Two interesting articles assessing what Donald Trump will do to change the federal role in education and to change American education by privatizing it.
First is Liz Dwyer’s article, reviewing his various promises.
Emily Deruy also reviews Trump’s plans and speculates on his possible choices for Secretary of a Department that will shrink or disappear.
The bottom line is that Trump wants competition, choice, and privatization. Like DFER, Duncan, and King. But with vouchers and big money.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
cross-posted at http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Two-Views-Trump-and-the-F-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Competition_Diane-Ravitch_Education_Trump-Lies-161110-283.html
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“The bottom line is that Trump wants competition, choice, and privatization. Like DFER, Duncan, and King. But with vouchers and big money.”
I have to agree, but look at the spin machinery even in the Atlantic article.
Why am I bothered that the Atlantic article has the following whisper credit line at the end?
“This article is part of our Next America: Higher Education project, which is supported by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Lumina Foundation.”
Note also that POLITICO reports on education are sponsored by The 74 and that EdWeek content has long since been shaped by foundations who pay the bill for a focus on specific topics.
I guess my point is that the bloated billionaire foundations eager to control public education from cradle to career, and public higher education have been hard at work steering so-called “national conversations,” including how states should move on the “flexibility” provisions in ESSA.
On a related note, the value of stock for the Correction Corporation of America saw a huge increase.
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Laura,
You are prescient as always in noticing that Corrections Corporation of America’s stock rose. The Department of Justice announced a few months ago that it was ending the use of privately managed prisons because the cost-cutting and profit-making led to poor quality, Lee safety, and fewer rehabilitative services for prisoners. Hillary said she would end all privatization of federal prisons,
Under Trump, it is back to privatization. Stocks are up for for-profit higher education as well, despite their poor quality, low graduation rates, and poor education.
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How Could We?
by Jack Hassard
How Could We? Like many of you I’ve spent the day after mourning for our country and the people who have been abused and threatened by the man who was elected over one of the bravest women that we could have had for our President. How could we? How could we elect the bully? How could we….. (see more at Jack Hassard blog)
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There’s grass roots support for public schools. You just saw it in action in Mass and Georgia.
People don’t hate public schools. Ed reformers are wrong about that. We just have to be confident enough to enlist their support and tell them these politicians want to eradicate their schools. They’ll rally. They’ve done it over and over.
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I agree. And support for public schools, not charters, needs to be a central part of the Democratic Party’s platform. The Democrats need to differentiate themselves from the Republicans in a stark way on education.
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It’s just amazing to me that Donald Trump reads nothing and knows nothing about the government he now runs, but he knew enough to bash public schools and cheerlead charter and private schools.
That’s how deep these slogans have penetrated. It’s an absolute safe bet that there’s political gain by attacking public schools. They ALL do it and they all sound exactly the same down to words and phrases.
Best political punching bag these guys have ever found. They hit public schools over and over and over.
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The only difference now is that charters have lost their “new car smell.” The public is catching on to the real motives of privatization. Corporations are failing in their attempts to snowball the public and control local politics. Let’s hope this trend continues.
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There’s also a good chance that Trump K-12 will be born and we will see a return of Trump University, but run by his children while he lives in the White House and destroys our republic.
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On a more positive note, If President Donnie tries to push vouchers, he’s liable to ignite much more resistance from supporters of public education and church/state separation. It’s not even too much of a stretch to imagine charter operators getting involved, since, given his lackluster support for education of any kind, all school funding is likely to face austerity in a Trump administration, and charter operators’ ox is likely to be gored, as well.
I’ve always felt that, at least for Republicans, charters were just the opening wedge for total privatization, including/especially vouchers, but Trump might find obstacles in his way, especially if he shrinks the Departrment of Education.
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Michael Fiorello,
You may a good point about the possible pushback on privatization.
Until now, we have struggled to combat super rich financiers who contribute to charters and claim they are part of the civil rights movement. Their loss in Mass unmasked them as privatizers with no connection to the civil rights movement.
The push for vouchers will awaken a constituency that doesn’t want public money going to churches, synagogues, and mosques. And there will be no talk about this being a civil rights issue, since it comes from President Trump.
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That sounds so wrong, Diane!
The that being “President Trump”.
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