The propivatization lobby really wants to beat back teachers, parents, and school boards in Massachusetts!
Mercedes Schneider reports that the latest filings show that close to $32 million has been spent on the resolution–pro and con–to increase the number of charter schools by 12 a year forever.
The pro-privatization forces have put in almost $20 million, most of it from financiers from out-of-state, who have no connection to the children or public schools of Massachusetts.
The pro-public school forces have raised $12 million, most of it from teachers’ unions, who don’t want to see a batch of non-union privatized schools draining away resources from public schools.
The hedge fund managers’ lobby, DFER (Democrats for Education Reform) has joined the battle, bringing more money from Wall Street to Massachusetts on behalf of privatization.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Demokracy made the rich rich. Now the rich undermine their own Source.
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As the folks in Nashville found out
recently, this sort of outrage is
also an opportunity for the folks fighting
Question 2.
As in ju-jitsu, you use your opponent’s
strength AGAINST HIM or HER.
During Steve Zimmer’s campaign, Zimmer used
the fact that all this out-of-state money was coming
in — $1 million from Bloomberg alone — against
his corporate ed. reform puppet/opponent, Kate
Anderson:
“To whom do your schools belong,
out-of-state billionaires who don’t even live here
whose kids and/or grandkids don’t attend schools here?
“Or you, the citizens and taxpayers and parents
of children who attend these schools?”
This tactic was working so well, and
was getting such traction that when
I went door-knocking, I barely said a word before
the homeowner replied,
“Whoever’s the candidate who’s running against
the one that Bloomberg gave all that
money to, THAT’S who I’m voting for.”
It even got to the point were two corporate reform
former School Board members, Yolie Flores and
Marlene Canter, put out an op-ed trying to reverse
this highly successful effort.
(and as they say in court, or in politics…
“When you’re defending, your losing.
When you’re explaining, your losing.”)
Here’s that attempt to counter Steve’s tactic:
http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20130301/marlene-canter-and-yolie-flores-in-lausd-board-race-enough-with-insiders-vs-outsiders
Teacher/activist Martha Infante fired back at this in the
COMMENTS section (deleted shortly afterwords, btw):
INFANTE: “The teachers union is not the Borg. We are tens
of thousands of men and women who have chosen
to dedicate our lives to serving our youth.
“We are your husbands, wives, brothers and sisters. We
are your children, cousins, nephews an nieces. We are
people.
“What Flores and Canter choose to overlook is that the
will of Los Angeles residents should not be subverted by
any ONE wealthy individual from across the country. Unlike
teachers, Mike Bloomberg does not live in our city, pay
our taxes. or work in our classrooms.
“Teachers make meager contributions to school board
candidates they feel will protect the interests of students
and teachers alike. After all, we share a classroom for
8 hours a day. We are in it together.
“”I cannot afford to make a million dollar contribution. But
I can participate in my union, join the House of
Representatives, and demonstrate the best that
democracy has to offer: debating ideas, electing
sound leaders, and participating in elections by
phone banking and precinct walking when necessary.
“Isn’t this how a democracy should function? One person,
one vote?
“It is shocking then, to see two former school board
members flaunt their contempt of democracy by
aligning themselves to billionaires who are intent
on dismantling public education and privatizing it.
“What a conflict of interest.
“Ms. Flores herself pushed hard to destabilize
schools with the Public School Choice plan and
was reviled in the very community she grew up
in, Huntington Park, when she ceded part of the
local high school to charter companies.
“Then, she was handsomely rewarded with a
six-figure job with the Gates foundation upon
her separation from the school board. There should
certainly be a law barring public servants from
passing laws that benefit private companies and
then being hired by those very companies.
“I for one, and voting for Robert D. Skeels for the
District 2 school board seat because he is an
education activist that could never be bought by
corporations.
“Martha Infante,
National Board Certified Teacher,
Los Angeles 2009 CCSS Teacher of the Year”
Sadly, Robert came with on 4 percentage
poings of forcing Monica Garcia into a
run-off.
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A great new “NO on Question 2” video:
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