“Closed by Choice” is an important report about what politicians have done to the children and communities of Chicago for the past 20 years.
They have systematically defunded and closed public schools, offering various lame excuses, while opening well-resourced charter schools.
The report can be found here.
” *Of the 108 new charter schools opened between 2000 and 2015, 62% of new charter schools were opened in areas with high population loss (25% or more).
*Between 2000-2009, 85% of new charter schools were located within 1.5 miles of schools that were later closed.
*The 27% of all CPS charter schools that filed a 2015 audit with the Illinois State Board of Education had a combined outstanding debt of $227 million that will be paid back with tax payer dollars. This off-the-books debt is not included in CPS’ overall $6 billion debt.”
The bottom line is that the overwhelming majority of children, who are children of color, have been systematically neglected for the sake of creating a dual school system.
This is not education reform. This is privatization at the expense of the overwhelming majority of children.
This is Rahm Emanuel’s agenda, this is Arne Duncan’s agenda, this is Betsy DeVos’ agenda.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It’s taxation without representation….and I thought that’s against the law?
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Destroying public schools based largely on the scores of students on standardized tests and A-F ratings is the first but not the final step in making all education private.
The end game is taking any remaining federal, state, and local tax dollars allocated for public education into the edtech industry where profits can be made from selling products/services, awarding micro-credentials, and gathering data non-stop for further marketing.
This the world of teacher-less and mobile learning, free of almost all brick and mortar schools, free of fixed schedules, and free of face to face encounters with actual human beings. The interim model is Rocket Ship, with students sitting in front of screens in a warehouse filled with cubicles.
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Most dangerous words yet: A WAREHOUSE FILLED WITH CUBICLES.
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Yet Steve Jobs believed strongly that his young children should received a low tech education.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS596US596&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html&*
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I have become one who abhors the tech industry of collecting personal data and making robo calls. They hire people to SCAM others. I am NOT talking about the AEROSPACE folks who I respect. They are scientists, first, and the tools they use help us discover NEW “stuff” in space and advance our knowlege. The others are just well…keepers of personal information to sell to others. Our government has gone the BAD WAY…rather than getting out and actually talking to people they should be representing.
ALSO BEWARE of those NEW TV sets. They can spy on you. HONEST, can’t make this stuff up. There’s a camera which can even track eye-movements. Don’t believe me? Check these out:
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/your-tv-watching-you-latest-models-raise-concerns-483619
cameras-track-faces-half-mile-away-breach-human-rights-laws.html
George Orwell’s Brave New World & 1984 are more appropriate now than ever before.
Wonder if the DEFORMERS read literature? Oh wait, many only want BULLETS points and have a disdain for books, like the current potus.
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The attack on public schools in Chicago continues. I have volunteered as a reading coach at a public school where 100+ children stand each morning for buses to disperse them to competing charter schools. The school escaped closure (it was on the hit list) only because of some high powered opposition, so the district has moved to stealth mode of gradually starving it of resources and personnel. I have no doubt they are still on a list. The real estate developers are foaming at the mouth; it is in a prime area for gentrification. Chicago “takes care” of it’s less fortunate residents by making housing too expensive.
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Now the district is trying to end the reading coach program. Of course everyone know that young struggling readers are best served if they have no access to individual help, especially when testing season is about to commence.
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Great insight; when gentrification is the hidden goal, there is no point in arguing that this or that curriculum/program/addition should be considered. The price of the land becomes increasingly lucrative and, despite local efforts, the city has zero actual interest in keeping or protecting the school.
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“This is Rahm Emanuel’s agenda, this is Arne Duncan’s agenda, this is Betsy DeVos’ agenda.”
And this is Barack Obama’s agenda. Never fear the truth about this fact.
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No one wants to say this, Obama’s education policy was as bad as any we have in the white house now. You are right.
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This is a disgrace!
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