I have never met Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. I probably never will. I only know him as a politician who did his best to turn Newark into another New Orleans, without a hurricane. He became the best buddy of the horrible Governor Chris Christie, who together persuaded billionaire Mark Zuckerberg to put up $100 million to open charters in Newark, an effort that was chronicled in Dale Russakoff’s “The Prize.”
He has been honored by any number of rightwing groups, like the conservative Manhattan Institute. It was funny to watch him fulminate Against Betsy DeVos’ nomination, since he shares her agenda, including vouchers.
Here is his description of the deferred American Dream.
In his account of his life, he stresses his ties to Newark but does not mention that he attended one of New Jersey’s fine suburban high schools, which prepared him for entry to Stanford University, then a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford, then Yale Law School. He is not a humble Newark guy. He is part of the elite, which need not be hidden. He succeeded, and a great public high school set him on the road to success.
If he plans to run for President in 2020, he has to own his entire history and break his ties with the DeVos ideology.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“If he plans to run for President in 2020, he has to own his entire history and break his ties with the DeVos ideology.”
I agree wholeheartedly.
The big question is, “Will he break those ties?” Given his history, I am not too optimistic.
Thank you, Diane. I am concerned by the number of my friends and colleagues who do not know Booker’s history and merely become enamored of his current rhetoric. He exemplifies neoliberalism and is a questionable ally of public education.
From Andy Wolf: Why should he? Has Obama or Arne Duncan? Until charters get full scrutiny, they will continue to be referred to as “High performing” and conventional public schools as “failing.” Until we recognize that there are no miracles we will continue to insist that there are. The Eva Moskowitz Syndrome.
SYNDROME. Exactly. This game the modern-day school reformers are playing is so much like a disease, moving dangerously from place to place, morphing and changing as it manages to fend off efforts to expose and eradicate it.
Yes, 2020 could see Booker v. Trump and/or Pence. Other possibilities are Cuomo and Terry McAuliffe? What can I say, these are not good choices, hoping that Bernie runs but he will be close to 80. I will have to hold my nose, carry a barf bag and vote D because education is not the only issue. You know, SCOTUS and the lower courts and the social issues that these guys are good at. I cannot even imagine what things would be like if Trump gets a 2nd term, 8 years of this beast. Eight years of Betsy DeVos?
I sincerely hope that Booker and Cuomo do not run for the presidency. Maybe a miracle will happen and Nixon will win and cast Cuomo to the ground. Some interviewer asked Nixon why she doesn’t run for the state legislature or a lower office since she has never held any elected office before. What?! The sitting president never held any elected office, he was a reality TV star and a third rate robber baron. As far as I’m concerned, Nixon is eminently qualified to be president when compared to Trump. Too bad Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez isn’t old enough to be president.
I think Corey Booker is worse than terrible when it comes to education. I despise how he seemed to be owned lock, stock and barrel by the charter billionaires.
On the other hand, I also remember some good things about him. He did something that the privileged folks rarely do and ran for Mayor of Newark. Being Mayor of an extremely poor city is not like being a Senator where you don’t actually have to do much. He certainly made mistakes there but no one says “I think I’ll be Mayor of Newark to get famous”. He tried to make one of the poorest, most crime-ridden cities better.
He is certainly flawed and I hope he is challenged by a more progressive Democrat when he runs again. But compared to the so-called “moderate” Republicans who would have been members of the John Birch Society 20 years ago, Booker believes in democracy. And he believes in other tenets of a democratic society.
He was referred to the Hollywood Mayor in Newark because he was never there. He spent most of his time with vulture capitalists in Silicon Valley and this is how he got connected to Zuckerberg. Booker brought Zuckerberg to NJ.
Booker loves the wealthy. He eats and he mingles with them.
Despite my mistrust of Corey Booker, I found this article enlightening. I learned something new as I had no idea that corporations force low wage employees to sign non-compete clauses. I knew nothing about a monopsony in which a few employers in a field collude to keep workers’ wages low. I agree that the government has failed to represent labor in anti-trust laws when companies merge. Now with the Janus case public workers are also going to be a lot more vulnerable to billionaire manipulation than ever before.
Booker described his tenure in Newark as bringing in “innovative education solutions.” If he is so proud of all the charters opened during his time in office, he should be willing to use the word “charters” in his narrative. He should also take responsibility to describe what his impact was on the public schools. Booker supports the free market, and apparently he believes it can apply to public schools. He had no problem teaming up with the heinous Chris Christie to undermine public education on his watch. This is one reason I am wary of Booker.
I found this article ironic considering it was written by the neoliberal Booker. He described the plight of a single mother trying to pay her bills on her waitress salary. Booker apparently fails to make the connection that privatization is not that much different from outsourcing with regard to its impact on workers. How many single mother teachers lost their jobs and benefits during Booker’s term as public schools were closed to clear a path for privatization which offered employees lower pay and benefits? Booker is very insightful, but he has a serious disconnect.
Yes, I noticed he never mentioned the toxic word “charters.”
Retired Teacher,
You are so on point. Cami Anderson who was a protege of Klein of the New York Public School system, was Booker’s campaign manager in his failed first campaign to become Newark’s mayor. After turning New Orleans into a charter city, Newark was next on the list and Booker was the man to get the job done. Booker was Black, he was from NJ and he was a great public speaker. But Newarkers were not dumb. Be mindful that when Booker ran for Senator, Newark activists supported his Republican challenger. The people of Newark hated Booker. To Black folks, Booker is another Clarence Thomas. If he runs 2020, he won’t get the Black vote. He will never be the next Obama. Then again, I want to know who his first lady is going to be or. First gentleman.
So glad to see that you have not been buffaloed by this guy. He often presents himself as a true progressive and far too many folks fall for it because he is clever, slick, and yes, articulate. He actually has no principles whatsoever beyond hos own ambition
STUART BALL: Quote: “Booker is the Right’s eager ally. He is adored in the corridors of the Heritage, Hoover, Manhattan and American Enterprise Institutes, think tanks that handle publicity and publication for the Bradley and Walton moneybags…”
These are not organizations that a true Democrat would be associated with..at least I hope they have NOT dug this low.
I am one of his constituents. He has been a disaster on education while supporting segregated schools. Does he understand why? Will he ever listen? Did Obama?
Unfortunately, he is on many lists of Candace’s for 2020.
He would probably ask DeVos to remain as Secretary of Education.
Booker is not a viable candidate for White House occupant in 2020. Biden will attract most of the billionaire funding to run against Warren or Sanders (who — is it just me? is starting to physically resemble George Washington but shorter, more Jewish, and better teeth). I just hope that if Biden wins the nomination, he doesn’t pick Booker as his running mate because they’re rightwing birds of a feather. If Booker chopped down a cherry tree, he wouldn’t have to tell a lie because AIG insurance would gladly pay for the damages in exchange for more charter schemes. He still won’t be president in 2021.
Ravitch,
He would ask Cami Anderson, his girl to be the next Secretary of Education. I think DeVos is too dumb for his taste.
The progressives have identified republicans wearing democratic clothes. We don’t need him in the democratic party
thanks for this post, Diane…so important to expose Booker’s hypocrisy.
Booker has NO CLUE. He is unfit to serve.
Will we become another Iran?
I think we already are. The white evangelicals seem to run the country.
Cory Booker is one organization removed from ALEC, and that organization is DFER, or was DFER. Moreover, Booker is middling to Obama and Trump, and we know what Obama/Duncan/King did to public education and what Trump/DeVos are continuing.
Booker was in Atlanta recently to connect himself with gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. My candidate was Stacey Evans. The former, banking on color of skin; the latter, banking on content of character.
NPE, BATS, etc., and even NAACP, go at this self-serving, narcissistic, willing-to-sell-his-soul-to-achieve-his-ambition guy, now, like right now, like you are “full of piss and vinegar and spoiling for a fight.” And be prepared to include the likes of John Lewis when they stand up for Booker.
Thanks as always for staying on top of this and keeping everyone informed.
Can you correct the spelling of the Senator’s name (Cory)? Don’t want anything stealing your argument’s thunder.
Ryan, done!
When posted on facebook it stills comes up with the incorrect spelling. Maybe you can rectify this.
I don’t have a FB account.
Fixed!
Senator Frank Lautenberg’s death meant that Cory Booker didn’t have to stick around Newark to handle $90 million deficit.
Booker pushed out Newark Public Schools Superintendent Marion Bolden, a former math teacher/supervisor who did much to increase professional development for Newark’s teachers and to increase graduation rate. Supposedly he “wanted his own person.”
Watch the C-Span video of Booker and Kamala Harris addressing Homeland Security’s K Nielsen. Harris is the obvious choice for 2020.
Let’s not forget that Booker was named as one of the top 10 senators (Joe Manchin being yet another, & why I’d written, Diane, to NOT send him money; Paula Jean Swearingin should have whupped his a$$ in the WVA Dem Primary.) receiving the most money from Big Pharma. Some fool I had discussed this with told me that’s because he represents NJ, a Big Pharma state, & he’d never make it w/o that money. I said, “Wait, what?!” (That’s not what I actually said but, of course, just furthering the argument that he is an opportunist who is in NO way worthy of representing {because he doesn’t} anyone… but himself.)
And haven’t we had just about enough of these people?
As my senator, I wrote Cory Booker on two occasions. Never got a reply. Every other politician replied to my letters. Will not vote for him in the future for any position.