The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Trump singled out a child from Philadelphia who, he said, was “trapped in a failing government school.” In fact, the child attends one of the city’s most elite charter schools. Didn’t Betsy DeVos realize she had given $1.3 million to the self-same charter school in 2019?
President Donald Trump turned a Philadelphia fourth grader into a poster child for the school-choice movement Tuesday when he told the nation that thousands of students were “trapped in failing government schools” and announced that the girl was at last getting a scholarship to attend the school of her choice.
But Janiyah Davis already attends one of the city’s most sought-after charter schools, The Inquirer has learned. In September, months before she was an honored guest at Trump’s State of the Union address, she entered Math, Science and Technology Community Charter School III.
MaST III opened in the fall in a gleaming facility on the site of the former Crown Cork & Seal headquarters in Northeast Philadelphia, part of a charter network so popular that the school received 6,500 applications for 100 seats next year. Like all charters, it’s independently run but funded by taxpayers — meaning that Janiyah and the other 900 students at the school do not pay tuition.
How she landed in the audience during Trump’s prime-time speech Tuesday remains a bit of a mystery even to Janiyah’s mother, Stephanie Davis.
In an interview Friday, Davis, a teacher’s assistant who lives in Northeast Philadelphia, said she received a call several weeks ago from the principal at Janiyah’s former school, Olney Christian School at 425 E. Roosevelt Blvd.
After attending public kindergarten, Janiyah moved to Olney Christian for first through third grades. Tuition there is $5,200 for elementary students. She received a partial scholarship, Davis said, but it was still a struggle to afford. So Janiyah transferred to MaST III after she was accepted there last summer.
So the student was NOT attending what Trump and DeVos call a “failing government school.” She attended a private Christian academy, then transferred to a highly selective charter school. But she was singled out as Trump’s example of a student “trapped in a failing government school.” Was she trapped in a a failing public kindergarten four years ago?
WHAT LIARS!
Why would anyone expect Trump to know what he is talking about. This is an advertisement for ‘stay out of charter schools’. Well done, Orange Moron!
I think it would be a good idea if future State Of The Union addresses had to be delivered under oath. That way, a pathological liar of XLV’s caliber could be interrupted five minutes into his spiel, impeached for lying to Congress, and removed from office forthwith.
He lies daily and would lie under oath as he did at his inauguration.
“How she landed in the audience during Trump’s prime-time speech Tuesday remains a bit of a mystery even to Janiyah’s mother, Stephanie Davis.”
Yet landed in the audience she did,which couldn’t have happened without Ms. Davis’ cooperation. Hope Trump made it worth her while….
The way Trump uses marginalized people is fake and manipulative. He marches in a group of veterans, Latinos, African Americans or any other token group du jour for a mandatory photo op. Beyond the photo he does nothing. These people are merely props in Trump’s ever changing sideshow.
The caption under the photo should have been, “Trump’s Colonialism”.
The photo has Devos and Pence standing next to the Davis family as they board Air Force II.
yes
I know it’s off the subject, but charter schools routinely lie about the alleged long waiting lists and the alleged huge numbers of applications they get — this is just one of their most basic pieces of BS — so even if the charter school is obviously popular, no journalist should quote their claimed number of applications received as if it had any veracity. The numbers are unverifiable. Struggling and underenrolled charter schools often make the same phony claims.
The other point is that Trump claimed the girl was getting a voucher to attend the private school of her choice. But no voucher programs provide enough money to attend any but a bare-bones private school, and even then, the private school chooses the student. Voucher programs aren’t sending and wouldn’t send challenged low-income students to elite private schools that have no intention of enrolling challenged low-income students.
Like most charters it is the school, not the student, that does the choosing. So called choice is another misleading aspect of privatization, particularly in a selective school.
Excellent points.
Clearly we are naive to expect education reporters would practice journalism. It’s so much easier (and certainly more lucrative for future earnings) to rewrite press releases from the pro-charter industry with a disclaimer about how “partisan charter school haters disagree” or “the teachers union disagrees”.
There are no “facts” for education reporters. There are only the statements of the people running charters who have devoted their lives to teaching the most disadvantaged children and the nasty teachers union who question those claims. “Readers, we leave it up to you to decide”.
It’s similar to the “fair and balanced” way that the NYT covers Trump and the Republicans in their news stories. The statements of upright and honorable Republicans like William Barr that are reported along with the disclaimer that “partisan Trump haters” disagree and “readers, we leave it up to you to decide as who knows what is true or not”
Scary times.
Republican talking points about democratic socialism spewed by Establishment Dems is evidence they prefer a Republican like Bloomberg to a Dem.
Predictable-
The Sunday morning political shows e.g. Chuck Todd, bolstered the slant and, the pundits on the shows failed to expose Trump’s lie about the charter school student.
I miss Tim Russert.
Chuck Todd reminds me of a court jester, the King’s fool.
When he moderated (at least) one of the debates, he performed as a petulant child, hammering away at at least one of the candidates.
(Pretty sure it was Bernie.)
But, then, again, I have gotten so used to debate moderators (who are supposed to be non-partisan, serious journalists…but forget that)
picking at just about anything Bernie says.
The Sunday morning talk shows (closer to Ellen or Oprah or any others) are just that–Meet the Press used to be solid; Sunday Mornings w/George Stephanopoulos has featured blatherers Rahm Emmanuel & Chris Christie (just last week, I think, & why is what they think & say important to most of America?!)
I don’t watch: not worth getting up early on Sunday mornings…or even watching them OnDemand or TIVO. Just. No.
Oh–& the doc American Factory just won an Oscar.* At least, this time, a big deal wasn’t made about the fact that it came from the Obamas’ Netflix production co. (they did have to announce it at the last awards show–I think the Indy Spirits Award–as “the first {whatever} award for the Obamas’ production co.–oooo!)
*I don’t begrudge the people who created the film, or the film subject. It is, of course, an important topic, & should be seen. (I plan to see it.)
I saw “American Factory” abd thought it was a frightening portrait of the collapse of the manufacturing sector. A shuttered factory taken over by a Chinese oligarch who wants American workers to behave like programmed, robotic Chinese workers. They can’t. In the old days, they had a union and made $29 an hour. The oligarch pays them
$12 an hour. Given a chance to join a union, the workers are terrified that the oligarch will close the factory, so they vote against the union. Very depressing and real.
Odd that Obama witnessed the manufacturing tragedy but, embraced the same model for American schools.
IMO, Obama sold out to get tech mogul support for his election.
Anti-democracy libertarians (Gates, Koch, Walton heirs) greased the way for the deceits and distortions of greedy promoters attached to Christian and Catholic schools.
Dump LIES all the time.
During that portion of the SOTU address, I couldn’t help but thinking about all of you here who are concerned about the future of public education. My thought during that segment was, “Why does she need a voucher? Doesn’t Philadelphia have “excellent” charter schools?” I guess it’s all about promoting deVos’ agenda of public money for religious schools.
“Agenda” to build theocracy assuring authoritarian, Republican rule.
C’mon, this is from the guy who congratulated the Kansas City Chiefs from the wonderful state of…. Kansas. And, what an opportunity missed because KC is in one of the reddest states in the country.
But here’s the thing. 46 million people heard that speech. This is one of the most informed, well written objective, fact based blogs on the internet but 42 million aren’t reading it or the Philadelphia Enquirer. So from the base to independents – one more shot at public schools is all they hear.
How many other “mis-spokens” “misinformation” “not what I meant” “walk backs” have there been? And, there are the “flip flops” supporting bump-stocks, DACA, and others to silence a wave of public opinion while the good old base knows full well it will all be dropped when no one is looking.
Looking back over this blog in the past few weeks, there are battles getting significantly more federal attention than in the past few years ahead on the voucher, charter, privatization, commingling church and state, book censoring and rewriting science (see blog about DeVos) . (Which is not a surprise – 1) label groups, 2) then reduce funding for school lunch and health care, deregulate OCR protections,… – and 3) then find ways to divert funds from public schools or establish acceptance for SCLB (Some children left behind)
Getting facts to 46 million people is not easy! But if ever there was a “politics is all local” it’s public schools – so maybe when locals see funding drops in their suburban and rural schools (the cities are already losing millions) they’ll wake up.
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
One more lie to add to Trump’s endless lies that are now closing in on 20,000 since he lied in January 2017 while taking the Oath of Office to become the 45th (first faux) President of the United States.
So, what happens when the Supremes deliver for their Master and vote in their Espinoza v. Montana decision to require taxpayers to fund private schools? Will Progressives then be forced to start thousands of these schools of their own to counter the fundie madrasas in which students are taught that when the rich get tax breaks, this helps everyone?
Calling the Supreme Court the Supremes has me visualizing all of them wearing those dresses and extending their arms in unison while they explain their decisions and logic to some of that smooth Motown.
Loved me some Supremes when I was about nine years old. And The Temptations. And The Platters. Oh, the Platters!!!!
This is the man who proclaimed “”Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on a great game, and a fantastic comeback, under immense pressure,” the president tweeted. “You represented the Great State of Kansas …so well…” Uh, Kansas? Nope. But what a missed opportunity to tout the “Red State of Missouri.” (My red state where the charter and voucher legislation is gaining momentum).
Pompeo is lauded by his cronies for boldly asking Mary Louise Kelley to find Ukraine on a map (she did). But oh no, no one in this administration dare challenge the president’s geography.
Loyalists don’t question. Remember, in spite of disdain for gangs and the MS-13 to stir up fear, the “Don’t Snitch” policy was endorsed this week with his revenge firings. So challenging his geography (was it on the teleprompter?) – no one dares speak. (The tragic saga of Dr. Li in a dictatorship is a cautionary tale).
But here’s what really matters. 46 MILLION people heard him attack public schools. About 46 hundred reading this blog and the Philadelphia Enquirer know the student attends a charter school.
So – the proverbial base, independents, and wavering state legislators won’t hear the truth – and “won’t affect me” voters in the suburbs and rural communities have a seed planted just in case charters come knocking.
The base knows the M.O. When pressed to appease the vocal majority on no-brainer issues (bump stocks, clean air, DACA, others), the WH says “Oh we are in favor of that” and the base knows full well they’ll flip-flop and take it back later when the issue is long forgotten.
The question is: How do we inform 46 million people?
(I sent this previously but don’t see it – so if it shows up twice – sorry about that).
Trump’s geography. This is the man who thought that Alabama was on the coast and referred to visiting the “city” of Belgium.
So, several news organizations reporting today that Deutsche Bank, which just happens to be a favored bank for the kleptarchs in Putin’s circle, loaned the bankrupt Donald Trump 2 BILLION dollars.
Nothing shady about this. You must know how easy it is for bankrupt persons to get large loans. LMAO!!!!
“Show me the money” er…. “Show me the tax forms”
Oh, the story some bankers at Deutsche could tell!!! Or soem German regulators. At some point, the Trump criminal enterprise will be exposed. One just wonders where and when the break is going to come.
Ed reform sites are oddly silent on President Trump. I think it’s awkward for them that Trump supports the exact same education agenda they do.
The difference between ed reform on the Right and ed reform on the Left has shrunk so dramatically it’s all but gone. I think it happened when “progressive” ed reformers essentially jettisoned public schools. Once ed reform became anti-public school on both the Left and the Right the one difference disappeared.
Trump has been great for the ed reform “movement”- he lavishes funding and support on charter and voucher schools and actively bashes all public schools. They’d be more comfortable if he and his administration at least pretended to have some interest in public schools and public school students, but two out of three ain’t bad.
They should stop calling it a “free market” though. The President and his administration are putting a big federal thumb on the charter/voucher segment of “the market” scale. The President and his team of political professionals promote charter and voucher schools and denigrate and bash public schools. The idea that they’re “agnostic” is ludicrous.
I’d actually like a regulator to look at the federal funding they’re awarding and report back to the public. I’d like some assurances they’re treating public schools fairly, given that they’ve made their ideological bias against our schools clear.
Keep saying it:
Trump is the leader of “Ed reform” today.
Betsy DeVos is the public face of Ed Reform.
How anti-public school is ed reform? THIS anti-public school: Warren and Sanders proposed huge increases in funding for public schools that serve low income children.
Charter schools would have shared in this huge funding increase. They would have gotten every increased dollar for their students that public schools got.
But charter school promoters were so fixated on expanding their schools they OPPOSED the candidates who proposed funding increases for their own students, because it meant they wouldn’t get special, dedicated funding to open new charter schools.
They’d rather every public school student in the country (including charter school students) not get a federal funding increase if it means any SLIGHT slowing of charter expansion.
Unfortunately, people who haven’t been paying attention are fooled by Trump’s lies. It sounds so good if you did not know that it was all “fake news”.
Revised:
Fake News That Socialist Libtards from CNN, The New York Times, an d The Washington Post Want You to Believe:
Two Deutsche Bank officials who oversaw two billion dollars in loans to the bankrupt Donal Trump have committed suicide by hanging. You know, as Epstein did.
Real News from Bob’s ‘Merkin First Newsletter, The Epoxy Times:
Those suicides were just that. This happens all the time when bankers have a bad day. Those suicides have nothing whatsoever to do with massive transfers of wealth from Russian kleptocrats to the Trump family.
And if you believe that, check out these other fine stories from our latest edition:
Unborn baby sings like Elvis
Jesus appears on Whiter House toast during Prayer Breakfast
How to make millions by purchasing property in other star systems from Bob Shepherd
Secure your Ascension on the day of the Rapture by becoming one of Pastor Bob’s Spiritual Wives
Is the Devil Shifting the Bermuda Triangle toward Mar-a-Lago? Patriotic ‘Merkins share their concerns
Not sure what we’re trying to prove with this story. So, Janiyah is already attending a “great” [prove it w/stats, pls] Philly charter school, already beneficiary of BDeVos funds… not a “failing public school” [& thus she’s in no need of addl govt funds]. So, just another Trump lie, probably consequent to a communications snafu…
How about the larger story, that Janiyah’s charter is one of many that makes Janiyah & her school colleagues winners, at the expense of kids left behind in tradl Philly schs? Yup, the same schools that Helen Gym has fought for– the schools that nearly didn’t open in 2013 due to insufficient staffing [a last-minute pledge from city allowed call-in of some laid-off staff, supported by a press drive for pencils paper et all supplies]– the pubschsys where in ’13-’14 two students died at school w/no nurse on duty
Yes!
Good news from Ireland- the largest number of votes went to the democratic socialist party.
“God Save Ireland from…the Church”, by J.P. O’Malley, Daily Beast, 4-9-2017, describes the Magdalene Laundries, in operation until 7 years ago. Parallels to Catholic schools in the U.S. that require students to work one week a month in private companies and return the pay to the school, I’ll leave to readers.
O’Malley reported that as of 2 years ago, 96% of primary schools across Ireland were run by religious orders. Students can be refused admittance for lack of a religious baptismal certificate.
Yes! The Irish are smart people…lots of good things going on there that have been shut down here.
Our daughter went to Ireland for a semester abroad & loved it so much that she went back after graduation, & was lucky enough to live there for 3 years. Since college is cheaper there (& almost anywhere else than here), we encouraged her to get her M.F.A., which she did (MUCH cheaper!). She had gotten a good job, but came back, as she & her co-workers (a bookstore chain, like Borders, closed down) were made “redundant”
(their lay-off word sounds so much nicer, & they are still on the National Health so, of course, don’t worry about health insurance). It was also much safer there–she lived in Dublin–some robberies, a stabbing incident–but no mass shootings, widespread gun violence. (Yes, yes, I so know about Northern Ireland, but that’s an entirely different story/part of the country.)
Anyway, good for them!
I haven’t looked at the data but I assume income inequality is less in Ireland and, that research would reflect the cultural norm of the nation has less association with the “male” descriptive benchmark than the “female”, both attributes accounting for less person on person crime.
The young in Ireland drove the vote for the democratic socialist party.
In the U.S. the young are a substantial part of Bernie’s base.
2018 Inequality Adjusted HDI- Ireland ranked 9th and, the U.S. 28th (a measure of well-being related to healthcare, income, etc.)
Global Gender Gap Index which may have a link to the masculine vs.
feminine national cultural placement on a continuum shows Ireland at 7th and the US at 53rd.
Trump confident going into 2020 election despite trailing the pile of dog s**t on my lawn by 12 points.
“We’ve got this,” he said to reporters on the Whiter House lawn. “We’re getting lots of help. Lots of help. People happy about the job we’ve been doing for them. Russia, if you’re listening, I have been totally exonerated. But yeah. We’re gonna win because, ya’know, it’s all on computers these days. And if there’s anybody understands computers, it’s Donald Trump.”