Carol Burris found this advertisement on Craig’sList.
Remember the old Andy Hardy movies that featured Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland (no, you probably don’t, but I do). At some point, one of them said, “Hey, kids, let’s put on a show!” And that was a good excuse for some singing and dancing.
Now, it seems, the kids would get together and open a charter school.
Please raise your hand if you think that this is the way to improve education for our nation’s children? Raise your hand if you think that this is the way to prepare for life in our age? Just anybody at all can put their heads together, write (or copy) a proposal, and get public funds to start a charter school. No experience necessary.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
One word: insanity
One phrase: suicide as a nation state and republic
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By the technical terms, we are NOT a nation state. We have a huge variety of ethnicities (“nations”) in the U.S., which disqualifies us from that title.
Sorry, I just taught the concept of nation state to my AP Human Geography students last week.
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The United States is made up of 50 smaller countries that are capable of governing themselves. Most of the states that voted for Trump have high rates of crime, corruption, and poverty.
It’s time to dissolve the U.S. and let those 50 states recombine into different configurations.
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Wow! I’ve been suggesting a resurrection of the Confederate States of America for several decades now. It’s nice to see someone else with such thoughts. Calexit may be a foreshadowing. Read American Nations by Colin Woodard.
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I’m all for letting the country break up into the Confederacy, the Bible Belt, the Rust Belt, the North East from New York state on up, and the Western United States (Calif. Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii, although the Hawaiians would like to have their country back since the U.S. stole it from them).
Alaska will probably be its own country just like Texas. With Texas going it alone, Mexico might invade and take back what was once theirs after they took it from the North American natives that lived their for 15,000 years. I have no idea what will happen to Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. The Mormons will certainly take Utah and spin it off to become a country until the Christian Fundamentalist Bible Belt America invades on a crusade and slaughters them and then loots all their wealth.
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Wow. Quick to rush to secession there, folks.
What about those of us that are blue in red states? We just get the shaft? And Confederate States of America? Have I fallen into the Twilight Zone?
We’re in this together, folks. We need to STAY and work to change things.
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If you live in a red state and are a registered Democrat, hopefully, you’ll be allowed to leave and seek asylum in a blue state, before the Alt-Right ever-hating mob shows up to tar-and-feather you.
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I made the CSA remark and I live in AZ. Red enough for you? My lineage allows me Italian citizenship and I might take them up on it if the Populists there don’t make a hash of the country (they have their own secession problems).
If anyone knows of pertinent books on this notion of letting the South go so we don’t have these constant battles over religion and race and militarism…………….let me know. But are you saying, TOW, that we can work things out? If anyone can show me how, given the religious certainty of most conservatives that there’s a god on their side, please pass on the info. I am full of hope.
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In 2012 when Broad, Duncan and Snyder were launching a huge charter initiative in Detroit our local paper in rural Ohio had a piece on a recent law school graduate who was opening a charter school there. I was just appalled reading this. This young woman had zero experience with schools of any kind, had no connection to Detroit or the people who live there- she had a bachelors degree and a law degree and a lot of ed reform slogans.
The idea that someone had rubber stamped her application to use public funds to launch this personal project just horrified me- just the carelessness and recklessness of that.
I have no idea what happened to her school in Detroit but, wow. She couldn’t get a job in an Ohio public school let alone launch one.
It’s arrogance on her part. The idea that she can just conduct her ill-considered experiment in that city with no adult supervision of any kind and it’s the public’s job to fund it just blew me away.
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This post seems to be one to piggy-back on with a statement that will no doubt infuriate members of this blog, and it follows on quite a few items I sent in on the Can Democracy Survive thread. Here’s what I am looking at: my son came to education late in life (as I did), in his 40s. He cannot make money in the classroom even though he has turned out to be highly effective and loves it, esp working in a district beset by all the problems of the inner-city. He is, in fact, ideal for such a district. He has his admin certificate and is looking. However, it is the charter school movement that is willing to give him a chance. The public systems, while stable and reliable and much more professional than the charters, are pretty rigid in a variety of ways. Given the fact of his background, which often seems to make him a question mark when it should recommend him, and his age, he may have to go with a charter operation.
I’m just throwing this out there to see what responses you all might have to offer. I despise the charter movement even though some are good schools and some, very few, charter people are sincere and dedicated; most seem to be charlatans and money grubbers. But where is one to go for an opportunity?
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I know several people who started teaching at charter schools and then were able to move into public schools. It’s the old – “they want people with experience, but how do you get experience” problem. I’m no charter school fan, but it can sometimes be the only way to get your foot in the education door.
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S,
I have spoken to ex-teachers who started in charter schools and said they gave up on teaching as a career because they burned out.
I have met professors who said that some of their most promising prospects for teaching went into TFA, taught in a charter, and never wanted to teach again.
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Have your son come to Utah, particularly if he teaches math, science, foreign language, special education, or elementary education. We have jobs that are being filled with long-term subs.
Of course, he’ll take a huge paycut: starting salary here is less than $30,000. But he’ll have a job. And we teachers in Utah keep being told that we shouldn’t whine about the ridiculous pay here, we should “just be grateful that (we) have a job.”
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Go for it! Many administrative positions in public schools are attained following years of brown nosing (alternate term not appropriate for this blog). Political connections are another important asset. Years ago a colleague recommended that I address envelopes for a powerful city councilman in the ward since I had “nothing to do anyway”. I declined the advice and as they say, “The rest is history.”
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Frankly, my husband says the same thing to me when I express my concerns about public education’s future. “Why don’t you open your own school?” It is not something anyone should do on a whim. I understand the tremendous responsibility it would be. It seems like former felons, rappers and sports stars are all in the charter game. Only it is not a game. It is about our collective future. I would never be so bold as to try to do anything to diminish or harm public education. I have seen public schools do an outstanding job during my career. While I know there is room for improvement, that is no reason to destroy and institution that helped to build our nation. We need to support and defend public schools against the barbarian horde of extremists and vultures.
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Will the privatization movement in education allow teachers, actual, real teachers, to open corporate charter schools? Or will we see: teachers and/or professional educators not allowed to apply because of the danger of actually teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills in addition to a love of reading books.
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NVPers considers each charter a school district
Charter school personnel collect NVPers as individual school districts.
https://www.nvpers.org/public/employers/employerList.jsp
Charters do not have to employ “teachers”.
They are willing to employ persons without a license. Most charter online advertising for teachers does not require a college degree or a license.
The Nevada Tax Payer will pay retirement for charter employees whether those employees have met even minimal qualifications to teach children.
Charters do not disclose to parents that they do not employ licensed professionals.
The irony of this obscenity is not lost on this public school teacher who has endured on-going witch hunts for “bad teachers”. As we have been chasing the “bad teachers” in public schools, charters are allowed to hire whomever off Craigslist.
The same lobbying groups which demonized public school professionals as the enemy, have created extremely bad “choice”. Nevada legislation created a system that requires nothing for the huge investment the Nevada Tax Payer will pay now and into the future.
Anyone asking about the “return on investment” for Nevada charters?
Anyone asking about the “return on investment” for NVPers and Nevada charter “teachers”?
We will all pay in the long run for a poorly educated population which is also more likely to be incarcerated or need public assistance.
And charters attract personnel by waving NVPers like candy.
Come get your NVPers!
Be a charter school teacher!
Live off the Nevada Tax Payer! No degree or license required!
Do the parents at charters know that the person in the classroom is not prepared to teach?
There seems to be a business to help charters recruit and operate:
http://www.academicanv.com/index.php
That looks expensive.
Wonder who is cashing in on the tax payer there.
Charters recruit from Craigslist:
Explorer Charter
https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/edu/5904989730.html
Nevada Charter? – United Testing Service
https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/edu/5900910258.html
Please note a big selling point for charter school recruitment is NVPers, while not necessarily demanding the person be a teacher or become a licensed teacher.
Please note a license and a degree are often not mentioned.
Charters recruit from websites:
Silver Sands Montessori
https://www.teachers-teachers.com/referral/silver-sands-montessori-charter-school/job/special-educationprograms-administrator-286027?source=indeed&v=c286027
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Academica Recruiting Special Education Teachers on-line
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=ccfdc149865e509c&from=recommendation
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Coral Academy
Willing to hire without a license?
The Salary Schedule only applies to licensed teachers with proper endorsement(s).
Valid Nevada Teaching License or valid out of state teaching license that can be transfered quick.
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=7959c04c2c69be86&from=recommendation
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Explorer Knowledge 2nd/3rd grade teacher
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=e24c8a914b30270a&from=recommendation
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Drama Teacher Andre Agassi
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=45f62e497eb91982&from=recjob
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
English Teacher American Preparatory
College education required does the applicant need a license?
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=5b8e4d872fb18928&from=recjob
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Imagine Schools at Mountain View. – Special education teacher no license or degree required?
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=e78b0ca55d24ee14&from=recjob
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History Teacher – American Preparatory Acdemy
College required – no need to have a license?
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=c9e833de5507affe&from=recjob
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Pinecrest Academy K-2 Teacher
No college or license required?
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=c9e833de5507affe&from=recjob
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Somerset English Teacher
No college or license required – need a willingness to run after school program?
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=c9e833de5507affe&from=recjob
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The Nevada tax payer will pay now and into the future for this sub-par system of “choice”. NVPers should not be the main selling point for attracting Nevada Charter Teachers.
Conservatives should take a deep long look at these charter scammers and ask how much is “choice” costing us – now and into the future.
Minimal teacher expectations are not enforced.
Choice evidently means – allowing parents to choose bad education by non-professionals.
Charters are obviously failing because they do not employ professionals.
Charters are not telling parents they have not hire professionals.
I think parents should know that people lurking on Craigslist are teaching their kids in charters.
If my district is attracting folks in this manner – shame on them too.
Tax payers need to insist that real teachers with a college degree and some background to be teachers are hired with our money.
And why is each charter in Nevada – it’s own school district in the NVPers system?
Sad.
Angie
PS – Maybe Senator Ford who has a PhD in charters and has enabled all this should be asked some serious questions. Asleep at the switch or in denial?
Please forward this to him and tell him he is not allowed to scream at me that I am a liar.
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This is indeed sad. Who wants to turn their children over to amateurs? If corporations prevail, they operate on two main principles, the ever lower bottom line, and and ever expanding markets. Have you ever noticed that toilet paper keeps getting flimsier and tears more easily? The quality diminishes as they try to lower the bottom line. Likewise, corporations are rarely satisfied with what they have. They are always in search of more customers, more territory Even school districts, not currently negatively impacted by charters, will be in their sights as they expand their markets.
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Angie,
Please add Relay Graduate School of Education to the mix.
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Relay Graduate School of Education has been well-funded from the beginning by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,most recently in late 2015 for “scaling up.” December 2015. See http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2015/11/Teacher-Prep-Grants
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WOW! Just when ya think it can’t get more insane, here it is. Must be our water.
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