The California Legislature failed to take action on bills to impose a moratorium on new charter schools, and charter lobbyists were exultant.
Despite the ongoing scandals in the charter industry, the Legislature was unable to act.
Only this week, eleven charter leaders were indicted for misappropriating millions of dollars that ended up in their personal bank accounts.
Only last week, the founder of a charter chain was sentenced to thirty months in prison for theft of millions of dollars.
The California Charter School Association, funded by billionaires such as Reed Hastings and Eli Broad, want predators to go unsupervised and unregulated. They want no limits on charter growth, public schools be damned.
If it is not there already, I place the CCSA on this blog’s Wall of Shame.
Let’s see what happens to AB 1505, which enables districts to have some say over whether charters can open in their space, which would curb the rapacious appetite of sleazy operators who are able to get a charter in Rural District Z and open the school in an urban district that doesn’t want them.
Ten percent of the students in California are enrolled in privately managed charter schools; 90% are enrolled in public schools. Why undermine and deprive the 90% for the (possible) benefit of the 10%? Only one group benefits from the legislators’ inaction: the charter industry. This is insane. And corrupt.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Did the charter reform really “fail”?
And did it really “fail in the legislature?”
What about the stacking of the charter reform commission by the governor?
Its hard to wonder whether this was all not just some sort of dog and pony show from the getgo.
It sure doesn’t seem like it took very long to “fail”.
If the legislature was unable to act, it is at least possible that the governor gave them no reason to act.
It will take years of hard fighting to get rid of the neoliberals — fake Democrats — in the California Legislature.
Curses! Dagnabbit! Nuclear F bomb! Dammit, DAM, I let my hopes up for the charter cap and the charter moratorium. Now it hurts to be let down. They didn’t listen to us; they listened to the lobbyists’ untruthful sales pitch instead.
Given the stacking of Newsom’s so called “charter reform commission” with charter hacks, and how quickly the “reform” effort “failed”, I am inclined to believe that legislators are not the only fakes.
One of the primary jobs of a governor (or President) is to go to bat (even twist legislators arms ) for policies that he/she (supposedly) supports.
Did Newsom do that? I have my serious doubts.
If there is one good thing to come of this it is that Newsom telegraphed who he really is.
He said a long time ago that he doesn’t care one way or the other about charters. He doesn’t have to. It’s pitiful, but it’s better than Villaraigosa. Mediocre is the best we can do in government because of the investor class. The democratic voice is drowned out by the monied voice.
PRIVATE Charter reform commission
Note to Vichy Ed Deform collaborators: yes, being placed on Diane Ravitch’s Wall of Shame is, in the short term, quite lucrative; however, Karma’s a . . . well, you know . . . a source of unpleasantness for some.
This is the same problem in Pennsylvania. When the charter lobby owns so many legislators or if some of these legislators directly profit from charters, it is impossible to make any significant change in the corrupt system. There should be a way through petitions to put the matter up to a public vote in order to bypass the complicit legislature.
Sadly, PA (like neighbors NY & NJ) is among the 20 or so states that have zero process for voter-initiated referenda. The only thing they’re required to put on the ballot is a constitutional amendment proposed by the legislature that they decided to put before the voters.
When the PRIVATE charter lobby. . .
“Charter public school families’ voices were heard loud and clear by Sacramento politicians”
If it’s admirable for charter parents to advocate on behalf of charter schools, why isn’t it admirable for public school parents to advocate on behalf of public schools?
On the flip side, if it’s bad for teachers unions to lobby on behalf of public schools, why is it not also bad for charter operators to lobby on behalf of charter schools?
Both are “self interested”, right? If “self interest” is the measure and it is the measure ed reform uses, but oddly only for public schools.
This “movement” is utterly incoherent. Scratch the surface and none of the slogans hang together. They must be using some mysterious measure of inherent “goodness” for the schools they prefer – they must believe they are inherently better PEOPLE. Their lobbyists are much more pure than ours are 🙂
Chiara Hay . . . that sounds allot like it came from Mitch McConnell’s policy playbook: I can do it, but you can’t. CBK
“If it’s admirable for PRIVATE charter parents. . . “
Here’s an alleged definition for many of the parents that send their children to private charter schools.
Definition: racists and/or biased, and/or segregationists, and/or discriminators and/or bigots …
When charter lobbyists prevail it is portrayed as “charter parents won”
When public school lobbyists prevail it is portrayed as “teachers unions won”
What happened to our families and students in this analysis? Do ed reformers believe we literally do not exist?
great point.
“When PRIVATEcharter lobbyists prevail it is portrayed as “PRIVATE charter parents won”
Inch by inch, the charter vampires gain ground through trickery, bribery, lies, and probably blackmail.
Inch by inch the United States moves closer to a real Civil War between the working class and the wealthiest one percent and whatever private mercenary army they can buy.
Maybe that’s why Eric Prince moved his operation to China — to find a country where he could hide what he is really doing while he builds his mercenary army that will defend the 1 percent.
Perhaps few of us are surprised, given how hard it is to win gains through legislation and electoral politics. Teacher strikes paralyzed state and society and forced concessions. Perhaps the teachers unions will have to go on strike again with parent support, and stay out long enough until they win a rollback of charter looting and an end to huge class sizes and underfunded services in their public schools, and inadequate teacher pay.
Agree– that’s what it takes. When teachers strike w/public support, legislators sit up & take notice, because it says “we’re voters: remember us?” No matter who’s paying their freight or who’s back they need to scratch, game’s over if they don’t get re-elected.
Or– in CA– there’s also the referendum route [the bee in my bonnet at the moment]. CA is one of only the dozen or so states w/the most liberal referendum laws: citizens can initiate repeal of law, new law, constitutional amendments, all by collecting signatures. But (correct me if I’m wrong, locals), CA seems an unlikely state to reach popular consensus on lib vs cons issues as they seem an amalgam of rwnj & progressive.
But wait: CA has agreed any # of times to spend as little as possible on ed. Perhaps consensus could be reached if it could be shown how many $millions they’ve thrown away on charters…
I agree too.
There have been some teacher walkouts without union support in the last year or two.
In addition, when local district and/or state teachers’ unions do walk out, it seldom if ever happens without a vote from the members first.
Teachers’ unions are democratic organizations. They elect their union reps and leaders at the local, state and national levels.
NPR published this list of teacher walkouts in April 2018, and provided details about each one.
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/04/25/602859780/teacher-walkouts-a-state-by-state-guide
Arizona
Thousands of teachers across the state are expected to walk off the job tomorrow. That’s after Arizona educators voted overwhelmingly last week in support of an organized protest.
Colorado
Teachers in Colorado are also set to walk out Thursday or Friday. Several hundred showed up at the state Capitol last week to voice a range of familiar concerns.
Oklahoma
While protests are just gearing up in Arizona and Colorado, the dust is settling in Oklahoma. Though the outcome, and what to make of it, is still in dispute.
Teachers walked out on April 2, hoping to win increases in school funding and more pay for support staff. Lawmakers passed a $6,000 pay raise for educators in late March — before the walkout had begun.
Click the link and learn what happened and how it happened.
Teachers’ unions are not autocratic corporations with CEOs and boards of directors obsessed with profits. They are democratic organizations.
I was a teacher in a public school district in Southern California for thirty years (1975 – 2005) and the local teachers’ union leaders never ordered a strike without teacher, community, parent and student support.
Most if not all of the time when teachers walkout to protest issues and conditions, months and even years have gone by while they tried everything possible to resolve the problems but failed every time.
To get teachers to vote to walk out or organize to walk out means the teachers’ frustration level and anger have reached the breaking point.
Strikes and referenda are the most effective tools to stop the looting of the public treasury.
I think it’s too much to ask teachers to be the ones to make these changes happen.
It means the rest of us are not willing.
The other problem with teacher strikes is that legislatures and governors “agree” just to end the strike and then proceed to ignore what they (supposedly) agreed to.
As we saw with the case of the CA governor who promised to reform charters, we can’t trust ANY of these people to tell the truth.
West Virginia may be the poster state for a Governor and Legislature agreeing to terms to end the teachers’ strike, then ignoring the agreement.
Governor Jim Justice promised to veto any charter legislation.
The teachers walked out a second time to remind him after legislators proposed both charter and voucher legislation.
The Legislature is still considering privatization bills, despite the two walkouts.
I hope the teachers go out a third time if the Legislature and the Governor break their promises.
“. . . the CA governor who promised to reform PRIVATE charters,. . .”
“. . .to remind him after legislators proposed both PRIVATE charter and voucher legislation.”
“. . . until they win a rollback of PRIVATE charter looting. . .”
It’s complicated in CA; the initiative route is such that it takes about $5-10M to qualify a ballot initiative and between $20-40 to pass it. Only deep pockets dare. And the public is not persuaded yet that poor management in districts is not the main culprit of achievement and fiscal woes, even more so than charters. Look at LA – in spite of the broadly supported strike, it is unlikely Measure EE will pass to pay for the gains negotiated. There are two statewide funding initiatives proposed for 2020 – they’re polling poorly, but it’s early. And Newsom places a higher priority on funding for universal healthcare and green initiatives. Or at least it seems so this far.
Interesting, as we here have excoriated Brown for long resistance to charter regulation & cheered on Newsom’s pro-public-school/ transparency platform. Yet Brown signed a bill last September that was the first in ages to clamp down a bit on charters… And Newsom’s legislature can’t get anything passed that would put meat on that bone. So far it’s Brown 1- Newsom 0.
Which bill was that? Brown opposed transparency bills, but don’t forget Newsom accelerated and signed SB 126 in the first two months of his administration – same legislation Brown vetoed twice! I’m not giving up on Newsom yet
Thanks for steering me right, Duane. I was referring to Assembly Bill 406 that purports to ban for-profit charters, including those that are authorized by a non-profit which subs out operations to for-profit charter-mgt cos. Now I’ve read Burris’ critique at Strauss’ The Answer Sheet, which explains that wording of the bill made it clear the target is K12 online programs, which are hidden like mushrooms in closet at various levels of district authorization. But Burris points out that the 7/1/19 deadline gave K12 plenty of time to get bunches more set up—and once they’re in there, it’s for 5 yrs– & those already queued up as of Sept 2018 get the 5yrs too. And that’s 5 yrs to re-brand/re-tool & squeak by new law.
Meanwhile yes SB 126 is admirable & hopefully will make inroads despite the current setback. For example, shouldn’t the new transparency reveal other supposed non-profit charters that sub out ops to for-profits, & expose them to challenge?
Sorry I mean thanks, Mimi!
“. . .for long resistance to PRIVATE charter regulation. . .”
Don’t count us out yet; remember that Gov Newsom made clear he didn’t want bills on his desk until after the Commission reports out. With 1505 advancing g (the most important of the bills) maybe there’s still room (and a vehicle) to move reforms. This is a long game. Maybe they’re just clearing the field and sharpening the focus….
More likely than not it’s a case of “When money talks, political whores listen.”
Y’all catching my drift?
The Long Game
“Go out long”
Said Newsom
“Nothing wrong
With Tucson!”
The bill failed because many legislators are on the boards of these charters and are getting paid or they own a charter. This is a money making scheme for private individuals and corporations. You think the state doesn’t know about this easy money and endorses it. If the legislature was for public ed it would have passed this bill. Yes charters take public funds and get wealthy on them and no one wants this tiddie to stop. It’s sad because it’s killing public ed and the education students get at charters is substandard. Why do parents like them? They like to believe their kids are going somewhere exclusive and in a sense it’s true. They exclusively discriminate against black kids and disabled ones. Hispanics use them to keep their kids away from blacks also. They can even speak Spanish in there classrooms exclusively in violation of state law. Let’s face it, charters have reintroduced segregation in schools but they still get public monies.