Mercedes Schneider wrote an excellent study–“A Chronicle of Echoes”–of the echo chamber of corporate reform.
In this post, she reviews one of the entrails in the belly of the beast. It is called the Pahara Institute, which claims to train leaders who will create the high-quality, high-performing schools that all children need.
If you look at the list of big-name participants, which includes local superintendents, state superintendents, even a former Secretary of Education, you realize why all these people sound like robots. They have been programmed in their echo chamber.
But one question keeps popping up: These people are in positions of power. They are not on the outside looking in. Where are the great schools and the great districts that they should have produced by now? One day, all children will have an excellent education, but is there a timetable? Ten years? Twenty years? The fifth of never? Will they ever deliver? Or will they just keep promising and promising until the funders stop funding?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
TRAIN LEADERS? Really? Bet their training is in HOW TO REPRESS rather than LEAD OUT (Educare). In addition, I am sure those being TRAINED are learning how to DIVIDE and CONQUER the masses (us). This is an OLD technique, which has divided people for the profits of the few. SAD what this country has become.
So, what are we going to do about this?
I think: We need a peaceful resistance movement, like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. promoted and lived. We cannot let the billionaires pit us against one another. We MUST stand for free public education for ALL. And monies should NOT be diverted to charter schools, for that defies and deters a healthy democratic society.
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The “fellows” program has been around for a decade. The aim is not to improve public schools but to get the fellows in positions of power to privatize them.
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YES, Laura. Indeed! SO SAD. I just don’t “GET” the mean-ness and the unfettered GREED.
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A substantial number of the organizations, that are identified with the Pahara Fellows, rely on the opportunity to claw their way into public education, in order to get money.
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I keep experimenting with the spelling variants; how about piranha? but on the position of offering something of interest I liked Curmudgucation on the “potato” this week. “http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2017/04/inactive-data.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FORjvzd+%28CURMUDGUCATION%29
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Mass. Dept. of Higher Ed. board member, Paul Toner, “former president of the 113,000 member Mass.Teachers Association (2010-2014), who served on many NEA committees at the national level, is also a Pahara -Aspen Teacher Leader Fellow.”
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thank you for the information; I had no knowledge of this. I do know how relieved I was when Barbara Madeloni was elected as President of MTA.
The board members have a lot of power and link to the people attempting to destroy public education an I am fully aware of how they use language to deceive. The terms “innovation” and “empowerment” are used to cover up a lot of hostile ideas and demonic philosophies, polices (especially with trump permitting them to act out on what they always wanted to do anyway.) This is where I use the word demonic; my favorite radio commentator said that trump is a duplicitous snake and I know he gives cover for a lot of people who would turn against us in a minute ; and we need to be vigilant in state politics.
jean sanders haverhill MA (on the NH border)
a Pahara -Aspen Teacher Leader Fellow.”
jeanhaverhill@aol.com
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“Children from low income and underserved communities do not have access to the quality of educational resources enjoyed by peers in wealthier communities.” Urban schools are often cheated when using real estate property taxes to fund schools. Here’s an “innovative” idea. Why don’t we look for other more equitable ways to fund public education? We don’t need corporations and billionaires taking over. They have inflicted too many market based plans on public schools, and they don’t know what they are doing. Most of all we don’t need any plans that harm the public schools most children attend. We don’t need more segregation, and we don’t need all the profit, waste and fraud associated with privatization. We don’t need to shift public dollars into private pockets. We need to strengthen and improve our existing public schools that have served our nation well, and continue to improve democratic participation in public education.
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Here’s what is possible when we support strong public schools. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/01/opinion/sunday/who-needs-charters-when-you-have-public-schools-like-these.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad
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I was reading about Elon Musk who is yet another person who wants to “revolutionize” schools because schools are old-fashioned. I was curious where HE went to school.
He went to a boys high school that is a historic landmark in South Africa. The “model” for the school was launched in 1896.
So how was he able to invent anything if he went to a such an old fashioned school?
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These billionaires are a bunch of arrogant “know it alls.” Just because someone is gifted or a visionary in one field does not make them an expert on everything, particularly if they have no background in the field they are “reforming.” Visions are not evidence; they could also be delusions.
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$410,000 and an additional $20 K for other compensation for the president of Pahara Institute. Sounds like a non-profit without an agenda to me.
(Total of salaries, and payroll expenses: $1,702,014). 33% of the “business” expenses are for this payroll.
The war on America’s Public Schools continues.
I have yet to research one of these groups without finding that the “expert in education” at the top is getting less than $200 K. For comparison the typical State School Board’s Association’s pay for this kind of Leadership is $100 K or less. Link to where the data came from is included. http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2015/455/141/2015-455141625-0cb0fb57-9.pdf
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Pahara is a Gates-funded program of the Aspen Institute, where David Koch is a member of the board. Pahara’s founder is Kim Smith, who also founded Gates-funded New Schools Venture Fund and Bellwether. The latter used the term “human capital pipeline”, for schools. Smith was a founding team member of Teachers for America.
In a Philanthropy Roundtable interview, Smith identified the “marching orders” of NSVF, “to develop diverse charter school organizations to produce different brands on a large scale”.
Eric Gordon of the Cleveland school district is a Spring 2017 Pahara Fellow.
The mission of an organization is its survival. That fundamental point is taught in management coursework. If an employee is working to privatize a public institution, he/she should be denied employment in the organization.
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“But one question keeps popping up: These people are in positions of power. They are not on the outside looking in. Where are the great schools and the great districts that they should have produced by now? One day, all children will have an excellent education, but is there a timetable? Ten years? Twenty years? The fifth of never? Will they ever deliver? Or will they just keep promising and promising until the funders stop funding?”
Yep: the question keeps popping up.
And the question will never get answered because there IS no answer of true substance.
We’re seeing all the best quality spin that money can buy, but when the chips are down and the hand has been played, it’s time to put your cards, face UP, on the table.
And if you’ve been bluffing all along…then you lose.
These people don’t like losing. It’s like Donald, still on the campaign trail even though the deed’s already been done. No substance to back up the bluster.
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