Daniel Katz writes here about New Jersey Senator Cory Booker’s response to Betsy DeVos, the billionaire heiress who wants to replace public schools with vouchers and charters. She is a champion of privatization, a foe of unions, and a generous contributor to far-right causes.
What did Democrat Cory Booker say about her? Open the link.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Any Cory did such a great job managing that $100 Million from Zuckenberg. Oops, its all gone and nothing to show for it.
Perhaps it is guilt that keeps Booker from commenting on DeVos. He had a leading role in a — wait, Rex Tillerson was nominated?!? Rex Tillerson??? for Secretary of State?!? — what was I talking about just now… oh yeah, Booker had a leading role in a DFER conspiracy that ruled the Obama administration and likely played a large part in getting Donald Trump elected.
You apparently type faster than I do .
Did you happen to catch the Town Hall meeting with Sanders. It provided an interesting sample of the Trump supporters mind . Especially the woman who was on welfare (you might have to think a little to figure that one out.)
I watched a bit of that, but then I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt like Bernie wanted to grab them by the shoulders and yell, “Are you serious?” He was very restrained. It was almost hilarious how all four of them denied the bigotry of Trump and then betrayed themselves over and over again with their remarks.
Joel, watching that panel last night, a vague quote by Arendt came to mind. Just found it: “The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist.” These are now the people who are determining our collective fates.
Perfect quote, GregB. More on this tomorrow.
Joel,
I saw the town hall. I kept thinking what might have been. Angry and sad.
And there in lies the rot at the heart of the Democratic Party that delivered Trump to the nation. We have no problem understanding where the republicans are at . Trump is the culmination of a 40 year dream to dismantle Government and turn the country over to robber barons.
To which the Democratic response will be all too often “I am not saying anything” their silence has said it all. Their policy prescriptions when they had total control said it all. It is the lack of a real clear alternative that gives the right there hypnotic powers over the ignorant who form a coalition with the greedy.
Spot on, Joel. everyone keeps talking about the Rust Belt working class vote. A vote that should typical go to the Dems. Especially in the Midwest where RTW has been the scourge of the working class rights and income.
But the Dems only threw up their hands and rarely vocally fought it. especially on the national level. Where was Obama when teacher strikes hit Chicago or worker protests erupted in Wisconsin? Nowhere to be seen or heard.
So to the working class, Repubs say: “We’re out to cut your wages and workers’s rights. Screw you.”
Dems say: “Oh, you’re still around. Forgot about that.”
Yes, where was Obama? When he ran in 2007, he said he would put on a comfortable pair of shoes and walk the picket lines with workers whose right to organize and to bargain collectively were being threatened. Guess he forgot about that promise after his election, when Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was limiting collective bargaining rights.
Steve K,
Barely a peep from Obama when Scott Walker crushed the unions in Wisconsin. Jonathan Pelto even offered to send him some “walking shoes” so he could join the picket lines in Madison. Nothing could bring him to challenge Walker and defend working people. Maybe that’s why Dems lost Wisconsin. They allowed the destruction of their base.
Thanks, Diane. I have family from Chicago. Very liberal. I told them that he had done some things I liked but I couldn’t get on board. We had a big debate about it last March. I said that he gutted my profession. I also said that he (and Bill Clinton) had largely abandoned the working class.
My father was a lifelong Teamster. His vote was never in doubt: Democrat. But I’ve watched people become disenchanted by the Democrats as they’ve abandoned the workers. They won’t vote Republican but they also don’t vote at all. Who has their backs? Trump won partially because of depressed voter turnout. This may be an indicator as to why.
If the Democrats can’t speak up for the common working family, they’re dead. I live in Michigan where wages have been depressed and the Rust Belt Revolt took center stage. We have a despised governor and an ideological legislature. If the Democrats can’t recapture the governor’s mansion here in 2018, they have no one but themselves to blame.
dianeravitch
It is even a little worse than that Diane he announced his stimulus plan at the Caterpillar plant that broke the UAW. The equivalent of Reagan at Bitsburg . The AFL-CIO had serious discussion about boycotting the 2012 Democratic convention in Charlotte. One of the most anti Union locations in the country. Not one hotel was either built or staffed Union there.
We don’t need me to tell you about the assault on Americas two largest Unions.
And then of course, while Sanders started an assault on TPP then Trump adopted it (LOL) , then Clinton ran from it. What does Obama do but dare those voters in the Midwest to kick him in the ass.
Like I’ve said, we not he will pay the price.
I never understood the choice of Charlotte, NC, for the 2012 Democratic convention. The Dems traditionally have avoided Right to Work states.
Steve K
All true , the Town Hall on Chris Hayes last night had 4 interesting Trump voters . A life long Republican union member an oxymoron if ever there was one . That simply translates to a worker who never gave a minute of his time but expected someone to hand him a decent living while he sought to deny it to others . A welfare queen bigot (waiting for a challenge on that) . A single mom struggling with multiple jobs and only Obamacare which she can not afford. And a retired Union member who voted for Obama in 2012 and Trump and Democrats down ticket in 16 .
Two of those four should have voted Democratic. If only the one that voted down ticket had voted democratic . This blog could go back to discussing Pedagogy.
Instead of the survival of public schools or the planet .
I enjoy discussing the pedagogical approaches to education in Finland and in Waldorf schools. Additionally, I would like to see the end of the practice of tracking. Also, I sense that edu-tech is dangerous. I support my school. I support my district. I support my union. I support unions. I oppose Bill and Melinda. I oppose billionaires… I enjoy discussing the pedagogical approaches to education in Finland and in Waldorf schools
Yup, sums it up succinctly.
No surprise here at all! Booker has never supported public schools, even though he attended an excellent one in Bergen County. He has done everything in his power to undermine and destroy them. He has allied himself with anyone with the power to use a wrecking ball against public education.
He also supports vulture capital. I suppose he could best be described as a closest Republican. His problem coming out is that the Republicans have moved too far to the right on every issue .
Booker should work to change the Republican party from within. It will be interesting to see who heads the Democratic Party. A bill introduced by Keith Ellison, last year, was endorsed by Capital Impact Partners, a group Bill Gates met with, to work on financing for the charter chain partnered with Reed Hastings. And, of course, Howard Dean met with DFER, while protectors of public education protested outside in the rain.
On a slightly positive note, he did not gush or praise her (he’s pretending to be a Democrat). He is pro choice as regards abortion and he’s pro gay rights. He’s a corporate D and he’s most definitely for charter schools. Politicians openly pro the actual public schools are virtually extinct.
Booker is also pro-voucher. He has no reason to dislike DeVos.
Ah, here we go, more years of “going along” to “get along” –calling the methodical sell out of public education necessary under the theme of bipartisan politics.
All she has to do to get a rubber stamp from the Senate is add the word “accountability” to “choice”- “accountability” means testing.
That’s it. That’s ed reform. Charters, vouchers and testing.
She’s missing only the word “accountability” to meet the litmus test. She’ll figure it out. A five year old could figure it out. It’s two magic words and she already has one of them.
I’m still torn over whether ed reform abandoning public schools is good or bad for public schools. It may actually be good. I can’t think of a single positive benefit this “movement” offers public schools anyway.
They need public schools for a whipping boy and a dumping ground, not to mention as a piggy bank.
Say DC turns vehemently anti-public schools. What is the cost to public schools if that happens? Funding, obviously, but is there anything else?
Does the federal government openly working against public schools create some kind of energy for a new group of public school advocates to appear at local and state levels? I think it might. Holes tend to get filled and actions cause reactions. DeVos has been inside the ed reform echo chamber up until now. That won’t continue.
Ohio’s problem- Both U.S. senators are privatizers.
yes, and well-funded.
I remember seeing photos of Booker “shoveling snow” on Twitter, in which not a single snowflake was on his pant cuffs.
While there apparently is some documentation for his “saving” someone from a fire, in general I don’t believe any claim the man makes, nor should voters trust the positions of this lapdog for the Overclass on anything.
Just ask the residents of Newark about his tenure as Mayor: all hat and no cattle, as I believe people in Texas say.
Get ready for a full court anti-public school PR campaign.
The WSJ leads the way with a piece by an ed reformer that is 100% bashing public schools:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-education-pick-a-win-for-public-school-parents-1481588677
DeVos is a “win” for public school parents because when she eradicates the public school “sector” parents will able to switch to charter and private schools!
They now openly admit the goal is eradication of public schools. That’s progress. They can finally drop the “agnostic” nonsense which was always a politically motivated lie.
This is really radical. 150 elites in Washington DC are planning on zeroing out public schools. Wow. You wonder if they’ll bother to notify the public.
We’ll have to do it for them 🙂
The one area where DeVos will affect public schools is selling online ed tech garbage to low and middle income schools to replace teachers.
However. There is no law that says public schools have to get duped into buying anything she’s selling. That’s on us if we fall for it.
I agree.It is called education innovation with one of chief marketers Bellwether Education Partners.SOme of “partners” published their agenda in Fall of 2106.
You da Man, Joel. Once again you read our minds.
Booker comes from a thread within the black community that sees public schools and teachers as racist because black kids don’t do as well as white kids. They refuse to look at data on poverty and segregation considering it to be excuses.
The see charters and vouchers as opportunities for black control of black schools.
The NAACP turn should be shoved down Bookers throat. Sharpton as well.
Booker, the darling of the Democrats For Education Reform, has never met a charter or voucher that he did not love. Does he really believe that folks don’t pay attention?
Booker goes where the money is, b/c Booker is for Booker?
Recommended for inclusion in a proposed new book:
“PROFILES IN COURAGE: 2016”
REPORTER: “What’s your opinion of Betsy Devos as Ed. Secretary?”
SENATOR COREY BOOKER: (panicky) “I’m not sayin’ anything.”
(Booker then runs into an elevator to avoid the reporter)