Archives for category: Corporate Reformers
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How Corporate Reformers Defeated Democracy in Idaho

By dianeravitch
June 3, 2013 //
8

This reader explains how the Legislature had taken steps to circumvent the will of the electorate. Last November, voters decisively repealed the three laws that were promoted by State Superintendent Tom Luna.

The reader writes:

“I live in Idaho. The legislature has had public hearings since 2011s introduction of Students Come First. Tom Luna is our Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was an advisor to U.S Secretary of Education Rod Paige from 2003-2005, the “magic bullet” from Houston that pushed high stakes testing, and worked on legislation to pass No Child Left Behind. Tom Luna has no education in instruction, but has an online degree in “weights and measures.” Idaho repealed the Students Come First laws this last November, after a long battle between the people, and a supposed “grassroots” organization called Education Voters of Idaho. The donors for the Students Come First campaign were revealed.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/oct/31/ny-mayor-among-secret-donors-idaho-school-campaign/

Unfortunately, the Idaho legislature reinstated parts of the Students Come First laws, against the people, often stacking the hearings with people who were for these laws, which include:

“Limit the life of salary and benefit portions of master agreements to one year. Require negotiations between teachers’ unions and school boards be held in public. Require teachers unions to prove – if asked by a board – that they represent a majority of educators. Provide money for grants for schools seeking to expand technology, such as laptops or mobile devices, in the classroom. Set aside merit pay funding for educators, based on district standards.” http://www.idahoednews.org/news/lawmakers-revive-elements-of-defeated-props

The reinstatement of some of the Students Come First laws have deflated teachers’ and parents’ hope for change. Governor Otter, formed an Education Task Force, stacked with his previous committee he formed back in 2007, called the Education Alliance of Idaho. This includes business stakeholders and JA & Kathryn Albertson’s Foundation, who also formed a committee called the Idaho Leads Project, and the new ad running “Don’t Fail Idaho.” Joe Scott, the grandson of Joe Albertson, of the Albertsons grocery chain, has been found to make millions off of the online schooling company K12 inc.

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2011/feb/19/albertsons-heir-made-millions-k12-inc-promotes-it-idaho-schools/

We have known ALEC members on ALECs education task force Senator Bob Nonini, and Representative Pete Nielsen, who are also on the Education Committee in Idaho.

My 7th grade twins that attend “traditional” public schools, hear me discuss Idaho’s education problems, and our nations. They had some interesting insight. They said it sounds very similar to the Roman Empire, and the corruption of the Senate. They said that the coliseum was built to distract the people from how horrible things truly were for the people. They said it did work for a while, and then the people began to revolt again. In Idaho’s situation, I feel these public hearings are the legislatures form of the coliseum. My only hope is to educate those that are unaware of the depths of our education deception, and eventually the people will win!!

Jen Leuck

Categories Corporate Reformers, Education Reform, Idaho

Kids Are Never Too Young to Learn to Make Money

By dianeravitch
May 31, 2013 //
11

EduShyster reports here about a charter school in Utah where the goal of schooling is commerce.

Starting in kindergarten, the curriculum is all about buying and selling:

“HighMark administrators are quick to point out that the school is not a pint-sized business school. Instead, key business concepts and principles are integrated into every aspect of the K-8 charter. For example, “a student wanting to become a dentist will learn about the marketing aspect of dentistry, the pros and cons of opening their own office, entrepreneurship, and what leadership qualities are necessary to hire and supervise a staff.””

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Economy, Education Industry, For-Profit

Choice Zealots Take Control of Wealthy Douglas County, Colorado

By dianeravitch
May 30, 2013 //
33

There are times when reality is zanier than satire.

Read about Douglas County, Colorado, where choice fanatics run the district.

They want students and families to choose schools the way you choose a color for your car or a brand of cereal.

In other words, they don’t believe in public education.

They don’t believe in the democratic ideal of common schooling, where children from many backgrounds learn together. They believe in consumerism.

Categories Administrators, superintendents, Charter Schools, Colorado, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Vouchers

Who Are the Public School Haters?

By dianeravitch
May 29, 2013 //
22

It is clear by now that there is a very small number of very wealthy people who just don’t like public education. They don’t like teachers who work in public schools and want to strip them of any and every right, privilege, and status. They want to treat them like fast-food workers or salesmen who work on commission.

Given the chance, they would take the public’s money and give it to voucher schools, religious schools, entrepreneurs, to anyone who wants to start a school or an online business, regardless of their experience or qualifications. No one can take seriously their claim that they want to improve education or that they are “doing it for the kids” or they “put kids first” or they want to make kids “globally competitive.”

None of this is true.

Here Mike Deshotels explains who the haters are. They need do do some rethinking about the damage they are doing to our students, our teachers, and our nation.

Categories Budget Cuts, Charter Schools, Closing schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Privatization, Stand for Children, Vouchers

How to Lower Standards for Teacher Preparation

By dianeravitch
May 28, 2013 //
53

Anthony Cody reports on legislation prepared by Colorado Senator Michael Bennet that would decimate teacher professionalism. He wants federal funding for new teacher and principal academies that would lower standards for entry into education.

There is the usual blather about “excellence,” “great teachers,” standards and accountability, but the heart of the legislation is what it does not require:

“(B) shall not have unnecessary restrictions on the methods or inputs the teacher preparation academy will use to train teacher candidates or teachers teaching on alternative certificates, licenses, or credentials, including restrictions or requirements–

(i) obligating the faculty of the teacher preparation academy to hold advanced degrees;

(ii) obligating such faculty to conduct academic research;

(iii) related to the physical infrastructure of the teacher preparation academy;

(iv) related to the number of course credits required as part of the program of study;

(v) related to the undergraduate coursework completed by teachers teaching on alternative certificates, licenses, or credentials, as long as such teachers have successfully passed all relevant State-approved content area examinations…”

Cody concludes,

“So anyone with a bachelor’s degree – actually it does not even specify that – can open a teacher preparation “academy.” They need no building, no trained faculty. The credential candidates need have no preparation whatsoever – all that matters is that they pass the state content exams.”

These federal academies might not have a single faculty member who held an advanced degree or had ever conducted research. There might not be a physical campus. The prep academies would eventually be judged–someday–by the test scores of their graduates.

This approach would eliminate professional training for teachers.

Contrast this with Finland, where only eight universities award teacher degrees, and competition to get into these institutions is highly competitive. Only 1 of every 10 applicants is accepted into them, and they are expected to conduct research, study academic and pedagogical courses, and practice teach.

Finland has very high standards, but Senator Bennett’s bill would eliminate all standards for students and faculty.

Need I add that the bill is supported by a veritable “Who’s Who” of the corporate reform world, including TFA, Stand for Children, and a multitude of charter schools, all of whom are committed via this document to lower standards for teachers..

Categories Charter Schools, Colorado, Corporate Reformers, Education Reform

Lightning Struck Twice in L.A.

By dianeravitch
May 28, 2013 //
2

The Red Queen in LA offers a brief tutorial on the meaning of the astonishing electoral victory of Monica Ratliff—and before that, the remarkable upset win of Steve Zimmer.

Both ran against a barrage of out-of-state millions. Zimmer had the support of UTLA, Ratliff did not.

No one thought that either had a chance. Ratliff raised about $50,000 in small donations. Her opponent had millions.

Both won by the same 52-48 margin.

What does it mean?

It means the board has a majority that will rein in John Deasy. It may mean the board will slow down or stop the wildfire growth of unaccountable charters. It may mean a careful review of teacher evaluation methods.

It certainly means that the board will slow down the rush to privatize public education in LA.

That’s great news.

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Los Angeles, Teacher Evaluations

Bridgeport Parents Respond to Charter CEO Attack

By dianeravitch
May 27, 2013 //
13

Bridgeport parent leaders responded forcefully to an attack on their schools by Jennifer Alexander, the leader of ConnCAN.

Alexander claimed that charters in Connecticut outperform public schools and that 65,000 students are trapped in failing public schools. She certainly knows the corporate reform script.

The parent leaders wrote:

“As Bridgeport public school parents and elected parent leaders, we find it insulting that a paid charter school proponent is attempting to speak on behalf of a community she has no involvement with. Ms. Alexander does not have a child in the Bridgeport public schools, does not reside in the city of Bridgeport and does not pay Bridgeport taxes.

To Alexander’s claim that charters outperform public schools, the parents wrote:

“In reviewing the data of the six state charter schools that service Bridgeport students, it is abundantly clear that these six schools do not reflect the demographics of our traditional public schools. These six schools collectively underserve children with disabilities, English language learners and students receiving free/reduced-price lunch. By underserving these student populations, in some cases by double digits, they are able to claim that they achieve higher test scores.”

Bridgeport parents understand that ConnCAN represents fabulously wealthy individuals who use the public schools as a plaything. They wrote:

“ConnCan is funded by some very wealthy individuals. Their main purpose is to advocate for charter schools and their expansion. We are Bridgeport public school parents and elected parent leaders who volunteer our time and service. We do not receive a dime in compensation for the advocacy work that we do.

“Until Ms. Alexander can say the same, we recommend she speak for herself and not for those of us that are in the trenches fighting and advocating for our children’s education every day.”

The heartening aspect of this letter is that regular parents are seeing clearly what the game is. They understand that ConnCAN doesn’t care about their children. They recognize that the end game will be a publicly funded dual school system, with one free to exclude or push out kids it doesn’t want.

They are fighting for their children, for their community, for public education, and for democracy.

Categories Charter Schools, Connecticut, Corporate Reformers, Support for public schools

Helmsley Estate: Dogs For Excellence

By dianeravitch
May 26, 2013 //
16

Leona Helmsley, the legendary “queen of mean,” wanted to leave her fortune to dogs. She didn’t care much for people. She left $12 million for the care of her beloved dog Trouble. Her estate is valued in the billions.

She cut her grandchildren out of her will.

Her Meanness—or rather the executors of her estate–are instead promoting the destruction of the teaching profession and the privatization of public education. They are giving munificent sums to Educators for Excellence and Stand for Children, two leading voices for the meanness that Leona believed in.

Categories Corporate Reformers, Education Industry

Tisch and King to Randi: No Moratorium on Common Core Testing

By dianeravitch
May 25, 2013 //
48

Commissioner John King asked business leaders to help push Common Core implementation, despite the fact that teachers say they are not prepared. This is a flat-out rejection of Randi Weingarten’s request for a moratorium on linking test results to consequences. Randi told city and state leaders that curriculum and professional development should precede testing.

This is John King’s answer. If it’s John King’s answer, it is also Merryl Tisch’s answer. She is John King’s boss.

King thoughtfully wrote a pledge for business leaders to sign, agreeing to demand the Common Core, whether teachers are ready or not.

Robert Corcoran, president of the GE Foundation, agreed with King that delay is not an option:

“Some of those at Thursday’s talk downplayed the lack of prep time.
Corcoran, for example, maintained that there’s never enough time to fully prepare for a lot of endeavors, and that can become a trap leading to endless planning but no action.
Businesses, he said, frequently begin new initiatives before they are totally perfect.
“You launch it and you learn,” Corcoran said. “You can’t afford to wait.”

As Merryl Tisch memorably said, “It is time to jump into the deep end,” referring to the Common Core tests. Even the kids who can’t swim should jump into deep end.

Categories Common Core, Corporate Reformers, New York

CEO of Netflix a Leader of Corporate Reform Movement

By dianeravitch
May 25, 2013 //
48

If you follow the money, you notice that Reed Hastings of Netflix is a major funder of corporate reform. He contributes to the campaigns of pro-privatization candidates across the nation.

His Wikipedia bio says: “Hastings is active in educational philanthropy and politics and one of the issues Hastings most strongly advocates is charter schools, publicly funded elementary or secondary schools that have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools, in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school’s charter. “If public schools don’t adopt the same principles of competition and accountability as exist in the private and nonprofit sectors, they will continue to deteriorate,” says Hastings. “One way to permanently impact the system would be to have 10 to 20 percent of California schoolchildren enrolled in charter schools. That would be critical mass, and enough of a force to induce a competitive dynamic in the system,” he added.”

Apparently his views on education reform get into the programming he sponsors.

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers
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