When Gavin Newsom ran for Governor in 2018, the big charter donors backed former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who ran third in the Democratic primary. Newsom was backed in the race by the California Teachers Association. Newsom’s victory in the gubernatorial race gave public school parents and teachers hope that the scandal-ridden, money-drenched, unregulated charter industry would finally be reined in. For years, we have read about unbridled corruption in the charter sector. Surely Gavin Newsom will insist on reform of the law.
He won. He appointed a commission to make recommendations for reform. He made sure that at least six of the 11 members of the charter commission were high-profile leaders of the charter industry.
But the commission, on split votes, recommended some strong reforms.
The Legislature seemed poised to enact those reforms. But they got watered down, and the word is that it was Gavin Newsom who watered them down.
Why? Well, for one, his chief of staff is Ann O’Leary, is a strong charter supporter. She was Hillary Clinton’s Education advisor, and she has long ties with the pro-charter Center for American Progress.
But there is more: Gavin Newsom has long been funded by pro-charter billionaires.
Among them are the Fisher family (The Gap, Old Navy), which has been a key funder of KIPP. And there is the Pritzker family, of both San Francisco and Chicago, which has funded charters in Chicago.
As usual, follow the money.
The charter billionaires covered their bases.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
There’s only one rea$on Newsom will not regulate the charter industry.
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CAP’s Distinguished Visiting Scholar, the controversial Larry Summers (former Harvard President) is on the TFA Board and the Broad Foundation Board. It seems likely that Summers is in Neusom’s influence circle. Summers’ Harvard and Epstein’s donations to the school shows us money’s privilege. WGUR reported Epstein funded a project, in 2016, for Summers’ wife who is at Harvard.
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a very close=knit little circle
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The charter reform bills were not just watered down; they were dismantled. The two remaining bills are pretty much worthless now. Newsom is doing what we expected him to do, which is to be only the lesser of two evils, nothing more. Under Villaraigosa, the four bills would never have even been proposed because it would be well known he would have vetoed any reform at all. Villaraigosa as governor would be giving the California Legislature Cato Institute bills aimed at stripping the state of any ability to regulate any industry at all. Worst Los Angeles mayor ever, that one was. It’s depressing, how big money buys public offices nowadays. Billionaires buy every voting option a lot of the time. Eli Broad showered money on Zimmer, not just his opponent, Melvoin. The lesser of two evils is usually the best one can hope for. We need nothing less than a full-scale political revolution.
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The lesser of two evils is about all we can say with corporate Democrats running the party.
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California Democrats represent the wealthy, corporate, neoliberal wing of the Democratic party, so this should not be a surprise.
The system is rigged no matter which party you vote for. Sanders and Warren are rare among Democrats to actually tell people that, but most Democrats simply do not want to hear it.
They would rather pretend that the Obamas, Bidens and Newsoms of the world support the interests of ordinary Americans.
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When Zuck expressed an interest in politics, Sandberg referred him to CAP.
Jezebel’s Hazel Cills captured Sandberg perfectly, ” capitalist-empowerment feminism- an image built for rich white women who seem to only view feminist progress in terms of their individual success climbing the corporate ladder and making bank.” The description also fits Ann O’Leary and CAP’s staff.
Nick Bilton at Vanity Fair described Sandberg as an acolyte of Obama’s Larry Summers.
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The following were listed as advisors to Hillary – Larry Summers, Ann O’Leary and, CAP’s Neera Tanden and Maya Harris (sister of Kamala Harris). As Attorney General, Kamala. claimed a big legal win against K12 Inc. The view of K12 Inc. differs. They said it was only a $2.5 mil penalty plus the $6 mil cost of the state putting together the lawsuit.
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Diane So disappointed. . . . CBK
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I think that’s called “hedging their bribes”
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Another charter scam about to erupt in Connecticut. More billionaires in charge of the future of kids’ education. They have no shame!! https://reallearningct.com/2019/07/16/charters-and-dalios-what-do-you-have-to-hide/
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Vox reported that on July 1, CAP put up for sale, the controversial Think Progress website that it owns.
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