Archives for category: Corporate Reformers
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Charter Advocates Try to Buy Bridgeport Election

By dianeravitch
September 5, 2013 //
10

Jonathan Pelto reports that charter advocates have dumped at least $50,000 into the Bridgeport school board elections in hopes of maintaining a board that will create more charters and defend Paul Vallas.

Expenditures of this magnitude are still fairly rare in school board elections, except in cases where the privatization movement has decided that they want control, like the Louisiana, Indiana, Idaho, and Los Angeles school board races, as well as the charter referenda in Washington State and Georgia.

Where is the money coming from?

Pelto writes:

In this case, A Better Connecticut is claiming that their five largest funders were Education Reform Now Advocacy of New York City, 50CAN Action Fund, Inc. of New York City, Real Reform Now Network, Inc. of Loudonville, New York, Families for Excellent Schools – Advocacy Inc. of New York City and Students for Education Reform (SFER- Action Network Inc.) of New York City.

A Better Connecticut was created at the beginning of this year by ConnCAN, which was created by the original funders behind Achievement First, Inc.

As readers know, Achievement First, Inc. is the large charter school management company that was co-founded by Stefan Pryor who served on Achievement First’s Board of Directors until he resigned to become Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education.

Note how many of these groups are not based in Connecticut. Families for Excellent Schools in NYC is funded by the Walton Family Foundation, the Broad Foundation, and other corporate reform activists.

Categories Charter Schools, Connecticut, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Privatization

Experience Matters for MY Children: Not THEIRS

By dianeravitch
September 3, 2013 //
4

Jersey Jazzman finds a reformer who is delighted that the new superintendent of the Camden, NJ, schools has no experience. Her proof: she names experienced educators who did not succeed.

But JJ points out that this reformer is president of the school board in Lawrence Township. In her district, experience is very important.

Not so much for less fortunate districts

Categories Administrators, superintendents, Corporate Reformers, New Jersey

Paul Thomas: What We Know Now and Why It Doesn’t Matter

By dianeravitch
September 3, 2013 //
10

In this excellent analysis, Paul Thomas lists the many education policy ideas that are at the core of corporate reform–and how they have been proven wrong.

At first glance, it is infuriation to realize that no part of the corporate reform agenda works.

But on second thought, it is encouraging to realize that the policies the reformers are pushing ARE the STATUS QUO and IT IS FAILING.

It is failing, and failing, and failing.

As the old adage goes, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.

Eventually, the hedge fund managers will get bored and find another hobby.

Eventually, the public will wake up and realize that profiteers are stealing their public schools.

And then the game will be over.

Categories Accountability, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit

A Song for “Reformers”

By dianeravitch
September 2, 2013 //
6

Sheila Resseger, who taught deaf children for many years,
wrote to say there will be a Labor Day rally today in Providence,
Rhode Island. “In Honor of Labor Day, the Coalition to Defend
Public Education (Providence), and the RI Badass Teachers are
holding a rally in downtown Providence–Labor Day Rally for Justice
in Public Education. We will have speakers from the
community–teachers, retired teachers, parents, and concerned
citizens. We will talk about the callous attempt to privatize
public education for private gain. We will talk about the
inappropriateness of the Common Core State (sic) Standards. We will
recite limericks, perform a rap, and sing this song that I
transcribed from Barry Lane’s Cabaret at Occupy the DOE 2.0 in D.C.
last spring.” Sheila posted the following song for Labor Day. Song
from Barry Lane’s Cabaret at Occupy the DOE 2.0 in D.C., April 4,
2013 Sung to the tune of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
Superficial unrealistic rigor is atrocious Yet so many education
reformers propose this. If you drill them hard enough, They’ll stay
upon their toeses. Superficial unrealistic rigor is atrocious. We
shouldn’t be afraid to speak when policies seem bad. We have the
best democracy the world has ever had. Why do they keep on scolding
us on how we run our class? Take those mandates and those tests and
… Help us stay on task! Superficial unrealistic rigor is atrocious.
What qualifies you to be the education Moses? Testing is not
teaching, We don’t buy the mass hypnosis, Superficial unrealistic
rigor is atrocious. We knew this child named Billie His life had
not been kind. He was a child that stingy folks had (?) left far
far behind. A caring teacher came one day and reached this little
boy. So reading, writing, ‘rithmetic is this lad’s pride and joy!
Super teachers always know connection is where hope is. Let them
guide their classrooms with a student-centered focus. Please untie
their hands and lose this data hocus-pocus. Super teachers always
know connection is where hope is. Super teachers always know
connection is where hope is. Super teachers always know connection
is where hope is. If you’re feeling sad and blue This song will
help you cope with Superficial unrealistic rigor that’s
atrocious!

Categories Corporate Reformers, Humor

Secret Emails: Indiana Takeover Planned Behind Closed Doors

By dianeravitch
September 1, 2013 //
60

Tom Lobianco, the investigative journalist of the Associated Press who uncovered the Tony Bennett grade-fixing scandal, has opened up another treasure trove of emails in Indiana.

What he learned was that the plan to introduce rightwing reforms was hatched in secret by GOP power brokers and did not include legislators or open hearings.

He writes:

“…emails and other documents obtained by The Associated Press show a small group of GOP powerbrokers crafted the details of the education policy that made Indiana a conservative model – over Scotch whisky at an Indianapolis steakhouse and in meetings at a private club.

“In the months before the education package was unveiled to the public, its architects mulled the policy and politics of the rollout without any input from state lawmakers who’d later be tasked to pass the measures. They even debated when to loop in Daniels ahead of an election in which Republicans reclaimed control of the Statehouse.”

We learn in civics textbook how laws are written, legislators debate, hearings are held. But that ‘s not what happened in Indiana.

Does anyone care?

Categories Corporate Reformers, Indiana, Vouchers

BAT Founder: Education “Reform” Is a Coup D’Etat

By dianeravitch
August 30, 2013 //
36

Mark Naison is one of the founders of BAT, the Badass Teachers Association. He says that what is happening to public education today is nothing less than a coup d’état, a stealthy takeover of public education by elites who know little or nothing about education. Some do it for the power; some for greed; some for ideology. Whatever their reason, it is time to resist.

Naison writes:

“There Has Been an Education Coup D’Etat In the US- Time to Organize Resistance”

“When a country has suffered a Coup D’Etat, as Chile did in the 1970’s, or a foreign invasion, as France did during the start of World War II, it takes a while for the population to figure out how to resist. Some collaborate, some passively conform, some pretend compliance and grimly go about their business, some move into active resistance, even at the risk of their lives

“While it would be foolish to pretend that what has happened to education in the US in the last ten years has had the same life threatening consequences, it does have many of the elements of a Coup D’Etat. A well financed and highly motivated elite with little or no background in teaching or school administration has seized control of Education Policy in the US, excluding teachers and parents voices, and has imposed a grim test regimen on the nation’s public schools that has driven joy and creativity out of our classrooms and made teachers hate their jobs. The Common Core Standards, imposed with lightning speed across the country through bribery and intimidation is but the latest example of how School Reformers borrow the ethos and strategy of dictators to impose their policies. Teachers, parents, and students who have had no chance to discuss the standards, much less see them in operation before deciding whether to support them, are presented with a fate d’accompli and told they are undermining national progress if they dare to ask questions, and if they are teachers or principals, told that opposition can cost them their jobs

“Well, despite the intimidation, a resistance has emerged, composed of parent opt out groups, anti- testing and anti-Common Core Coalitions, and this group, the Badass Teachers Association. With Common Core now part of professional development for teachers in most school districts, it is time to help the resistance spread. Just letting teachers know there is a group like BATS which thinks current policies are crazy is an important step. We now have a one page document in the files that you can print out and distribute to colleagues.

“Please discretely hand this out to your colleagues and friends. Most will probably not want to join, but knowing there is a resistance of this size and militancy will give them courage and make them feel empowered to resist covertly, in their own classrooms. And who knows, over time, they may join us

“But the important thing is to spread the word. Let people know that 26,000 teachers across the country have said “enough is enough” to top down Education Reform and are determined to fight back.

“It’s not only our jobs that are at stake, it is our students and our children’s education, and the future of democracy in this country that are on the line.”

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BadAssTeachers/

Categories Corporate Reformers, Privatization, Supporting public schools, Testing

LA Times: Charter Schools Should Not Hurt Public Schools

By dianeravitch
August 28, 2013 //
10

The Los Angeles Times has generally been very supportive of
privately managed charter schools, but in an editorial today it
dares to suggest that charter schools should not expand at the
expense of public schools.

In areferendum passed in 2000, intended to make it easier to pass bonds to support public schools,
charter advocates slipped in a little noticed proviso that required
public schools to provide space for charters. As we know, charters
are not governed by the rules and regulations that govern public
schools. But charter schools end up getting more space than public
schools, and causing overcrowding in public schools, where most of
the children are. “That’s because charter schools, which
are often subsidized through foundation grants, tend to have much
smaller class sizes. The charter schools contend that they should
be given a room for each class, even if that class has 15 students
while a classroom of the same size at the traditional public school
might have 30. They also claim that preschool classrooms and parent
centers should be counted in the formula under which charter space
is allocated.”

The Times is quick to note that some
charter schools get high test scores, not noting that the small
class sizes might have something to do with it.

Is it fair to compare a school where classes are 15 to a school where classes are
30?

Is it fair to compare an underfunded public school to a
well-resourced charter school that is backed by billionaires and
their foundations? At some point, even the Los Angeles Times
editorial board will recognize that the billionaires have no
intention of providing equality of educational opportunity for all
the children of Los Angeles. They like having little showcases,
underwritten by the public, pretending to be public schools, but
limited to the children they choose. It is a vanity project, but
its long-term effect will be to damage public education and to harm the great majority of
children, whom the charter advocates don’t want and don’t care
about.

Categories Charter Schools, Class size, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Los Angeles

Alfie Kohn Critiques the New York Times BookReview

By dianeravitch
August 28, 2013 //
5

Alfie Kohn here chastises the New York Times Book Review for adding its
heft to the conventional wisdom: that our schools are “mediocre”
and need to find some other nation to emulate; that test scores
define success in school and in life; that test scores determine a
nation’s economic prospects; that children must be treated like
“hamsters in a cage” so they cram in enough facts to get those
all-important test scores; and that the only reason to go to school
is to make more money one day. These are what he calls “recycled
assumptions.” They are what I call the stale conventional wisdom.
These ideas are the underpinnings of No Child Left Behind and Race
to the Top. They are ruining the lives of children and teachers.
Left in place, they will turn education into a commodity that one
buys at Walmart or on the Internet, absent any human interaction.
That way: an ugly, soulless future. Alfie Kohn makes this
prediction: “Food for thought? Listen — I’ll gladly eat the front
page of the New York Times Book
Review if it ever features a book that challenges
these premises.” Inasmuch as I have a book that will be published
on September 17, inasmuch as it challenges the dead ideas of the
past generation, I hope he has that repast.

Categories Corporate Reformers, International, NCLB (No Child Left Behind), Race to the Top, Testing

Jon Pelto: Our Orwellian Education Policy

By dianeravitch
August 27, 2013 //
4

Jonathan Pelto
here reviews the upside down world of education “reform,”
where evidence-based policy is rejected as insufficiently
innovative, while failed ideas are hailed as bold “reforms.” His
blog is inspired by a great, great article by civil rights lawyer Wendy
Lecker.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Connecticut, Corporate Reformers, U.S. education

Paul Thomas: Shame on You, State Superintendent Zais!

By dianeravitch
August 27, 2013 //
3

Paul Thomas here describes how Mick Zais, state superintendent of South Carolina, misleads the public about the condition of education in his state, about how schools succeed, and what is needed to help them improve.

Having found a high-poverty district that has higher-than-expected test scores, Zais uses this district to push the corporate reform agenda: Success is all about merit pay and “no excuses.”

A great teacher can supply 18 months of “knowledge” in only one academic year, as measured by standardized tests, which we know are great ways to assess “knowledge.”

This is the usual reformy nonsense, which has never stood up to scrutiny.

Paul Thomas taught high school for 18 years in South Carolina and is now preparing teachers at Furman University in South Carolina.

He is an amazingly prolific scholar, and his deep experience informs his scholarship.

 

Categories Administrators, superintendents, Corporate Reformers, Merit pay, Teachers and Teaching
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