Paul Sagan, the chair of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which oversees and approves charter schools, gave $100,000 to the campaign to raise the cap on charters. This is a blatant conflict of interest. He is supposed to review and monitor, not cheerlead for them.
Please sign this petition to Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts calling to him to seek Paul Sagan’s resignation.
The petition says:
This year, 231 local school districts will lose more than $450 million to charter schools, even after state reimbursements. If Question 2 passes, it would more than triple the number of charter schools in just ten years, and take away more than $1 billion a year from our local public schools.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Done
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Keep in mind that another member of the board has confessed to being special assistant to the president of a private corporation that has given more than $700,000 in the same campaign.
Oops never mind, I see that’s Ed Doherty, the American Federation of Teachers and the $ are against rather than for the ballot question… Phew.
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Stephen,
Of course teachers and their union oppose privatization! Their hard work made MASS the best state in the nation on all measures of education. Why would they want hedge fund managers and Walmart to take over their schools, bust the union, and pocket the “savings”?
Teachers have skin in the game. They work in the schools.
What is YOUR skin in the game? Why are you so eager to privatize public money meant for public schools?
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Everyone can sign this but nothing will change. I’m sorry, but I don’t have faith in the system anymore. Mr. Sagan (or his attorney) will find the loophole to keep him out of prison and on the payroll.
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Done and shared .
The true is the best way to convince other , True is a legal weopon , the true is everywhere and anywhere , the true is inside as the lie the difference , True help lie hurt .
Kids are innocents say the true and sight any resolution and kids deserve it .
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CROSS-POST from Inside Higher Education
“Warren, Other Democrats Take Aim at Accreditors
By Andrew Kreighbaum
September 23, 2016
‘U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin and Brian Schatz on Thursday introduced legislation that would increase accountability for accreditors and require new standards for student outcomes they use to evaluate colleges and universities. Warren and Durbin have frequently called for greater accountability in higher education, particularly in the for-profit college sector. But the bill suggests a new focus by consumer advocates on the role of accrediting agencies in providing oversight of colleges.
‘Earlier this week, the umbrella organization of seven regional accrediting bodies announced that its members would conduct a joint review of institutions with extremely low graduation rates — a move that followed heavy scrutiny of accreditors’ performance in both the media and policy circles.
‘The Accreditation Reform and Enhanced Accountability Act would direct the Education Department to establish clear student outcome data, require accreditors to respond quickly to both state and federal investigations, add more transparency to accreditation decisions, address conflict-of-interest issues involving accreditors and the colleges they oversee, and give the department more power to punish or terminate failing accreditors, among other measures.
‘Accrediting agencies are supposed to make sure students get a good education and ensure colleges aren’t cheating students while sucking down taxpayer money. But right now the accreditation system is broken,” Warren said. “This bill gives the Education Department more tools to hold accreditors accountable, increases accreditors’ focus on student outcomes and affordability, and requires accreditors to respond when there is evidence of colleges committing fraud.’
“The Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions this week highlighted issues involving discrepancies in federal data on student outcomes, specifically involving graduation rates. The group of regional accreditors cited a need for better data from the Department of Education and said its members would consider additional information in their review of institutions with low graduation rates.”
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/09/23/warren-other-democrats-take-aim-accreditors?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=1723be609e-DNU20160923&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-1723be609e-198488425&mc_cid=1723be609e&mc_eid=f743ca9d07
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This is encouraging.
Imagine if every state with a neoliberal Board of Education petitions their governor to replace those boards due to conflict of interest.
It could be done.
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