We have been waiting for a member of the media to ask the Democratic and Republican candidates. Finally it happened, though not on national television. Journalist Roland Martin in South Carolina asked Hillary Clinton about her views on charter schools. Her answer suggests that she realizes the issues surrounding private management of public dollars.
“The original idea, Roland, behind charter schools was to learn what worked and then apply them in the public schools. And here’s a couple of problems. Most charter schools — I don’t want to say every one — but most charter schools, they don’t take the hardest-to-teach kids, or, if they do, they don’t keep them. And so the public schools are often in a no-win situation, because they do, thankfully, take everybody, and then they don’t get the resources or the help and support that they need to be able to take care of every child’s education.
“So I want parents to be able to exercise choice within the public school system — not outside of it — but within it because I am still a firm believer that the public school system is one of the real pillars of our democracy and it is a path for opportunity.”
The Clinton administration supported charters. We know a lot more about them now than we did in the 1990s. I would like to see the federal government cut funding completely for for-profit charters and for virtual charters. I hope the Feds set standards for all charters regarding financial transparency and accountability, discipline, suspension, and teacher qualifications, as well as their responsibility to enroll students with disabilities and English language learners that at least as high as the surrounding public schools. Public money requires public accountability.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
How could such an important issue take so long to surface months after the pres. season began? These late-appearing, low-profile comments by Hillary can be taken seriously when she utters them to mass media in a national forum and commits publicly to stopping charters from privatizing and looting public districts, and to ending the tyranny of standardized testing. Months ago, Randi and Lily took privatization, charter schools and k-12 off the table when they forced endorsements of Hillary on their unions without compelling Hillary to offer plans to relieve the beleaguered teachers they are supposed to represent. The Dems won’t allow these issues to surface at candidate forums b/c they invite strong criticisms of a sitting Dem Pres. O(ptrongly anti-public schools for last 6 yrs), b/c they invite strong criticisms of major backers of Dem Party in the tech sector which benefits greatly from standardized testing and costly computerization of public schools, and b/c Hillary’s funding comes from Wall St. billionaires who are avid privatizers of public schools(aside from her 30 yr friendship with Eli Broad). Demand from Hillary and from Bernie explicit plans to relieve public schools, teachers and students from the ugly private war against them. So far, the Dem silence on this is deafening except for the hallelujahs for Hillary bellowed by Randi and Lily.
I agree. This statement by Hillary is meaningless. Her campaign and her supporters will splash this statement all over the social media outlets, but will it make it to the national public debate stage?
Ira, I disagree.
Hillary answered this question not in a national forum but in a smaller venue because that’s where the question was asked. Education has never been a front burner issue in national campaigns and that is why it was so easy for Democrats and Republicans alike to sell off our public schools with stealth.
Secondly, the very reason that Hillary Clinton was able to answer this with such knowledge is because AFT and NEA are advising her on education. You might not like it, but this is the early endorsements at work. I’m grateful!
Early, unveiled endorsements at work? Hillary has given many “stump” speeches besides the two official “debate” events. In none of the stump speeches in Iowa, NH or anywhere has she made an explicit declaration about privatization and standardization. The chat with Rachel Maddow was very open and informal–hush puppies? did you like your hairdo at your wedding in ’75?–but Hillary never seized the multiple opportunities provided by a loose Maddow to interject her presidential stand on the crucial education war undermining our public schools. If this is all Lily and Randi got for their wildly inappropriate endorsement, it is peanuts. Neither did Bernie, but at least our 4 mil public school teachers haven’t had their union dues and endorsements hijacked for him, so he’s got a lower standard to meet.
“Neither did Bernie, but at least our 4 mil public school teachers haven’t had their union dues and endorsements hijacked for him,..”
Actually, using union dues directly for candidate campaigns is illegal.
Karen, it sounds like you are ignoring the Clinton history, from Hillary sitting on the board of Walmart to Bill’s role in GOALS 2000. Both Clintons have long advocated for neoliberal educational reforms.
When Bill ran for president I met Hillary at one of their first rallies at my university.
Years later I marched beside her in the NYC Labor Day parade.
Having a longterm view of the Clinton politics surrounding public education tells me that your faith is misplaced.
They have advocated for national standards since the 1990s.
They have advocated for teacher ‘accountability’ through testing since the 1990s.
Can someone change their mind? Absolutely. I’ve watched Hillary pander to voters for years, however, and then do the bidding of the neoliberal, Wall Street crowd again and again.
Me, not thankful at all. Call me suspicious. And disgusted with both NEA and AFT.
Chris, you nailed the fraud. Sorry, but Hillary can Mea Culpa all she wants. Won’t change what her record reveals her to be.
So Well Said! Without an all out ‘I’m not for giving money to private charters” I don’t believe political mumbo jumbo–
When Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas, the Little Rock school district stole away Buffalo’s School Superintendent, Eugene Reville. Reville was a forward thinker and had done a spectacular job resurrecting the district (everything went downhill after he left). Buffalo’s loss was Little Rock’s gain. The Clinton’s were instrumental in his recruitment. Unfortunately, Reville was killed in a car accident not long after leaving Buffalo.
Hillary is a smart woman. It would surprise me if she didn’t have a handle on the situation surrounding the education issue, but since this is a divisive topic, she needs to proceed carefully.
To be fair, I also believe Sanders will fall on the “right” side of the issue.
However, to make it easier for them to respond to our outcry, we need to make a louder noise. Think of the creatures on that speck in Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who and start yopping.
Diane, you’re showing your colors with this blog. You cannot support someone for president who is 100% in favor of Common Core, just like Jeb Bush, and still consider yourself the outspoken critic of Common Core that you profess to be. You’ve done great work so far, but backing her is essentially capitulating to all that CCS represents. Besides, is there anything she won’t lie about on any issue to get elected? Even, for those who might have forgotten, her husband’s many infidelities….oh, sorry, I forgot…that’s their private business and the lying doesn’t count!!
Diane’s post is not an endorsement of Hillary.
Ed Det. is right. Diane’s post is a news post, not an endorsement. Diane has nothing to apologize for; posting news of this extraordinary sudden appearance of a Hillary statement on k-12 is the responsible thing to do.
You are right about DIane’s post. She is simply reporting out.
Diane has nothing to apologize about.
Unfortunately, anything that Hillary Clinton says is suspect. She wants to be the president and will say anything to achieve that goal. Her responses to questions about education will be formulated based on public school teachers representing millions of votes.
Exactly. Teachers beware.
Beware is right. Don’t bite.
“Reflections of a Leftist”
When Hillary desires
A Leftist to appear
She changes her attires
Reflects herself in mirror
When Hill starts to speak,
the fooled ones are weak,
they know not the shill
known as Bill and as Hill
When Hill starts to vote
Look closely and focus
She tricks with a gloat,
She’s all hocus pocus.
A tag team!!! I love it!
Thanks to both of you for the poetry!.. And the chuckles.😘
Agreed. We need to remember that when we vote for POTUS we don’t vote for the individual. We vote for their team of advisers & their donors. To date, it appears that Hillary’s team & donors are from DFER, Gates, Broad, Silicon Valley, & Wall St.crowd. The same Rahm-Arne insiders who have sold us privatization as a civil right.
I’m still waiting to hear either political party’s candidates address the elephant in the room. Privatization. The word that must not be spoken.
Hillary can say she wants to reduce testing and she supports charter accountability. That doesn’t mean that she’ll follow through and make meaningful change. Her donors don’t want it.
Absurd, the Hillary-Hate from some here, just as strong as the hate of her by Republicans. Everything she says is suspect, she is terrible no matter what she says or does, an evil demon, blah, blah blah. By the way, what has Bernie said about charters? And what about his votes on the ECAA amendments? (Well, I guess it doesn’t matter what they say or do. Some just seem to “know in their gut” that Hillary is terrible, and Bernie is much better. And just like a religious faith, actual facts don’t seem to matter. Rita even attacks Diane R for posting HRC’s statement. (“Showing your colors”, blah blah blah.)
Facts don’t matter? The facts are damning of Hillary. Read what others have posted about her history. Look at who funds her campaigns. These are facts.
Bernie voted against NCLB and his vote on the Murphy amendment was an anomaly. His words and actions have aligned strongly for decades, which is a much different story than Hillary’s. He doesn’t have a superPAC, and the fact is that he’s been fighting big money interests his entire career and Hillary has been strung along by those big money interests.
The following is from a questionnaire that was posted on Diane’s blog several months ago:
Q. What are your views on private school vouchers, tuition tax credits, and charter school accountability and transparency?
Bernie Sanders: “I am strongly opposed to any voucher system that would re-direct public education dollars to private schools, including through the use of tax credits. In addition, I believe charter schools should be held to the same standards of transparency as public schools, and that these standards should also apply to the non-profit and for-profit entities that organize charter schools.”
Of course, there is a lot more left to say, and no politician thus far has given us what we really want on “K12edpolicy.”
“Hill of Sand”
What they say don’t matter
But what they do, it does
And when it comes to latter
Well, Bernie wins because
His deeds are in a line
While Hillary’s just bend
He’s solid over time
While Hillary’s like sand
Hillery’s political trail looks like a Gordian knot.
Obama spouted similar rhetoric along the campaign trail , but when he was elected it was time to pay the corporate pipers who got him in office and he went about the business of decimating public education – look at Hillary’s donors – are they charter supporters or public school supporters, everything else is just lip service.
Scorched by Obama’s lies, teachers are reluctant to trust anything the democrats utter. Does Hillary mean it or is she just posturing? At least the republicans attack from the front while the democrats sneak around acting like an ally and stab us in the back. We know the Clinton Foundation has been a big support of TFA, another misguided, bad idea from “reform.” We know all about her Wall St. and Eli Broad connections. Who knows what to believe?
Definitely posturing.
With “friends” like these, who needs Republicans? 😛
Agree. I think it is lip service. She simply has too many connections to the anti-teacher and TPS sector out there.
Hillary can’t say she is an advocate for public education, when she has accepted tons of money over the years from Wall Street who seeks to dismantle it.
Once again, a politician saying and doing anything to get elected.
Let’s not forget that President Clinton was responsible for passing the New Markets Tax Credit law, and it is this law that stimulates the corporate interest in speculating in charter schools as a for profit investment.
At least she is admitting knowledge and apparent comprehension of the issues. The next step is action and that will be painful for her because she will run afoul of many well positioned and powerful individuals in the 1%.
True. She seems more current in her understandings of the issues than anyone has been willing to state.
I give her credit for having some sense of the systemic nature of a public entity – the limits, the fact schools exist in a given geographical area with finite funding so choices have to be made and priorities set.
It drives me crazy when people talk about “choice” in isolation because that’s just not reality.
I’m impressed she broke this far from the accepted line, actually. I don’t recall another national politician doing that.
I wonder what HRC means by ‘exercise choice’ & ‘within the public school system’ when she says “So I want parents to be able to exercise choice within the public school system — not outside of it — but within it because I am still a firm believer that the public school system is one of the real pillars of our democracy and it is a path for opportunity.” The statement takes no actual position on the issues at the center of the fight.
It means no vouchers yes charters, I think
It means whatever you want it to mean. That is the goal of all political speech by politicians.
Yes, nothing specific here. What does she think of the Parent Trigger Law available in several states? Did she see “Don’t Back Down”? What did she think? Is she in favor of vouchers to be used at only public schools? To what school will her new grandchild go?
The problem, of course, is everyone keeps talking about what Hillary does rather than paying close attention to what she says.
I thought it was the opposite. The key to understanding Hillary is looking closely at what she does, not what she says.
Personally, I care not about a word Hillary has to offer on public education.
Hill is a shill.
She was on the Board of Directors for WalMart. She is a consummate liar and would prostitute herself on every corner on Wall Street anytime to take corporate donations. I am all for a woman being president, just not this woman. She is a prime example of another fake democrat who is really a piece of demo-crap. Ultimately, it is about a person’s politics and character more than their ethnicity or gender.
I am no fan or voter for the GOP ever, but a few things:
Bill Clinton, during his presidency, put into effect a law saying that any foreigner coming into the USA and donating $500,000 or more to a CHARTER school would get his/her immigration papers expedited and the path to citizenship would be shortened greatly. This was a little known law that Bill Clinton was adamant about passing and he succeeded. I often wonder if the head of Gulen schools had any connection to this or at least took advantage of the law if it was in effect at the time he began growing his charter school empire here in the United States.
The same law appllied to any foreigner investing $500,000 or more in real etate that resulted in construction of a building housing 10 or more employees of a start-up or pre-existing enterprise.
I know Bill did these things, but the apple-wife does not fall far from the husband-tree.
Hillary has remained silent on public education largely until now. She said not even a few months ago at a major press conference that public schools should look at best practices in charter schools and emulate them. Sorry, but I would be loathe to teach in an Eva Moskowitz test-prep-and-weed-out-the-weak factory. It’s not my idea of cognitive growth and intellectual development.
Hillary is a weather vane and blows with the wind, even if the air pressure is lighter than a gossamar.
Hill is a replica of Bill, and both are a shill. Yes, both are “better” than Bush and Reagan, and both are appallingly inferior to Bernie Sanders . . . . . And to anyone who is serious about pushing this country into a priogressive and egalitarian agenda.
You are so on target with Hillary’s political M.O. I hope you don’t mind if I post your comment on FB because your comment will enlighten many who are still not sure who to support in the presidential election. I want you to know that we are feeling the Bern!
Well said, as usual.
You are right about the $500,000 investment that allows foreigners to buy a green card. Much of the real estate in major cities such as New York, Miami and Los Angeles is purchased this way. This has caused a gigantic bubble in these markets resulting in pushing local citizens out of the real estate market. The Chinese and Russians are the two top buyers in these markets. It’s a great deal for them, a green card and huge investment, but it may prove to be naive for us.
Zulma, take every word of mine and put it out there. Hillary is a fox who eats like a wolf and looks and acts like a dove . . . . .
Thank you, Ed Detective
The law for EB-5 visas is as follows: From the government web site “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services”
“Entrepreneurs (and their spouses and unmarried children under 21) who make an investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States and who plan to create or preserve ten permanent full time jobs for qualified United States workers, are eligible to apply for a green card (permanent residence).
Up to 10,000 visas may be authorized each fiscal year for eligible entrepreneurs.
You must invest $1,000,000, or at least $500,000 in a targeted employment area (high unemployment or rural area). In return, USCIS may grant conditional permanent residence to the individual.
For more information, see Section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and 8 CFR 204.6.”
No where does the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) state that one can donate $500,000 to a charter school and buy a green card. Invest is the key word not donate. This connection to charter school is dishonest.
Another important point is that USCIS may grant conditional permanent residence to the individual, emphasize, “may”.
Voice of America (US government agency) reports “US Issues 1 Million Green Cards, Naturalizes 757,000 in 2012. This represents less than 1/3 % of the US population.
Words like shill and prostitute have no place in public discourse. I am not a supporter of Hillary, I do not like her policies but I abhor calling names like shill or prostitute. No one deserves this kind of name calling.
Raj,
Sorry, but you are wrong about the connections between green cards and charters. Read this story published by Reuters: http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL1E8LAOAK20121012
This is from 2012:
Oct 12 (Reuters) – It’s been a turbulent period for charter schools in the United States, with financial analysts raising concerns about their stability and regulators in several states shutting down schools for poor performance.
The volatility has made it tough for startup schools to get financing.
But an unlikely source of new capital has emerged to fill the gap: foreign investors.
Wealthy individuals from as far away as China, Nigeria, Russia and Australia are spending tens of millions of dollars to build classrooms, libraries, basketball courts and science labs for American charter schools.
In Buffalo, New York, foreign funds paid for the Health Sciences Charter School to renovate a 19th-century orphanage into modern classrooms and computer labs. In Florence, Arizona, overseas investment is expected to finance a sixth campus for the booming chain of American Leadership Academy charter schools.
And in Florida, state business development officials say foreign investment in charter schools is poised to triple next year, to $90 million.
The reason? Under a federal program known as EB-5, wealthy foreigners can in effect buy U.S. immigration visas for themselves and their families by investing at least $500,000 in certain development projects. In the past two decades, much of the investment has gone into commercial real-estate projects, like luxury hotels, ski resorts and even gas stations.
Lately, however, enterprising brokers have seen a golden opportunity to match cash-starved charter schools with cash-flush foreigners in investment deals that benefit both.
“The demand is massive – massive – on the school side,” said Greg Wing, an investment advisor. “On the investor side, it’s massive, too.”
There is more.
I agree with you that it is reprehensible to call someone a shill or prostitute just because you disagree.
Amen, Robert! Hillary sells herself to the highest bidder. ALWAYS remember Little Rock where the Billaries instituted standards and high-stakes testing.
Raj, stop clutching your pearl necklace and take a deep breath. Or at the very least, don’t bother being a language police. This country was founded, in part, on free speech, and its independence from a plutocratic and dictatorial monarch was established through physical aggression.
My actions are limited to some metaphors that have a bit of a hostile tone. If you cannot take even that much, Monsieur soldier-chef, then leave the heat of the kitchen and the battle field. The war against teachers and leaders in public education is only for grown ups, Raj. It might notbe for you.
In your specific case, I will make an exception and act like a charter school by weeding out the weak and counseling you out of this forurm, which may not be the appropriate setting for you . . . .
Hillary is a whore, but so is her husband and nearly all other politicians up on Capitol Hill. Cheating and lying and not representing the average person is the oldest profession they know how to do.
Get over it.
This is such a non-answer from Clinton. It’s like saying, “Most charter schools are bad, but I still support them. Oh and this is so much better than those folks who support school vouchers. Not me! I’m a progressive!” How I wish any candidate had the guts to say the whole charter school concept should be discontinued or at very least that each existent charter would be investigated and only the good ones left standing and NO NEW CHARTERS!
Surprising. Did she say she supports the Feds defunding charters, private ones. Is she making a distinction between private and public charters? They are all the same? They are private when they don’t want to disclose any information and public when they apply for and are granted public money. She should know this so basically, she supports charters. Doublespeak.
Doublespeak by Hillary.She is distinguishing private charters from public ones and does that distinction really valid. Charters are private when they don’t want to disclose anything and public when they have their hands out for public monies. Saying what she did meant nothing in that she supports charter schools and is talking politically instead of truthfully.
Charter school advocates’ mantra:
“We are a public school. We need your tax dollars and we are getting them!
We are a private enterprise! We don’t have to disclose anything to anyone anytime, especially to regulatory agencies and parents. We don’t have to accept or keep any kind of student. Mind your own business!”
Phony baloney. Don’t fall for any more false promises made on the campaign trail from those claiming to be socially liberal but fiscally conservative. They are Republicrats and they employ spin doctors to write what comes out of the mouths, in order to perpetuate the illusion that we still have a two party system.
Hillary is owned by big business just as much as Bill, Barack and the GOP, including by those who fund privatizing public education, such as Broad, Gates, the Waltons and DFER hedgefund managers. Like their billionaire sponsors, the politicians who represent them are cunning, self-serving and cut-throat. When none of them values public education enough to see it as viable for their own progeny, even though there are many high quality public schools serving students in high income areas, the proof of their commitment to public education is in the pudding. They are themselves set for life and are no more likely to expand good, progressive public education than they are to spreading the wealth in this highly stratified society. (Corporations are HER friends, not ours.)
I was so close….Mary Danforth Stillman had a letter in the Post Dispatch, wanting federal funding for charters….(she has an elitist all girls charter called the Hawthorne Leadership academy for girls)…and I thought I read that Hillary opposed federal funding….but…..I must have misunderstood…..I was close to posting Stillman’s letter next to what Hillary said in a PD forum…….cannot get the comparison to work. //www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/ma … 8e3f2.html
What has she done to back up her words? She’s running for president and most of us are aware of the fact that candidates will say whatever it takes to fool and/or convince people to vote for them.
HRC —
It’s about time. Thank you for seeing what most of us (in education) have been saying for over a decade now.
JVK
The Dispatch ran an editorial on virtual charters. The idea was to “clean up” the schools. But most interesting was the comments section flooded with supporters. Obviously there is a need as virtual charters serve 40,000 students and the people commenting seemed genuine. Supporters of public schools should listen. I am concerned that, as we all take sides, we are ignoring the reasons why people are leaving public schools. And not the reasons of the oligarchs and politicians sending their kids to elite private schools.
The comments overwhelmingly centered on families escaping public schools due to bullying and poor student behavior. A few mentioned a feeling of being ignored or not ignored. These are problems that schools can solve. Crime, poverty, and jobs are outside the purview of our classrooms. Our political leaders should focus there rather than blame teachers. But far too often, the behavior of a small number of students negatively affects those that want to learn or value education. Teachers and administrators are undermined and under constant threat of lawsuit or job ending retribution if they try to address disruptive students. It is not a thought popular here, but if public schools want to survive, they must address the growing issue of disruptive students and families interfering with the education of others.
*not involved
Obama said a lot about testing when he was running for president. And I believed him.
Hillary is a fox who eats like a wolf and looks and acts like a dove . . . . .
Hil NO! Ask her specifically about “her” state: New York.If she wants some credibility, maybe she should comment about her own back yard. Just remember her longtime friendship with Broad. Actions speak louder than words.
Look, regardless of how they campaign — “with smiles and with soft, deceitful wiles” — all but a few Democrats funnel money to Big Tech once in power, and all but a few Republicans funnel money to Big Oil once in power. Since Big Oil and Big Tech rely heavily on one another, we wind up with Republicrats like the Clintons and Bushes ruling the world. One party. Under God. Indivisible. With liberty and justice for one party. Under God. Indivisible…
I look up at the façade of Eli Broad’s tax haven/museum here on the not-so-Left-anymore Coast, see the huge, evil eye staring back down at me, and wonder what the technocrats whisper to each other behind the wall.
Ohio is trying to persuade parents to comply with testing:
The report cards allow for apples to apples comparisons between schools as well as identify schools and
districts that require additional support or interventions, such as:
1. Offering more grant funding for struggling schools;
2. Relieving high-performing schools and districts of some regulations;
3. Creating school choice options, like charter schools and voucher programs; or
4. Closing poor-performing schools.
That’s some incentive for public school parents and students, huh? “We need you to sit for tests so we can open more charter schools, pass out more vouchers, and then close your school”
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Testing/State-Test-Updates-for-2015_2016/November-2015/Guidance-on-Student-Participation-in-2015_2016-Sta/Guidance-on-Student-Participation-in-State-Tests.pdf.aspx
Seriously? Hillary isn’t perfectly aligned with many of you and she ‘panders’ so you don’t trust her positions? She’s a politician! You can please some of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time. Do I prefer Bernie’s politics? Yes! Do I prefer Hillary’s ability to maneuver through competing red & blue positions? Yes! We don’t have the luxury of only being satisfied with a perfect candidate. I will support whichever one we put forward with all my being.
“We don’t have the luxury of only being satisfied with a perfect candidate. I will support whichever one we put forward with all my being.”
The idea of primary elections is to select the best candidate from your “party.” Until the primary candidate is decided, Bernie is running against Hillary. In fact, for Bernie it will be a more difficult battle than the general election. If Hillary is elected, however, we will be in trouble vs the GOP.
“Seriously? Hillary isn’t perfectly aligned with many of you and she ‘panders’ so you don’t trust her positions?”
That’s not why we don’t trust her. It’s not about being in “perfect alignment.” It’s about being honest, and who sponsors you.
We have indeed been waiting for the media to question politicians about their views on charter schools. Clinton’s comments are the first I have heard from any politician, left or right, that indicates an understanding of the issues around private management of public dollars in education. Her comments also show understanding of the no-win situation public schools find themselves in when resources are reduced and they are still required to take all children, even the “hardest to teach.” Too bad it wasn’t on national television.
Helene–Please read eddetectives Nov. 8, 8:14 AM comments about what Bernie said when questioned on charters & vouchers–he said no, & he meant it. It just (as per usual) wasn’t as widely reported as quotes from HRC (skewed media–REALLY??)
Bernie gets it. And he takes NO money from PACs or millionaires/billionaires–never has, never will.
We finally have a choice w/o “the lesser of 2 evils” or voting for a 3rd party (which–although I, too, like Dr. Stein, is a wasted vote, as usual). Now the question is, are you going to sit on your kiesters whining & moaning on blogs, or are you going to do the work that it will take to get Bernie nominated? It’s defeatism to keep saying, “He can’t win!” Stop whining & start winning. Don’t be GAGAs.
Bernie 2016.
Or 4 more years of more brutal ed. reform–with either Dem. or Rep.
Definitely NOT for “other people’s children.”
Don’t be fooled by Hillary the shape-shifter. The pro-Clinton Center for American Progress has an article (based on a Third Way study) on how to improve American teachers. Among their proposals:merit pay (although their not calling it that) for “high-performing teachers” and making tenure harder to get. Sounds like CAP still advocates tying teacher evaluations to high-stakes test – as it would be rather difficult to determine a “high-performing teacher” otherwise. I’m not opposed to accountability, but doing it on CAP’s and thus Hillary’s terms, will hasten the demise of public schools in the United States.
Here are their proposals:
“Raise teacher compensation to professional levels and differentiate pay according to effectiveness and leadership responsibilities. In order to recruit excellent prospective teachers into the field, teachers’ salary trajectories must be brought in line with those of other professionals, which means higher starting salaries; faster salary increases, especially for high-performing teachers; and the opportunity to earn more by taking on additional responsibilities.”
“Improve professional development by aligning it to the needs of students and teachers. To ensure teachers are getting the kind of professional development opportunities they deserve, districts should be required to demonstrate how they are shifting their professional development dollars toward models that are designed to meet teachers’ personalized improvement needs, are aligned to high-quality evaluation systems, and are aimed at improving student learning outcomes.’
“Reform tenure by setting a high bar for attaining it and streamlining due process. In order to bring the tenure process in line with the needs of the ever-changing teaching profession, due process protections must be streamlined and the bar for achieving tenure must be raised by linking it to teacher performance and extending the timeline for attaining tenure status.”
These are harmful proposals wrapped in soothing words.
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2015/11/03/123747/smart-skilled-and-striving/
Just wondering Diane… do you know which of our illustrious politicians brought forth or supported the immigration ruling that enables wealthy to invest with a caveat that adds investments enabling Americans to gain employment by it? And then I do wonder who lobbied and put the notion forth to these wealthy foreigners wanting green cards… to invest in charters!!!
“Choice” in public schools is illusory. Few parents have the resources to take advantage of “choice”–transportation is a major barrier.
The candidates will be coming thru Ohio just as Obama’s huge charter school building program begins in the state, so we have a really good opportunity to force them to address specifics. They spend a lot of time here during Presidential elections.
Charter schools have done absolutely nothing to merit expansion in Ohio. This huge planned expansion is purely ideological preference on the part of Obama and Kasich. They simply prefer charter schools to public schools. They continue to cut public school funding and increase charter school funding- charter schools will expand and public schools will get weaker. They’re rigging the game against public schools while claiming they’re creating a “free market”.
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/10/maximize_impact_of_ohios_71_mi.html
Democrats may have bigger problems in Ohio than their enthusiastic support of public school privatization. Obama’s trade deal will be analyzed here thru the lens of manufacturing, and if the opponents to his trade deal are right, she’ll have to do some very fancy footwork to make this look like a “win” for “the middle class”:
Click to access analysis-tpp-text-november-2015.pdf
I wouldn’t want to defend 330,000 jobs lost in manufacturing here during an election year. I wish her luck with that. She’ll need it.
This is great. Researchers are finally grading lawmakers. Most of them failed miserably:
“The center looked at 13 categories of laws and practices and found that state governments are “ plagued by conflicts of interests and cozy relationships between lawmakers and lobbyists, while open-records and ethics laws are often toothless and laced with exemptions.”
The adults are not holding themselves accountable! When do we get “ethics reform” and start holding powerful people accountable? If we can hold 3rd graders accountable surely we could apply the same standards to the adults. They’re corrupt. They require a zero tolerance approach, IMO.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/11/09/ohio-graded-d-in-report-on-integrity.html
The thing is any pol can say anything before being elected, then do a complete turn around.
I voted for deBlasio because he stood strong against charters during the campaign. Then Cuomo cut off his legs. But what really got me going was the hiring of Farina over Starr. This decision after a meeting with Rahm. Public schools are still under the influence of Klein here in NYC.
I don’t trust anything coming out of Hillary’s mouth or even Bernie’s after his recent votes. Now it seems the Obama administration under King wants to punish schools that Opt Out. I would love to see Hillary defending this right until testing is changed—not before. Let’s be clear…the Democratic party (and in many ways the Unions) has been bought by the Reform movement. You know the powers that be don’t support Opt Out when our own union president, Mulgrew, won’t support it.
It’s all about privatization because it mostly about Wall Street donations.
I can just see John King rubbing his hands together and chuckling, “Soon I’ll be able to get even with those pesky parents who made my life miserable when I was NYS Education Commissioner. Now picture him cackling with glee.
A horrifying vision.
And now Diane posted the info about Boston and the winning Mayor who kept his mouth shut about charters beating the charter supporter…then the new Mayor hired Tommy Chang of LAUSD fame as Supt. and who is a Broad Academy grad and big supporter of charters. And now, the Boston Mayor is rushing to charterize a large number of public schools.
When will the public understand that candidates LIE and many legislators are NOT to be trusted?
Remember Hillary’s husband and his diatribe on what ‘is’ is. And Vitter on prostitutes. What a bunch of bums. Beware of empty words.
“Hill n Bill”
Hill is coming
Bill is due
Further gumming
Will ensue
The Clintons have had a close relationship with Eli Broad for a long time. They have been fully in support of his agenda. They, like the Mayor of Boston, will say anything to get elected. Watch what they do not what they say.
http://www.defendpubliceducation.net/eli-broad-and-the-clintons-upd
Also, again I must remind everyone to read Carl Bernstein’s 2007 book, A Woman in Charge, particularly pp. 168-175, (e.g., p.169, “The Arkansas State Teachers Association.would become the leading villain instead for the rest of Hillary & Bill’s hold on the governor’s mansion.”) But–read it for yourselves.
& again–for some reason–I am asking to hear comments from some Arkansas teachers of that era–what say you?
She has seen the light . How long have you been waiting for someone , to speak the truth.
Thanks, Jules. What matters is whether HRC considers charters to be public schools.