It has become a national pattern. Republicans are on record opposing local control of public schools.
In Tennessee, the State Senate voted to create a state charter school commission, appointed by the Governor, with the power to override decisions by local school boards.
This is surely not because charter schools are more successful than public schools. They are not. The state’s so-called Achievement School District spent $100 million dollars while taking over the lowest performing schools, giving them to charters, and failed.
Why fund more failure?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
In a capitalist society everything is for sale.
Politicians are for sale.
Government is for sale.
And ultimately people are for sale.
There’s a name for that, and it’s not “self-ownership”.
Republicans are not unique in selling out democracy —
they’ve simply been doing it longer and made it an art form.
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Agree, Jon.
I think it’s the “high mucky muck PREPPY SCHOOL mentality.” After all, aren’t those “so-called” elite preppy schools about making sure their graduates are “in charge?” Isn’t that what they are selling?
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Mary Landrieu, the former Senator who now works for the Walton Family, demands that “Democrats support charter schools”
Why don’t Mary Landrieu or the rest of the ed reform echo chamber ever support PUBLIC schools?
Why can’t public school students and schools have advocates in government? Advocacy is strictly limited to promoting charters and vouchers? How is that fair to public school students? Who represents their interests?
Let’s see a list of what, specifically, the charter and voucher cheerleaders in government have done to benefit, support or improve any public school, anywhere. Cutting funding and imposing testing doesn’t count.
If they’re not going to support our schools- and they’re not- they rarely mention public schools- then surely someone else can advocate on behalf of those students? Or is that forbidden?
Public school students and families are stuck with a Republican Party that is openly hostile to their students and schools, and a Democratic Party that utterly neglects public schools, because they prefer charters and private schools.
The end result? Public school students and families have no advocates and no representation in government. That’s wrong, and it should be remedied.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-support-charter-schools-11556058834?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=6
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The fact that she wrote that article and that the pro-privatization WSJ printed it is proof that neolibs Like Landrieu know they are losing.
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Public school students and families have the worst of all possible worlds. We have an “ed reform” leadership in government that dictates policy to public schools, while completely excluding public schools, and they’re absolutely lousy advocates for kids IN existing public schools.
We get all the gimmicks and fads and mandates of ed reform, but none of the decision making and none of the support they lavish on the schools they prefer- charter and private schools.
No one would accept this deal. It’s terrible. It’s ALL downside for public school students. And it’s such an echo chamber they are completely incapable of understanding why they aren’t “greeted as liberators”. Because public school students never benefit and are often harmed by your schemes! That’s why! What public school family in their right mind would hire these people? They offer us absolutely nothing, unless we switch to one of their schools.
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Who failed to see that coming?
N.O. Mayor Landrieu is Third Way’s guy (as is Ohio’s Rep. Tim Ryan).
The mayor’s publicity stunt about the confederate statues was classic, “I did this for the oppressed therefore I am a progressive. (Have I duped you into believing I’m not a corporate shill? )”.
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Public school funding was gutted from 2012 to 2016 and we didn’t hear a single objection or defense of public school students from anyone in ed reform.
But, boy, even mild criticism of charter schools sets them all to work writing editorials.
I don’t mind that “the movement” exclusively works on behalf of charter and private school students- that’s their ideological preference. I just wish they would admit it so we could hire at least a few people who intend to do some work on behalf of public school students.
DeVos is an advocate for private school students. Great! Can public school students get one of those or is that too much to ask from the 10,000 federal employees we’re paying?
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While commission members would not be paid, the bill, if approved, would divert $4.3 million in Basic Education Program funding to the new commission to distribute to charter schools.
The commission would be tasked with hiring a director of schools and other administrative staff, which would carry a price tag of $1 million per year.
Pure pork and pandering to the charter industry.
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No one saw this on the radar that I know, but it does not surprise me.
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Republicans along with their master MAGA Man Fascist, Serial Liar, Donald Trump oppose our Constitutional Republic.
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The Koch version of “freedom and liberty” which is bait and switch for control by oligarchy.
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“t creates the Tennessee Public Charter Commission — a nine-member body appointed by the governor and confirmed by lawmakers — that would take power away from the Tennessee State Board of Education in hearing charter school appeals when an organization is denied by a local school board.
Another amendment requires that a majority of the commission members be residents of a county in which at least one public charter school operates. There are currently 112 charter schools in Tennessee, mostly in Memphis. ”
In TN, the Governor appoints hunderds of people. The previous one appointed all public university’s board members, the present one appoints this commission to protect charter schools. The language is vague: majority means 5 members must be from areas that host charter schools. And then? Since Memphis has 1/3 of all TN charter schools, does it mean, there will two Memphians on the commission? And of course, even if there are two Memphians on the commission, they may be charter enthusiasts. The bill says nothing in this regard.
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