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Florida: Corporate Education Reform Trial Started Today!

By dianeravitch
March 14, 2016 //
4

Supporters of public education in Florida began a challenge of the state’s punitive accountability system in 2009. The trial started today.

 

The parent-led group, Fund Florida Now, is one of the plaintiffs. It sent out this important information today:

 

 

“Florida’s A-F Public School Accountability Trial starts today!

 

 

“Florida’s marquee public education trial, ‘Citizens for Strong Schools,’ filed in 2009, begins today. Thanks to the herculean pro bono efforts of the Southern Legal Counsel, this is truly a citizen-driven lawsuit. Just about every “education reform” policy legislators have imposed on our children and teachers through Florida’s A-F Accountability scheme is on the table.

 

“As a public education advocate, your voice helped to move this lawsuit forward.

 

“Fund Education Now is a plaintiff in the case along with Citizens for Strong Schools and several individuals. The journey to this day has been long. Fund Education Now came to be in 2009 in response to what former Orange County School Superintendent Ron Blocker called “criminal and catastrophic” cuts to public education. What drove us was the absolute lack of answers from the state legislature as to why they were deliberately de-funding public education while spending billions to grow a high stakes testing juggernaut and diverting money to separate, unequal and often privately held “choice options.”

 

“All of this was happening despite the fact that the Florida Constitution was amended in 1998 with the approval of over 70% of the voters, giving the Florida Legislature specific instructions regarding public education funding:

 

“Article IX, section 1 of the Florida Constitution states

 

“(a) The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools…

 

“It’s been clear for a long time that nothing short of legal action was needed to make a difference. A powerful combination of state legislators, PACs, business chambers, former politicians, industry and foundation lobbyists joined together to pass one “bold reform” after another, session after session with the net effect of deeply wounding teachers, students and public schools. Parents responded by calling, writing and speaking to legislators. Those early and sustained actions turned the conversation from “education reform” as a fait accompli to a strong push-back over validity, intent and the profit motive behind so many of these laws.

 

“The State of Florida fought hard to keep this trial from ever taking place. It represents a significant struggle to finally have an unvarnished discussion to determine whether the state of Florida is fulfilling its constitutional duty to the 2.8 million children enrolled in public schools.

 

“Make sure to watch this important case live-streaming daily on the Florida Channel for the next five weeks. The state Supreme Court ruled that the Citizens for Strong Schools case is a “matter of extreme public importance” that should be heard in court. We couldn’t agree more.

 

“If you like what we do, please help us continue to fund this work.”

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Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Closing schools, Corporate Reform, Florida

Washington State: The Democrats Who Betrayed the Public Schools

By dianeravitch
March 14, 2016 //
18

Parents and educators in Washington State have fought a long battle to keep charter schools out of their state. There have been four referenda; the first three rejected charters. In 2012, however, Bill Gates and a few of his other billionaire friends put together a fund of $15 million, give or take a few million, to promote a new charter vote. In the other side were school boards, PTAs, teachers, the NAACP, and other civic groups defending public education, whose resources are minuscule compared to Gates & friends. The referendum passed, by less than 1%.

 

Its te opponents sued to block the law, saying that charter schools are not public schools. The Washington state Supreme Court agreed with them.

 

Undaunted, the monied interests have continued their pressure to get public funding. Leave aside the fact that Gates could support charter schools with his spare change.

 

Now on the legislature is ready to satisfy Gates and the other entrepreneurs. Most disturbing is to see that Democrats are enabling the diversion of public money from public schools to privately managed charters. Hopefully, the group’s that led the successful lawsuit will go back to court and challenge this trick again.

 

A reader in Washington state sent this news, with a list of the Democrats who double crossed parents and children to satisfy Bill Gates and friends:

 

 

“It is just terrible to see what is happening in Washington state. For starters, the Supreme Court declared I 1240 unconstitutional on September 4. Charter schools had plenty of time to transition students into public schools, but they refused to close their doors.

 

 

With the support of the Washington Charter Association and a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for $2.1M- charter schools remained opened- and they did so by having the state’s superintendent of public instruction corrupt Alternative Learning Rules.

In January, Steve and Connie Ballmer contributed $250K to a charter PAC. These dollars are being used to fund TV ads, polls, robo calls etc.

 

 

http://www.pdc.wa.gov/MvcQuerySystem/CommitteeData/contributions?param=V0FTSEMgIDExMQ====&year=2016&type=continuing

 

 

Students were constantly getting bussed to the state’s capital and charter supporters literally camped within the state’s capital. We’ve been told 22 lobbyists filled the halls of the state building.

 

 

SB 6194 got passed out of the R. controlled senate. The House had compelling testimony and would not allow the bill out of committee.

 

 

Title-only bills got passed out of committee. These bills have NO text and are intended to support charter schools and do an end-run around the state’s constitution.

 

 

Larry Springer drafted different legislation, and , less than 24 hours later the bill was on the House floor for a vote. The House holds a slim majority and, with the support of 9 Democrats, SB 6194 got passed out of committee. Here are the turn-coat Dems:

 

1. Judy Clibborn: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/judy-clibborn/

 

 

2. Christopher Hurst: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/christopher-hurst/

 

 

3. Ruth Kagi: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/ruth-kagi/

 

 

4. Kristine Lytton: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/kristine-lytton/

 

 

5. Jeff Morris: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/jeff-morris/

 

 

6. Eric Pettigrew: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/eric-pettigrew

7. David Sawyer: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/david-sawyer/

 

 

8. Tana Senn: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/tana-senn/

 

 

9. Larry Springer: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/larry-springer/

 

 

10. Pat Sullivan: http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/legislators/pat-sullivan

 

 

The bill will not satisfy the Supreme Court. Legislators know this and don’t care. Chad Magendanz made a speech and called for 2000 charter school students to protest next year.

 

 

I’m confident the charter “fix” will not pass constitutional muster. Here is what Paul Laurence (attorney that argued and won I 1240):

 

 

“But attorney Paul Lawrence, who represented those who filed the lawsuit challenging charters, said switching to lottery funds is just an accounting trick.

 

 

“That doesn’t strike me as any different from paying it out of the general fund,” Lawrence said. “I don’t really see that that accomplishes a fix.”

 

 

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/house-approves-bill-to-keep-charter-schools-open-clearing-way-for-passage/

 

 

 

Categories Charter Schools, Education Reform, Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Parents, Supporting public schools, Teachers, Washington State

I Watched Bernie on Charter Schools

By dianeravitch
March 14, 2016 //
124

I watched the replay of the Ohio Town Hall specifically to understand what Bernie said about charter schools.

 

The teacher who posed the question was a TFA charter teacher. She asked a leading question. She asserted that in Ohio, charter schools lead the state in helping poor black and Hispanic children, then she asked whether they should play a role in solving the problems of these children.

 

To begin with, her assertion was inaccurate. It was propaganda for charters, which in Ohio have experienced numerous financial and academic scandals. In addition, she failed to mention that charters are far more likely to be low-performing than public schools. (See: here and here). Ohio has charter operators who give large campaign contributions and evade accountability. Some Ohio charter owners have made millions.

 

Bernie Sanders responded that he supports public education, and he supports public charter schools. He then talked about the importance of public schools in building our society and the value of neighborhood public schools. He added that he wants to have innovation and experimentation in schools; he referred to schools in Vermont that are innovative, and stumbled about whether they are public charter schools. Someone, perhaps the host, said, “magnet schools,” and Sanders quickly agreed.

 

At that moment, I realized that Senator Sanders doesn’t know that most charter schools are privately managed and that all charter schools, even if they are part of a corporate chain or run for-profit, call themselves “public charter schools.”

 

I am convinced that Senator Sanders does not know much about charter schools. I am also convinced that he sincerely believes in the importance of public schools.

 

Someone needs to sit down with him and explain that charter schools span the spectrum, but that many are run to make money, that many exclude English language learners and children with disabilities, that charters take resources away  from neighborhood public schools, and that many are run by corporate chains.

Categories Charter Schools, Education Reform

What Did Bernie Mean?

By dianeravitch
March 13, 2016 //
51

I just saw a tweet from the politics editor for the Daily Beast. She heard Bernie Sanders speak in Ohio today.

She tweeted this:

“@woodruffbets: Sanders: “I believe in public education and I believe in public charter schools. I do not believe in privately controlled charter schools”

Readers of this blog know that all charters–whether they are privately controlled, whether they operate for-profit or not for profit–call themselves “public charter schools.”

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, led by Nina Rees–former education advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney and later to Michael Milken–does not differentiate between “public charter schools” and some other kind.

Please, someone who works in the campaign, let Bernie know that all charter schools call themselves public charter schools because they get public money. Religious schools that get public vouchers do not call themselves “religious public schools.”

Help me understand what Bernie meant.

The

Categories Charter Schools

Bernie Sanders and Faux “Public” Charter Schools: Contact Him for Clarification

By dianeravitch
March 13, 2016 //
50

I posted last night about a DFER statement commending Senator Sanders for endorsing “public charter schools.”

 

Contrary to some readers’ responses, I have been completely even-handed in dealing with both candidates. I applaud them when they recognize that charter schools are damaging public schools. I criticize them when they support privatization by charter.

 

I previously applauded when Hillary Clinton criticized charter schools, then was critical of Hillary when an aide “walked back” her criticism. 

 

Similarly, I applauded Senator Bernie Sanders when he said unequivocally that he opposed charter schools. And last night when I learned about Senator Sanders latest comment, I at first didn’t believe it.

 

I was stunned to listen to the radio broadcast in which Sanders was asked the question, “Do you support vouchers and charters?”

 

He answered that he does not support public funding of private schools.

 

He was then asked, “Do you support public charter schools?”

 

He answered “Yes.”

 

Readers of this blog know that Eva Moskowitz claims that her Success Academy charters are “public schools,” even though she fights public audits, refuses to sign contracts for pre-K, closes school for political demonstrations, and excludes children she doesn’t want.

 

Please, someone, contact Bernie’s office and find out if he understands that there is nothing about “public charter schools” that is public other than the money they get from government, like Lockheed Martin or Boeing or other contractors.

 

Send him tweets and emails.

 

In a hotly contested election, we need to encourage both Democratic candidates to stand up for public education with democratic governance.

Categories Charter Schools

Jeff Bryant: Public Opinion Is Beginning to Shift Against Charter Schools

By dianeravitch
March 13, 2016 //
18

Jeff Bryant writes that charter schools have enjoyed an elevated status as a “sure cure” for low-performing students because most Americans know so little about them.

 

He cites a number of polls showing that the appeal of charter schools wears thin when people realize that they draw resources away from the local public schools. As one person quoted in the article says, charters have a “negative fiscal impact” on local public schools.

 

Furthermore, the local press in many cities–especially in Florida and Ohio–has reported frequently on charter frauds and scandals, on money flowing to politically connected charter operators, on legislators with conflicts of interest, on charters that push out unwanted children and avoid students with disabilities, and on charters whose “CEO” is paid over half a million. As more such articles appear, the public begins to see that the absence of regulation leads to systemic abuse, not just a one-time anomaly.

 

Citing John Merrow, Bryant writes:

 

The simple reality is that as charters expand into new communities, and residents see that their neighborhood school loses a percentage of students in a particular grade level or across grade levels to charters, the school can’t simply proportionally cut fixed costs for things like transportation and physical plant. It also can’t cut the costs of grade-level teaching staff proportionally. That would increase class sizes and leave the remaining students underserved. So instead, the school cuts a support service – a reading specialist, a special education teacher, a librarian, an art or music teacher – to offset the loss of funding. Say goodbye to your kids’ favorite art teacher or your school’s Mandarin program.

 

What Charters Have Become

 

“I have been observing what is called the ‘charter school movement’ from Day One,” Merrow recalls, “a historic meeting at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in 1988 that I moderated. Back then, the dream was that every district would open at least one ‘chartered school,’ where enrollment and employment would be voluntary and where new ideas could be field-tested. Successes and failures would be shared, and the entire education system would benefit.”

 

Merrow now finds those early aspirations for charter schools “naïve,” given what characterizes the charter school industry today.

 

Early charter school promoters may indeed have been naïve, but the American public is increasingly getting wise, and the “charter school brand,” as Merrow phrases it, is likely turning from Teflon to tarnished.

 

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers

Watch Out for ALEC Legislation in Your State!

By dianeravitch
March 13, 2016 //
23

“Cashing in On Kids” reports that ALEC education legislation is quietly spreading across the nation. ALEC is the American Legislative Exchange Council, a secretive far-right organization that is funded by major corporations and whose members are state legislators. Its goal is privatization and deregulation. It writes model laws, then its members introduce them into their state legislature as their own. To learn all about ALEC, go to Alec Exposed.

 

Despite widespread public opposition to the corporate-driven education privatization agenda, at least 172 measures reflecting American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) model bills were introduced in 42 states in 2015, according to an analysis by the Center for Media and Democracy, publishers of ALECexposed.org and PRWatch.org. (A PDF version of this report may be downloaded here.)

 

One of ALEC’s biggest funders is Koch Industries and the Koch brothers’ fortune. The Kochs have had a seat at the table – where the private sector votes as equals with legislators – on ALEC’s education task force via their “grassroots” group Americans for Prosperity and their Freedom Partners group, which was described as the Kochs’ “secret bank.”

 

The Kochs also have a voice on ALEC’s Education Task Force through multiple state-based think tanks of the State Policy Network, ALEC’s sister organization, which is funded by many of the same corporations and foundations and donor entities.

 

ALEC’s Education Task Force is also funded by the billionaire DeVos family, which bankrolls a privatization operation called “American Federation of Children,” and by for-profit corporations like K12 Inc., which was founded by junk-bond king Michael Milliken.

 

ALEC’s education task force has pushed legislation for decades to privatize public schools, weaken teacher’s unions, and lower teaching standards.

 

ALEC’s agenda would transform public education from a public and accountable institution that serves the public into one that serves private, for-profit interests. ALEC model bills divert taxpayer money from public to private schools through a variety of “voucher” and “tuition tax credit” programs. They promote unaccountable charter schools and shift power away from democratically elected local school boards….

 

Although ALEC and other school privatizers today frame “vouchers” – taxpayer-funded tuition for private, and often religious, schools – in terms of “opportunity” for low-income students and giving parents the “choice” to send their children to public or private schools, the group was less judicious in its earlier years.

 

The commentary to ALEC’s original 1984 voucher bill states that its purpose is “to introduce normal market forces” into education, and to “dismantle the control and power of” teachers’ unions by directing money from public institutions to private ones that were less likely to be unionized.

 

Friedman was more explicit when addressing ALEC’s 2006 meeting. He explained that vouchers are really a step towards “abolishing the public school system.”

 

“How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?” Friedman asked the ALEC crowd.

 

“Of course, the ideal way would be to abolish the public school system and eliminate all the taxes that pay for it. Then parents would have enough money to pay for private schools, but you’re not gonna do that.”

 

Of course, in order to believe in the idea of “opportunity scholarships” to “save poor kids from failing schools,” you have to believe that the big corporations and the billionaires are civil rights crusaders for the poor and needy. My imagination is not big enough to do that.

Categories ALEC, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Reform, Privatization, Vouchers

DFER Commends Bernie for Supporting Charter Schools

By dianeravitch
March 12, 2016 //
90

 

Democrats for Education Reform--the voice of hedge fund managers who meddle in education despite their lack of any knowledge or experience–issued a statement congratulating Bernie Sanders for coming out in support of “public charter schools.”

 

Senator Sanders was interviewed on a radio talk show. He was asked about whether he supported vouchers and charters. He said he supports public education and opposes funding private schools. The host asked whether he supports “public charter schools,” and he answered “yes.”

 

You have to wonder whether Bernie understands that privately managed charters, which operate with no transparency or public accountability, and without democratic governance, call themselves “public charter schools.” In some states, charter legislation calls them “public charter schools,” even if they operate for profit.

 

Even though Bernie is a member of the Senate committee that oversees education, he doesn’t seem to be well informed about what charters are. He doesn’t realize that he just signed on to the favorite “reform” of ALEC, every Republican candidate, the Walton family, and every red-state governor (plus Cuomo of New York and Malloy of Connecticut), as well as Wall Street.

 

I wonder if Bernie knows that at least 90% of “public charter schools” are non-union, which is why Republicans and oligarchs love them.

 

Strange bedfellows indeed.

 

DFER said:

 

“MARCH 1ST, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

DFER STATEMENT ON BERNIE SANDERS’ MOST RECENT STATEMENT ON CHARTER SCHOOLS
Shavar Jeffries Welcomes Senator Sanders’ Flip to “Yes” on Public Charters

 

“Yesterday, on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders flip-flopped on his prior position and clearly declared his support for public charter schools. In response, DFER President Shavar Jeffries released the following statement:

 

“We welcome Senator Sanders’ recognition that public charter schools can and do provide essential educational options for students, many of whom do not have other high-quality public options available. Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders have now both changed their rhetoric in this campaign and joined President Obama in acknowledging that allowing students and families a choice empowers them to find the best opportunity that meets their unique needs. Flatly opposing high-performing public charters would send hundreds of thousands of students back into failing schools and prevent those public charters from helping to lift neighborhood schools by offering new — and proven — ways of educating our children that put results ahead of bureaucracy.”

 

Sanders Flips on Opposition to Charters

 

Senator Sanders at Newmarket, NH Town Hall on January 3rd:

 

“I’m not in favor of privately-run charter schools. If we are going to have a strong democracy and be competitive globally, we need the best educated people in the world. And I believe in public education. I went to public schools my whole life. I think rather than give tax breaks to billionaires, I think we invest in teachers and we invest in public education.”
Sanders Flops Back in Favor of Charters

 

 

Categories Charter Schools, Education Reform, Politics

George Joseph: Why Are Reports of Violence Increasing Faster at NYC Charter Schools Than Public Schools?

By dianeravitch
March 12, 2016 //
23

In an article in The Nation, George Joseph notes a curious phenomenon: the reports of violent and disruptive behavior are increasing at double the rate in charter schools in New York City, as compared to public schools.

 

The irony is that this is happening at the same time that the billionaire-backed Families for Excellent Schools has unleashed a social media campaign aimed at discrediting Mayor Bill de Blasio’s efforts to reduce harsh discipline in the public schools. Joseph’s article includes several tweets from FES, calling attention to disorder in the public schools. He surmises that FES–a major backer of Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy charter chain–is trying to divert attention from the embarrassing video of a SA teacher humiliating a child.

 

Joseph interviews a retired professional who observed both types of schools in a building co-located with a charter:

 

Brenda Shufelt, a recently retired librarian who served public school and Success Academy Charter School students at a colocated school library in Harlem, said that as charter schools rapidly expand, they may be taking in more high-needs kids, many of whom cannot conform to one-size-fits-all disciplinary approaches.

 

“In my experience, what would often happen is that charter school students would be so rigidly controlled that the kids would periodically blow up,” says Shufelt. “At PS 30, some of our kids would have meltdowns, usually because of problems at home, but I never saw kids melt down in the way they did in charter schools. They were just so despairing, feeling like they could not do this. I was told by two custodians, they had never had so much vomit to clean up from kindergarten and elementary classes.”

Categories Charter Schools, Discipline, New York City

Merryl Tisch: I Did It for the Kids

By dianeravitch
March 11, 2016 //
64

Merryl Tisch is stepping down as Chancellor of the New York Board of Regents, ending a 20-year tenure on the board. The New York Times interviewed her about her time in office.

 

Tisch led the state’s effort to win Race to the Top funding. The state received $700 million, promising to increase charters, adopt the Common Core, create a longitudinal database for students, and evaluate teachers by test scores.

 

She promoted high-stakes testing, test-based teacher evaluation, charter schools, and everything expected by Race to the Top. And she didn’t just comply, she truly believes that testing, Common Core, and accountability will increase equity and reduce achievement gaps. She did it for the kids.

 

“She tried to do too much, too fast.

 
“That is Merryl H. Tisch’s appraisal of her tenure as chancellor of the Board of Regents, the top education post in New York State, as she prepares to step down at the end of the month.

 
“Her critics say the same thing.

 
“A champion of the Common Core learning standards, Dr. Tisch, 60, pushed for the creation of new, harder tests based on those standards and for teacher evaluations tied to students’ performance on the exams.

 

“That set off a backlash in which a fifth of the eligible students sat out the state’s third- through eighth-grade reading and math tests last spring. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, once her ally on using test scores in teacher evaluations, did an about-face….

 

““If anything, I fault myself for being ambitious for every child,” she said.”

 

 

Categories Charter Schools, Common Core, Education Reform, New York, Race to the Top, Standardized Testing, Teacher Evaluations
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