Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig is a noted scholar of charter schools, with experience as a parent of a charter school student and board member of a charter school. He is Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Western Michigan University. And, he is a founding board member of the Network for public Education!
Recently, Dr. Heilig testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He explained that the research on charters shows that they are no more successful than public schools, they close frequently, they have high teacher turnover, and they promote segregation. In addition, they exacerbate the problems of the public schools by choosing the students they want and diverting resources.
Dr. Heilig called for more accountability for charters and the need for democratic oversight.
The Republican majority of the Committee called three witnesses. The Democrats were allowed only one, and they chose Dr. Heilig.
They chose well. His testimony is succinct and excellent.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Truly outstanding presentation by Dr. Heiling. Truly outstanding history and summary by Dr. Burris.
Two people who really know what they are talking about.
One could learn a LOT from these. So this must be when Representatives check their cell phones and make their grocery shopping lists.
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Dr. Helling was GREAT. THANK YOU, NPE.
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Biden reduced the federal pork barrel to charter school opportunists by $40 million. It’s better than nothing, but the profiteers still get $400 million to undermine the public schools that serve all students. Why does the federal government continue to use our tax dollars to undermine the schools that the majority of students attend and need when they cause massive disruption and provide little academic value add?
Dr. Heilig and Carol Burris did a great job, but many of the legislators do not care about facts. They only care about their political agenda.
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Retired teacher, absolutely right!!
Charters do not need $400 million a year to open new ones. They open and close like day lilies.
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Love the simile, Diane!
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Diane: This, with your book revival in another note, is such good news. And now this morning, Joe Scarborough and company are gleefully jumping up and down about the Arizona fake electors getting charged. Still much to be done, but I have the feeling that a we are undergoing a slow but powerful shift. CBK
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CBK, so much depends on SCOTUS. Their delay in ruling on his case has brought federal trials to a halt.
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Diane: I’m afraid I’ve been one of those who have kept up the myth of SCOTUS’ impenetrable moral integrity for way too long. In a related event, Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo apparently have ignored federal subpoenas.
My view is that there is something baked in to most, if not all, of the American spirit that really doesn’t like such displays of arrogance, especially from those who (as my mother used to say) “put their pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us.” And I don’t think the Republicans with their MTG and Mat Goetz mentalities have completely destroyed the integrity of Congress, at least not yet. CBK
“Watchdog Group Calls Out GOP Senators Over Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo Defenses”
Leonard Leo has chosen to ignore a Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena given to him earlier this month.”
https://truthout.org/articles/watchdog-group-calls-out-gop-senators-over-harlan-crow-leonard-leo-defenses/?utm_source=feedotter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FO-04-24-2024&utm_content=httpstruthoutorgarticleswatchdoggroupcallsoutgopsenatorsoverharlancrowleonardleodefenses&utm_source=Truthout&utm_campaign=cb9c58a352-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_04_24_08_54&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbb541a1db-cb9c58a352-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
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I am highly impressed by the Democrats selecting Dr Vasquez Heilig instead of someone like Arne Duncan. I’d call that evolution.
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