Yesterday we learned that billionaires have assembled a fund of $725,000 (so far) to defeat Washington state Supreme Court justice Barbara Madsen. The money is being funneled mostly through a group called “Stand for Children.”
Why are the billionaires eager to oust Judge Madsen? She wrote the 6-3 decision in 2015 that declared that charter schools are not public schools under the Washington state constitution and are not eligible to receive public funding devoted solely to democratically governed public schools. For daring to thwart their insistence on charter schools, the billionaires decided that Judge Madsen had to go.
But what is this group “Stand for Children” that is a willing handmaiden to the whims of billionaires who hate public schools?
Peter Greene explains its origins as a social justice organization some 20 years ago, founded by Jonah Edelman, the son of civil rights icon Marian Wright Edelman and equity advocate Peter Edelman. Josh’s pedigree was impeccable, and Stand for Children started as a new and promising civil rights organization.
But somewhere along the way, SFC took a radical change of course. It began receiving buckets of money from the Gates Foundation and the Walton Foundation. By 2010, Oregon SFC was advocating charters, cybercharters, and a reduction in the capital gains tax. Flush with reformer cash, it became active in many states, opposing unions, supporting charters, removing teacher job security.
Strange.
The apple has fallen very far from the tree.
SFC endorsed the anti-public school, anti-union propaganda film “Waiting for Superman.”
SFC crowed about pushing legislation in Illinois that would cripple the Chicago Teachers Union. It opened a campaign in Massachusetts to reduce teacher tenure and seniority rules, threatening a referendum unless the unions gave concessions. Jonah Edelman boasted at the Aspen Ideas Festival in 2011 about his role in spending millions, hiring the best lobbyists, and defeating the unions.
Be sure to read the 2011 article by Ken Libby and Adam Sanchez called “For or Against Children? The Problematic History of Stand for Children.” They captured the beginning of the transition of the organization to a full-fledged partner of the billionaire reformers.
Old friends, now disillusioned, call Stand for Children “Stand ON Children.”
Greene lists the members of the current board. All corporate reformers and corporatists, not a single educator.
Greed is the root of a lot of evil. It turns good people bad if they can’t resist its lure.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Take any education “so-called” reform and it’s really DEFORM to make $$$$$ for the oligarchy.
Both the GOP and DNC are at fault.
Cross posted at http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Peter-Greene-What-is–ta-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Education_Money_Peter-Greene_Privatization-Of-Schools-160801-913.html#comment610376
with a comment containing embedded links to this site.
Public schools are disappearing and with it the road to income equality as well as a democracy. Shared knowledge is a requirement for a democracy, and when Billionaire Koch can write North Carolina’s social studies curricula…..
See my series on privatization https://dianeravitch.net/?s=PRIVITIZATION
using information that Diane Ravitch provides about the state legislatures which are taking over the local schools, with nary an educator on board, and giving them to charters, with not a shred of oversight! Here is a link to Diane’s posts on charter school corruption .
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” – 1 Timothy 6:9 7 6:10, Bible.
It is 2016. Stand for Children started in 1996. The website states “What have we done so far?”. The website stuff starts in 2010 – the new look !!!! It is almost all “deformed”.
Howard,
As a reader suggested, “edutourists.” But that doesn’t quite fit Stand, as they arrive not to view the scenery but to raze it and put up a big parking lot.
Diane, you mean like this:
It wasn’t enough that they hijacked the entire Washington State education debate and focused it exclusively on charter schools, they’ll now start the political apparatus up and keep the focus on charters- for years.
The same thing will happen in Massachusetts. You watch. Public schools will completely drop off the radar in Massachusetts. It’ll be all charters, all the time. It already is.
The complete and utter disinterest in public schools from people who call themselves “public education advocates” is amusing it’s so blatant- and it’s so much an echo chamber they don’t even notice it.
The national Democrats are focusing exclusively on preschool and college in Ohio.
I wonder if pretending K-12 public schools don’t exist will work out for them, politically.
People will surely notice they carefully avoid K-12 right? Why is that, I wonder?
You are right Chiara. Today, I received a mass e-mail survey, from Huma Abedin, Hillary’s aide. The survey, a multiple choice listing of about 10 items, ignores education but, lists “student debt”. The omission is too great to be inadvertent.
Stand for Children, comfy chairs for oligarchs.
Seriously, I am bothered by the “no excuses” schools. Are there parents who think this is a good thing? Have they been misled? Or are some public schools SO awful?
Some wealthy parents pay big money for military schools, so yes there are parents who think that hyper discipline is a good thing. And some of them are very influential and agitate for the same for everyone else’s kids.
Uncle Albert’s Nephew,
I don’t know of any “reformers” who send their children to military school. All I have heard of go to elite progressive schools where class sizes are 12
Is Jonah still connected?
Sent from my iPhone
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Yes, Jonah Edelman runs Stand.
His brother worked for Michelle Rhee. Last I heard he was working for Gates.
This is very disheartening – it yet another example where money buys influence. It does trample on the ideas with which the organization was founded. As a parent of multiple children in public schools, I’m totally discouraged by any organization for children that doesn’t have educators with extensive classroom experience on its board. This article refers to Eliza Leighton (on the board) as a lifelong k-12 education specialist.
https://www.ausa.org/articles/family-friendly-apps-improve-communication-during-separations
That seems a stretch.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliza-leighton-889b4110
It is too depressing to even look up the other board members.
The Edelman boys remind me of Alex Keaton (played by Michael J. Fox) in Family Ties–his parents were ’60s/’70s protesters, & have continued to be liberals (as are Marian Wright Edelman & her husband, the journalist Peter Edelman), but Alex turned out to be a conservative stock market watcher who read The Wall St. Journal & argued with his parents’ liberal conversations.
Another sad case of “life imitating art.” (I think they may have watched the series!)
Bad seeds
The territory directly north of Oregon is not a state. It is a colony of the Silicon Valley oligarchs. It dishonors an American hero to refer to the area as Washington.
For those who want A LOT of details about Stand’s misadventures in Massachusetts, this was the topic of my doctoral dissertation. The story is very similar to what is outlined here and in Peter Greene’s post – transition to neoliberal policies in the wake of Race to the Top, disillusioned former members, and near-complete abandonment of their grassroots mission.
http://dlib.bc.edu/islandora/object/bc-ir:104144
Perhaps a source of hope for public education advocates – it can be tempting to think of these organizations as well-oiled machines, but they aren’t. Or, at least Stand wasn’t in MA. National leaders at Stand orchestrated a clumsy advocacy effort that put state leaders at their own organization in an incredibly tight spot. As Peter Greene mentions, Stand has largely been inactive in MA since, but this was not part of their original plan. In pushing its referendum on behalf of national leaders, Stand soiled its relationships with virtually everyone in the state, including members of the business community. They will have to spend years rebuilding relationships/earning trust in order to really have any kind of major impact here again.
Peter,
I would love for you to write something for the blog about Stand in Mass.
It would be an honor and a thrill. What is the best way to get something to you? Feel free to email me directly at ptpiazza@gmail.com.
This is all so interesting… because if grassroots abandons the schools, then they will win.
When we allow corporations to speak for children instead of educators and allow for profit schools to service our neediest, this is what we create. Enough!