Congratulations to public school advocates in Indianapolis, who were vastly outspent by the “School Choice Trust” (Mind Trust and Stand for Children), yet still managed to win two out of three seats on the school board!
The Indianapolis story is here.
Vocal critics of the Indianapolis Public Schools administration looked poised to unseat two incumbents in Tuesday’s school board election. The results signal opposition to sweeping moves that have reshaped the district, such as high school closings and partnerships with charter school operators.
The race for the at-large seat remained close as the final votes were tallied Wednesday night, with retired IPS teacher Susan Collins taking 43.7 percent of votes over incumbent Mary Ann Sullivan, a former board president. Collins led by about 600 votes — Sullivan held 42.4 percent of the vote, and Joanna Krumel, another challenger, had about 14 percent.
Taria Slack, a federal worker, defeated incumbent Dorene Rodriguez Hoops with 59 percent of the vote to represent the northwest side of the district.
The third seat was won by a proponent of school choice, a policy usually associated with conservatives and opponents of public education.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Go IPS! Save those public schools! You’re very gracious, Diane, to write that school choice is “a policy usually associated with conservatives and opponents of public education.” I probably would have been harsher and written that school choice is a policy always associated with rightwing extremists and of others who are fake centrists and fake progressives, knowingly or unwittingly hopping on board with the worst elements of politics. But then, I merely aspire in my dreams to be as gentle and understanding as you.
The truth will out. Rightwing ideologues have been pushing privatization for decades.
Hi LeftCoastTeacher:
You would not be the only one to admit that Dr. Ravitch is very gentle and understanding.
Most of all, I completely agree with you that the majority of readers
[probably would have been harsher and written that school choice is a policy always associated with rightwing extremists and of others who are fake centrists and fake progressives, knowingly or unwittingly hopping on board with the worst elements of politics]. See, I am happy to copy down each of all your beautiful ans accurate words.
Thank you for your gentleness and understanding by following Dr. Ravitch’s leadership example. May (or Back2basic)
We must hold back our emotion and suffer high blood pressure so that we hope for true love or compassion, peace and the beauty in arts/literature/music will prevail in America.
“The third seat was won by a proponent of school choice, a policy usually associated with conservatives and opponents of public education.”….
i WISH school choice’s proponents were exclusively “conservatives and opponents of public education”… but at least two of potential Presidential Democrat candidates (i.e. Booker and Cuomo) have abominable records when it comes to public school and, alas, Mr. Obama gave us Arne Duncan and gave HIM control over the distribution of millions of dollars to effectively mandate VAM. Too many neoliberal Democrats claim to be proponents of public schools but have embraced policies that would make Milton Friedman happy.
the big nationally-lauded “progressive” winner in our state’s governor’s race not only supports the idea of testing/choice, but is personally connected to his own charter schools…
Jared Polis, who was elected in Colorado, started two charter schools and is a major proponent of more charters.
He just announced his transition team and the education group is dominated by pro-charter people.
and Johnston is on that team for heaven’s sake. Oh, Colorado…
Former Congressman Bob Schaefer, a voucher supporter and Republican, is on Jared Polis transition team for K-12
😦 …..
Yaaaaayyyyy!