“Education, Inc.” Showing in NYC Today

5 Comments Post your own or leave a trackback: Trackback URL

1. Michael Fiorillo says:

   October 27, 2015 at 3:32 pm

   While it’s very nice for Cathy Nolan, Chair of the NYS Assembly’s Education Committee, to host this screening, it would have been much nicer if she had actually done something last year to keep our Reptilian Governor and his Wall Street charter school patrons from continuing the attacks against teachers and the public schools.

   But that might have required some fortitude, courage and vision, which are in desperately short supply among elected officials here in NY. For all his faults, Mayor De Blasio has a bit of that, but his fellow Democrats and the UFT allowed Cuomo and Moskowitz to kneecap him last year; given that, why should he expose himself to further betrayal by the Mulgrew’s of the world?

   This is typical Democratic Party posing and misdirection. She’ll point to her hosting of this film, a minor symbolic act, when speaking before parent and teacher groups, but will be silent about her standing by while the insatiable edu-privateers devour public education.

   LikeLike

   Reply
   • Jean Martine says:

     October 27, 2015 at 6:50 pm

     Thank you, Michael! When I read the name Cathy Nolan I thought it couldn’t be the same Cathy Nolan who, in my opinion, discounted the questions and comments of any legislators who spoke up in support of public education during those horrific Cuomo budget proceedings last spring. I watched them and could not believe what I was witnessing. Maybe she’ll tell everyone at the film showing that they should not worry, all is well, in an effort to distract us from the corporate vultures quietly approaching to finish us off…

     LikeLike

     Reply
2. Tom Cincinnatus says:

   October 27, 2015 at 9:45 pm

   I must admit to being somewhat befuddled by comments such as: “millionaires, billionaires and corporate America are leading a campaign to privatize public schools and starve them of resources.” Why take control of a “business” i.e. schools, so that they could be “stripped of resources”……what resources? Used desks and computers for sale? Stripping them of resources would result in the closing of the schools.

   Businesses (those billionaires and millionaires) see some obvious “low hanging fruit” when looking for a way to make a profit from privatizing schools. They needn’t start by cutting teachers or teacher pay or increasing class size. In Arizona they can start by addressing the “District” mode. There are 230 School Districts, some with only 2 schools and some with 30 schools, but all with budgets that get added the the “cost of education.” Private business initiatives would close any “cost center” that doesn’t provide “added value.” Is this a bad idea? I don’t think so.

   The question is: “Why must we wait for profit driven businesses to remove these needless cost centers?” When those expenses are reduced by private business, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the savings will be invested in the classroom or “drop to the bottom line”….in my experience the latter is more likely.

   When businesses take over, class sizes will get larger, new teachers will see less pay, fewer benefits, and more expensive experienced teachers will leave in droves. “Standards” you say….those business run schools will not be able to meet the State Standards…..well, if business can persuade the legislature to give them control of education…what makes you think they can’t persuade them to modify the standards?

   Instead of decrying the rise of business interest in the running of public education, we should be focusing on how to beat them at their own game by making public education so well run there isn’t a bonafide “profit opportunity” on which they can “hang their hat.” Businesses don’t approach the Governor or the Legislature saying … “let us take over education, we’ll cut pay and benefits and lay off the educators,” they say “let us take out the ‘fat’ and that will be our profit….”

   Yes, there will always be some politician who will “sell out” our children’s education, but he can’t be vilified nearly as well if the educational infrastructure is neither efficient or effective.

   LikeLike

   Reply
3. m4potw says:

   October 28, 2015 at 12:37 am

   To Tom Cincinnatus;

   Thank you for your idea that is about:

   “”how to beat them at their own game by making public education so well run there isn’t a bonafide “profit opportunity” on which they can “hang their hat.”

   It is easy said than done because civility, humanity and democracy are considered as “”FAT”” in the eyes of business world.

   “”Fat”” keeps mammals being warm and survival under brutal weather. Civility, humanity and democracy are essential to health, human creativity and happiness for all sentient beings.

   In conclusion, if educators cannot cultivate learners how to treasure their civility, humanity and democracy at all cost, then educators fail their God-given-mission, or God’s calling. Back2basic.

   LikeLike

   Reply
   • Michael Fiorillo says:

     October 28, 2015 at 6:28 am

     Tom Cincinnatus,

     Setting aside public school real estate assets, which charters school privateers covet, most spending on education goes to staff salaries and benefits. Thus the unremitting attacks on teachers, since the endgame of so-called reform involves turning them into dis-unionized, at-will, powerless temps.

     At that point, the money can redistributed to where the Overclass sincerely “believes” (since we’re always being told how much these plutocrats “believe” in what they’re doing) it belongs, namely, in their wallets.

     LikeLike

     Reply