Alternet: What You Need to Know about School Privatization in YOUR State

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1. Linda says:

   May 22, 2017 at 9:17 am

   Democratic legislators in W. Va. opposed Gov. Manchin’s charter school plan, stating that it would create a two-classs system. Manchin subsequently became a U.S. senator. His daughter is CEO of the company that made news with its Epipen price gouging. The manner in which the CEO got her West Virginia University degree also made the news.

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   • Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

     May 22, 2017 at 9:57 am

     Republicans since Goldwater have moved further and further in one ideological direction (oligarchy) . While democrats have moved to the right as if “the people would not choose the real thing every time.” Manchin is walking proof of how corrupt they are.

     It is not a neo liberal right wing philosophy that they hold . It is corruption plain and simple. Very difficult to criticize the Republicans when you are drinking from the same poison well.

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     • Linda says:

       May 22, 2017 at 10:21 am

       Yes.

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     • Ellen Lubic says:

       May 22, 2017 at 3:53 pm

       And Bill Clinton was beyond a centrist Dem when he imposed Welfare to Work, NAFTA, and the coup de gras, deregulation of Wall Street with the death of Glass Steagal.

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     • Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

       May 22, 2017 at 6:30 pm

       Ellen Lubic

       Beside the usual suspects detailed by Alexander and Frank so well lets not forget Bills gift to Murdoch that allowed media consolidation.

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     • ciedie aech says:

       May 23, 2017 at 1:35 pm

       Excellent poetic imagery worth repeating: “Very difficult to criticize the Republicans when you are drinking from the same poison well.”

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2. retired teacher says:

   May 22, 2017 at 9:48 am

   I am so happy that Alternet reprinted NPE’s privatization tools. The more people know, the better they will be able to defend their public schools. Many people may not also realize what is happening, particularly if privatization is not a huge issue in their part of the state.

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3. Chiara says:

   May 22, 2017 at 9:52 am

   It is good so thinks to NPE.

   You should do a special map for vouchers because “voucher creep” is a constant in ed reform.

   Vouchers are sold as a method to rescue poor children but no sooner do they get that than they start lobbying lawmakers for expansion to middle and upper middle.

   The basic sales job is predicated on a lie. People should know that.

   This is ABOUT “choice”. It isn’t about better public schools. That’s why I think public schools should reconsider hiring consultants who come out of the privatization movement. Hire people who support public schools. Taking advice from a group of “experts” who want to eradicate your school is nuts- charter and private schools would never hire someone who is hostile to private and charter schools, but public schools are expected to pay people who in no way support the school! Don’t do it.

   Ohio hired a national charter promoter for a speaking gig. HIS JOB is to bash public schools. Why in the HELL are we paying these people? They can’t pay an actual Ohio superintendent or principal or teacher to speak?

   Eva Moskowitz would never hire a person to speak who bashes charter schools, but public schools do it all the time at ed events. Stop doing it. It’s a poor use of public funds.

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   • Linda says:

     May 22, 2017 at 10:45 am

     If the paychecks of employees like those who are members of Pahara are signed by taxpayers instead of, private organizations, it’s a violation of public trust. When a public employee is aiding those who have to claw their way into public education to get a cut of the kids’ education money, its a travesty for the public to pay for it. Bill and Melinda Gates and Kim Smith want an agenda that the public doesn’t want. They should at least pay their collaborators.

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4. Chiara says:

   May 22, 2017 at 10:02 am

   I’ll be watching to see if any of the adults in the massive, paid ed reform “advocacy” sector defend public schools against ed reform budget cuts.

   DeVos and Trump are singling out our kids’ schools for budget cuts. That’s not fair to kids in public schools. They shouldn’t be the designated collateral damage in this free market experiment.

   There is not one whit of concern for kids in the unfashionable public school sector – if these folks were actually “agnostics” instead of hacks they would advocate for ALL kids, but they don’t.

   Vouchers and charters are the big winners, again. That’s piled atop 8 years of budget cuts to public schools at the state level.

   If they are truly “public schools advocates” they are doing a LOUSY job.

   I’m old enough to remember when this “movement” billed itself as “improving public schools”. They’ve been dominant politically for going on 20 years. When do kids in public schools see an actual benefit from these thousands of paid “advocates”? It’s all been grim loss and scolding so far. Return some value to kids in public schools or stop pretending to be “advocates”.

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5. Yvonne Siu-Runyan says:

   May 22, 2017 at 10:25 am

   The Liberal Left sold us out.

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   • Dienne says:

     May 22, 2017 at 10:35 am

     Only if by “Liberal Left” you mean the Democrats, who are, frankly, neither liberal nor left.

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     • Ellen Lubic says:

       May 22, 2017 at 3:55 pm

       Agree…the DFERs are far from Liberal or Left.

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     • Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

       May 22, 2017 at 4:21 pm

       I have made that same correction 3 times today .

       It is not about GOD,GAYS or GUNS . Two of those issues should not even be in the purview of governance. Time for a litmus test on the left. You can be a liberal if you are not an economic progressive . Sorry Democrats Bill and Barrack are not liberal not when their economic policies devastate working Americans,from the factory floor to the class room, k-U Or as Thomas Frank said all of Bill Clinton’s major accomplishments were Republican dreams.

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     • Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:

       May 22, 2017 at 6:32 pm

       I hate me or the lack of an edit button.

       You can not be a liberal if… …

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   • Linda says:

     May 22, 2017 at 10:46 am

     They were preceded by the crass right.

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