collection…WITHOUT representation.
I understand but we have to be willing to pay a big price for standing up to the IRS that is arguably the American gestapo.
““This point deserves emphasis: a majority black school board in a majority black school district was displaced by whites who accept the status quo about the education of many of our children.” This is certainly worth saying!
I have a split position on charter schools (http://empowermentnetwork.org/2015/08/13/reformers-and-anti-reformers-an-underwater-perspective/). But your quote is very important.
I thought this was a really bad development for public schools:
“It started as a dispute over the AP American history curriculum, but a Colorado school board recall is shaping up as a proxy fight for national groups, including the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity, over a whole range of contemporary public education flash points.”
The Koch bros join the ed reform “movement”.
A little awkward for Dem pols, one would think, but maybe voters won’t find out “both sides” are backing identical policy until sometime after the next election. Meanwhile, Democrats can run against those evil Koch Bros 🙂
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/jefferson-county-colorado-school-board-recall
Here is a wonderful live recording of the brilliant Charles Mingus’s “Fables of Faubus,” by the master himself:
WARNING: This is NOT SAFE FOR WORK, as Mr. Mingus and others in the band do not refrain from using rather strong language to speak of Governor Faubus and his ilk.
https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=C111US662D20140411&p=youtube+bles+of+faubus+fables
wrong link. Heres the right one:
There’s nothing in this article demonstrating Walton involvement in the white state takeover of the Little Rock school system. If you have information, it should be included in the article. If you don’t, baseless pot shots at the Waltons are an embarrassment to you.
“Another dramatic development also suggested the business interests behind the takeover. House Bill 1733 appeared in the Arkansas legislature shortly after the takeover. It was apparently written, or at least passed to a legislator, by Scott Smith from the Arkansas Public School Research Council, another outfit funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Smith gave the bill to Bruce Cozart, a white Republican, who eventually pulled it under immense public pressure. The bill would have allowed for the privatization of any school or school district that was under state control. There are not many dots to connect in Arkansas.”
This is in the original article. Notice the part about the Arkansas Public School Research Council being funded by the Walton Family. The article is linked on Diane’s blog for everyone to view the whole article.
Just sent an email to Rachel Maddow with a link to the Bad Ass Teachers website that has the article on it. I would suggest that others of you send an email as well. Here’s her email Rachel@msnbc.com . I tried also to send something to Chris Matthews but couldn’t find an email to send it. If anyone finds something please post. I believe we need to bring things like this to the attention of the media because they tend to accept it because it’s accept by Obama or any one else that they believe in. Doesn’t matter what party they go with they will only believe those from the party they trust. Since both Republicans and Democrats are wrecking public education it must be best for the country. We need to put it in their faces that it’s causing segregation and force them to face it. The more of us that send emails to them the more they’ll be confronted by it. Maybe one of them will truly be a journalist and investigate it. Here’s the email that I sent to Madow.
Go to http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2015/08/our-publiceducation-crisis-white.html?m=1
and read about what both parties are doing to our education system. It is undermining the democratic process and causing segregation in places like Little Rock, Arkansas. Please use your investigative reporting skills to check out what’s happening to the Public schools. Without public education there will be no viable middle class.
The takeover of public education is accelerating and there is no doubt that one aim is to eliminate locally elected school boards and any other elected officials dealing with education at the state level. This is one of the least publicized workings of “voter suppression.” The Waltons have endowed an entire department of education at the University of Arkansas with the faculty eligible for hire only if they pass muster ideologically with their views of reform–strictly charter and
Here is another very perceptive and brief account of the resegregation process in schools, I recommend it. it is titled The Racist History of the Charter School Movement. Christopher Bonastia is a sociologist. He is also the author of “Southern Stalemate: Five Years without Public Education in Prince Edward County, Virginia” (University of Chicago Press, 2012)
http://www.alternet.org/authors/christopher-bonastia
There was another, not so often mentioned result of the Little Rock event. Prior to the Federal intervention in the LRSD, states had and maintained militias under the control of a state’s governor, as outlined in the Constitution. A governor could accede to or deny use of the militia to the Federal government. When Gov. Faubus used the state milita to block Federal Marshalls from implementing the court order, Pres. Eisenhower responded by nationalizing all militias, creating the National Guard and preventing a governor from using it as a state’s private army in conflict with Federal organizations.
While presidential orders calling up the National Guard remain politically sensitive, a governor is no longer able to do much more than protest decisions to deploy those troops.
I well remember the troops and tanks surrounding LR Central, as my grandmother’s home is only a few blocks away and we has to negotiate our way past the military barricades to visit her.
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
Governor Orval Faunus???
Thanks, Thaddeus. My bad. I remember Orval Faubus.