Archives for category: Corporate Reformers
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Did Jeb Bush Use His Foundation for Financial Gain?

By dianeravitch
February 1, 2013 //
39

Lee Fang has published a blockbuster investigation of Jeb Bush’s foundation. Fang is an investigative writer for the Nation Institute.

Last year he published a stunning exposé about the online industry in which Bush and his chief lobbyist were central players. That article followed the money.

In this new article, he digs into the financial entanglements of Bush, based on emails that were obtained by a public interest group.

To understand the great push for online learning, charters, vouchers, and union-busting, read this.

Follow the money. Here is an astounding article about the thousands of emails that were released and what they contained about Bush’s activities through his “Foundation for Educational Excellence.” Read this article from Valerie Strauss’s Answer Sheet.

Categories Bush, Jeb, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Privatization

Jeb Bush Foundation Under Fire for Conflicts

By dianeravitch
February 1, 2013 //
8

Coach Bob Sikes reports here that Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Educational Excellence is under fire by groups who claim that it is promoting the for-profit interests of its corporate sponsors.

The Bush foundation, which presumably has a tax exemption, claims that 90% of its funding comes from philanthropic donors, not corporations.

This investigation in Maine shows the relationship between the Bush foundation, its chief strategist, and the corporations that stood to benefit financially from the activities of the Bush team.

And any investigation into the connection between the Foundation for Education Excellence and its sponsors should definitely look at the Ten Elements of Digital Learning. (Notice the long list of corporate sponsors, all in the business of selling digital products.)

Categories Bush, Jeb, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Privatization, Testing

Amazing Release of Bush Foundation Emails

By dianeravitch
February 1, 2013 //
3

This is the release of emails in response to FOIL of “In the Public Interest.”

Read to see interchange between Bush foundation and corporate interests.

Categories Bush, Jeb, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, On-Line Education, Privatization

Mercedes Schneider Reviews NCTQ Board: Part 3

By dianeravitch
February 1, 2013 //
2

Mercedes Schneider, Louisiana teacher and Ph.D. In statistics, is writing a series of posts about the National Council on Teacher Quality. NCTQ rates education programs and presents itself as a neutral, nonpartisan judge of teacher quality. Here Schneider begins an analysis of the members of the NCTQ board. Schneider finds that it is committed to the tenets of corporate reform, that it has a specific point of view about the issues it reviews.

Categories Corporate Reformers, National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)

Highly Ineffective: Mayor Bloomberg and Mayoral Control

By dianeravitch
February 1, 2013 //
11

Arthur Goldstein is a high school teacher in New York City. He blogs at New York City Educator.

The New York State Legislature gave Mayor Bloomberg control of the New York City public schools in 2002. Here is Arthur Goldstein’s assessment of Mayor Bloomberg’s decade of near-total control:

When Michael Bloomberg came into office, there was quite a lot of talk about mayoral control. After all, as always, the schools were in crisis. Op-eds warned end of the world was imminent if we did not address this crisis immediately. Mayor Bloomberg’s predecessor, Rudolph Giuliani, had attempted to procure control, but was frequently preoccupied with lawsuits (like the one demanding the right to bring his mistress into the home he shared with his wife and young children).

Bloomberg had a vision, a vision in which our Board of Education was replaced with a Panel for Educational Policy. In order to give some semblance of democracy to this vision, each borough president was allowed to select a representative. But Mayor Bloomberg would get 8 of the 13 votes, and any borough that stood in his way could go to hell. Also, any mayoral rep that voted against Bloomberg’s wishes, or contemplated doing so, would be fired. Thus, we learned much about Michael Bloomberg’s interpretation of democracy.

Also, to fix the supposed problem of educators presuming to run schools, Bloomberg would do away with the quaint notion of a master educator becoming principal, traditionally short for “principal teacher.” Instead, he’d get more business-oriented types to whip teachers into shape. I’ve only met one Leadership Academy grad, but I was amazed at his ability to speak jargon and slogans in lieu of English. Most teachers, like me, would much rather place their faith in someone who spent at least a good decade in the classroom.

To improve education, Bloomberg would close schools, and their problems were to magically disappear with their names. Large Neighborhood High School would become four schools, the International School of Niceness, the Michael Bloomberg School of Basket Weaving, or what have you. Only by the time the school opened, the Niceness principal was replaced with a Leadership Academy principal, and the basket-weaving principal would be replaced by someone who couldn’t tell a basket from a bucket.

New York City’s neediest kids, like the ESL students I serve, failed to disappear as planned and continued to pull down test scores, apparently the only thing Mayor Bloomberg cared about. No matter how many schools he closed, kids who didn’t speak English persisted in answering questions incorrectly. Being a lowly teacher, incapable of thinking out of the box, my instinct would have been to teach them English. But Mayor Bloomberg deemed it more productive to close more of their schools. As he closed schools in their neighborhoods, high-needs kids moved to nearby schools, which would soon close as well.

But Mayor Bloomberg (after getting Christine Quinn to help revoke a term-limit regulation twice affirmed by voters) had good news while purchasing term three. Miraculously, state scores had gone up! Diane Ravitch examined NY State’s NAEP scores and said it was too good to be true. And after she endured much criticism from Bloomberg and his minions, it turned out she was right.

Sadly, after having elected Mayor Bloomberg for yet another term, his much-vaunted accomplishments melted right before our eyes. Yet he was determined to stay the course, and went right on closing schools. I attended hearings at Jamaica High School where virtually the entire community got out and no one was in favor of its closing. UFT chapter leader James Eterno made a very persuasive case that the closing was based on false statistics. Yet Eterno, and indeed Jamaica’s entire community were ignored as the PEP rubber-stamped its closing (as it does for every closing).

More recently, Mayor Bloomberg tried one of President Obama’s initiatives, the turnaround model, for some schools. This, apparently, would draw funding and give kids who don’t speak English a chance to pass tests (or something). However, he was displeased when the UFT failed to agree with how to use junk science to evaluate teachers, and thus planned to close dozens of schools instead.

When the UFT finally agreed on a junk science framework, Bloomberg was horrified that 13% of poorly rated teachers could get impartial hearings, and decided to close the so-called turnarounds anyway. An arbitrator ruled against that. Though the mayor decided that the arbitration he’d agreed to was unfair, having not gone his way, he was shut down in court.

Even now, Mayor Bloomberg is still not satisfied the new junk science plan will realize his long-cherished wish of firing teachers arbitrarily and capriciously. That’s why he shot down the plan his DOE agreed upon on the last day it could’ve save $250 million, or 1% of NYC’s education budget. (Not much coverage was given to the fact that Mayor Bloomberg had already cut 14% of the budget, all by himself, since 2007.)

I have been teaching in a trailer for most of the time Mayor Bloomberg has been in office. Mayor Bloomberg promised to get rid of them by 2012. In 2007, there were about 400 trailers. Now, there are about 400 trailers.

That’s symbolic of Mayor Bloomberg’s educational progress. A less visible symbol is the disappearing neighborhood school. To me, a school anchors a neighborhood much better than, say, a department store, or even a Moskowitz charter school. Francis Lewis High School, for my money the best neighborhood high school still standing, is one of the few large high schools Bloomberg has spared. Our neighborhood, our students, and our staff are better off for that. Nonetheless, we survive despite how the mayor treats us, not because of it.

And since Mayor Bloomberg does not believe in satisfactory or unsatisfactory ratings, I’ve devised a new one just for him—completely ineffective. I’m quite sure history will vindicate that rating, if only Michael Bloomberg is not paying the salary of whoever writes the history book.

Categories Accountability, Bloomberg, Michael, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, New York City, Teacher Evaluations, Testing

Arizona Plan to Increase Inequality

By dianeravitch
January 31, 2013 //
12

Governor Jan Brewer has an idea.

It is a bad idea.

Someone please explain it to her.

She wants all schools to start with the same base funding (perhaps lower than what they have now). Then to give bonuses to schools that get an A or B!

As this blogger, David Safier, explains, the schools that get high marks are likely to be the school serving the students from affluent families.

Governor Brewer’s plan will increase inequity in funding and drag down poor kids whose schools need more staff and more resources. It will reinforce the Matthew Effect where those who have get more, and those who have not get less.

Safier proposes a way to make performance bonuses equitable, by factoring in family income.

Personally, I oppose funding schools in relation to their test scores because the tests are far too unreliable to carry that burden. And the more pressure you put on test scores, the less valid are they as measures because of the amount of time that will be squandered on test prep.

Really, someone on the governor’s staff should explain to her that there is quite a lot of research showing that bonuses tied to test scores do not produce higher test scores, although they often produce cheating and narrowing of the curriculum.

Categories ALEC, Budget Cuts, Corporate Reformers, Merit pay, Poverty, Testing

Join Me at Huge Rally in Austin on February 23

By dianeravitch
January 31, 2013 //
8

I will speak at the Save Texas Schools rally on February 23 in Austin.

Help stop budget cuts and vouchers.

Join me in Austin.

Fight for the future of public education in Texas!

SAVE TEXAS SCHOOLS RALLY

February 23, 2013

Dear Save Texas Schools Supporter,

As you know, our public schools are under attack now more than ever. With continuing brutal budget cuts to education, a broken testing system, and proposed private school vouchers that would further drain resources from public schools, it’s time to STAND UP for Texas kids and schools.

Here’s how to make your voice heard during the 2013 legislative session.

1. Be part of our “Fight for the Future” campaign, launching in early January. Every Texas legislator needs to hear repeatedly from you about key issues affecting our schoolchildren. We’ll tell you how with a different idea each week.

2. Join thousands of fellow Texans on Saturday, February 23, 2013 at the Texas Capitol.
RALLY UPDATE

11 am march on Congress Ave., noon to 1:30 pm rally at the Capitol.
Expected Attendance: HUGE! Let’s top 2011’s record of 13,000.
Confirmed Speakers: Supt. John Kuhn, Diane Ravitch. More soon!
Transportation: We can help you with buses from your area this year. Visit savetxschools.org for information.

Become a Local Rally Organizer! See our website to sign-up!

What’s Wrong With Vouchers?

We need to let Sen. Patrick (Senate Education Chair) and other legislators know that vouchers are a BAD idea, because:

1. Vouchers would drain another $2 billion from public education on top of other cuts.

2. Taxpayer money should not be used to fund private and religious schools.

3. Vouchers have been tried in other states and abandoned after failing to improve educational outcomes.

Learn more .
. .
Texas is at a crossroads. The decisions made in the next six months will determine our children’s educational opportunities and our state’s economic prospects for decades to come. The fight for our future is now- please join us in standing up for Texas kids!

Sincerely,

Save Texas Schools

Categories Budget Cuts, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Texas, Vouchers

Mercedes Schneider on NCTQ and TFA: Part 2

By dianeravitch
January 31, 2013 //
3

Mercedes Schneider, who teaches in Louisiana and holds a doctorate in statistics and research methods, continues her analysis of NCTQ, its letter grade reports, and its ties to the reform movement.

Categories Alternate Route To Certification, Corporate Reformers, National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), Teach for America TFA, Teachers and Teaching

Is the Tide Turning?

By dianeravitch
January 31, 2013 //
11

The Journey for Justice brought civil rights activists from across the nation to Washington, D.C., where they presented their demands to Secretary Duncan.

This is an important development because until now the leaders of the corporate reform movement have called themselves leaders of the “civil rights issue of our times.” This phrase has been bandied about by Joel Klein, Condoleeza Rice, Mitt Romney, Michelle Rhee, Michael Bloomberg, and Arne Duncan, as they applaud the closing of schools in minority communities, attack unions, and privatize public schools.

Now grassroots activists are speaking out in defense of their schools and communities. They are reclaiming the leadership of the civil rights from the 1%. Add to this the determination of the Garfield teachers in Seattle, the student protests in Portland, Oregon, and Providence, Rhode Island.

Something is in the air. Teachers, students. school boards, and parents are beginning to see what is happening, to understand that what is happening in their community is not a local issue but a determined, coordinated effort to privatize their schools.

Spring is coming.

Here is a first-hand account of the events associated with the Journey for Justice:

1/30/13
Dear SOS,
Many activists went to Washington, DC on a “Journey for Justice” to protest the school closings that are targeting our minority students living in impoverished communities.
Hear what transpired and be inspired.

This email came from Jaisal Noor- his coverage of the day

“Parents and Students Demand Nationwide Moratorium on Schools Closings
//”Journey for Justice” activists rally in DC to DOE investigate alleged Civil Rights violations in school closings
link: http://youtu.be/pCGrkb1qc7o

Chicago Parent and Activist Jitu Brown at “Journey for Justice” Hearing in DC
//Part 2 of TRN’s coverage of the “Journey for Justice” DOE Hearing on School Closings
link: http://youtu.be/1PX7y9-GWzI

New Orleans Parent and Activist Karran Harper Royal at “Journey for Justice” Hearing in DC
//Part 3 of TRN’s coverage of the “Journey for Justice” DOE Hearing on School Closings
link: http://youtu.be/c00PWQl8wLk

JAISAL NOOR: PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENTS AND STUDENTS FROM 18 CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY GATHERED IN WASHINGTON, DC THIS WEEK TO DEMAND A NATIONWIDE MORATORIUM ON SCHOOL CLOSINGS.
FEDERAL PROGRAMS LIKE RACE TO THE TOP OFFERED FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO CITIES AND STATES FOR RADICALLY CHANGING THEIR SCHOOLS, INCLUDING FIRING STAFF AND SHUTTING SCHOOLS DOWN. WHILE THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TOUTED THE COMPETITIVE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PROGRAM AS A WAY TO IMPROVE EDUCATION AND BETTER PREPARE STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE AND THE WORKFORCE, MANY PARENTS, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS SAY THE CHANGES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

(CLIP HELEN MOORE) “I came here to demand, I am demanding an education for our children. We pay the money, we have a right to have our kids educated”

THAT’S HELEN MOORE, A DETROIT EDUCATION ACTIVIST. SHE WAS ONE OF HUNDREDS WHO ATTENDED A HEARING TUESDAY IN WASHINGTON DC CALLING FOR A NATIONAL MORATORIUM ON SCHOOL CLOSINGS. BROWN WAS PART OF A GROUP THAT FILED A TITLE VI CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT LAST SUMMER CHALLENGING THE POLICIES. SHE SAYS SCHOOL CLOSINGS IN DETROIT, A CITY ALREADY MARKED BY HIGH RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT, VACANT HOUSES AND FORECLOSURES, ARE DESTABILIZING THE COMMUNITY.

(CLIP HELEN MOORE) “The neighborhood start going down as the families start moving out. They don;t want to be told what school to go to because there is no other school.

WHEN A SCHOOL IS CLOSED, THE STUDENT POPULATION OFTEN HAS TO TRAVEL TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL BUILDING OR RE-APPLY TO GO BACK TO THEIR SCHOOL. ADDITIONALLY, THE STAFF IS OFTEN REPLACED AND RESOURCES ARE REGULARLY CUT, SOMETIMES IN FAVOR OF A CHARTER SCHOOL THAT IS OPENED IN THE SAME BUILDING.

SETH GALANTER IS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION’S OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS. HE SAID THEY ARE INVESTIGATING PEOPLE’S CONCERNS AND THE 6 TITLE VI COMPLAINTS THAT WERE FILED:

(CLIP SETH GALANTER)” When we look at these things, i need to emphasize, we cannot deal with every harmful decision that happens. sometimes people are negatively affected, but that doesn’t mean civil rights violation. THe question we are asking is if there’s an intent to discriminate or decision to make an illegal closing. Not only investigate weather to close schools, which schools to close, and how these decision impacted and affect on students. ”

AFTER THE HEARING, HUNDREDS OF PARENTS AND STUDENTS MARCHED TO THE MARTIN LUTHER KING MEMORIAL FOR A RALLY, CONTINUING THEIR CALL FOR JUSTICE. JOEL VELASQUEZ , A PARENT FROM OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA SAYS HE FOUGHT PLANS TO SHUT HIS SON’S SCHOOL BY LEADING A 3-WEEK LONG SIT-IN AT LAKEVIEW ELEMENTARY.

(CLIP JOEL VELASQUEZ) “After a year of trying to meet with officials, superintendent, we were left with no options, we took our school back. ”

HE WAS JOINED AT THE RALLY BY OAKLAND EDUCATOR AND ACTIVIST MIKE HUTCHINSON WHO SAYS SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND INCREASED CHARTER SCHOOLS ONLY TARGET THE CITY’S LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES

(CLIP HUTCHINSON) “If you look at a map of Oakland, we have the flatlands and the hills. In the flatlands, which are less affluent, that’s where all the school closures have happened, thats where all the charters are. There are no school closures and charters in the hills. If charter schools and school closures are the best option I would expect them to be applied across the board, but I haven’t seen that happen”

A DELEGATION FROM NEW ORLEANS, THE CITY WITH THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY, ALSO TRAVELED TO DC. STUDENT TERREL MAJOR SAYS HIS PUBLIC SCHOOL GETS LESS RESOURCES THAN THE CHARTER SCHOOL THAT SHARES THE SAME BUILDING.

(CLIP TERREL MAJOR)”Like when the storm Issac came, after we came back from the storm, – their side of the cafeteria- we sit on different sides, their side of the cafeteria and our side was damaged for weeks. It made me feel lesser than, that I didn’t really matter in our own school.”

MAJOR CALLS THAT DISCRIMINATION. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES, SOME ARE ENCOURAGED BY THE GROWING GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT AGAINST SCHOOL CLOSINGS, INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS PARENT AND ACTIVIST KARRAN HARPER ROYAL.

(CLIP KARRAN HARPER ROYAL) I think we are at a turning point because there are people organizing around the country. In Seattle its testing, we are organizing around school closures, there are teachers organizing around evaluation systems. We are at a critical point because we are not getting the desired outcomes. ”

IN ADDITION TO A NATIONWIDE MORATORIUM ON SCHOOL CLOSINGS, ACTIVISTS ARE CALLING FOR SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION, INCREASED RESOURCES AND A COMMUNITY-BASED INPUT PROCESS . ORGANIZERS HAVE VOWED TO RETURN TO WASHINGTON IF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DOES NOT TAKE ACTION. REPORTING FOR THE REAL NEWS AND FSRN, THIS IS JAISAL NOOR IN WASHINGTON.”

—

Melody
Colorado Information Coordinator
Save Our Schools
saveourschoolsmarch.org
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/285175064843594/

Categories Charter Schools, Closing schools, Corporate Reformers, Duncan, Arne, Education Industry, Parents, Privatization, Students, Testing, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. education, Unions

Philadelphians Fight School Closures

By dianeravitch
January 30, 2013 //
2

The School Reform Commission of Philadelphia plans to close 37 schools to save money while opening charter schools.

Parents, students, teachers, and others are fighting back.

The city’s schools have been under state control for the past decade.

The School Reform Commission was urged by management consultants–the Boston Consulting Gtoup–to privatize more schools, even though Philadelphia tried it a decade ago and it didn’t work.

Categories Boston Consulting Group, Charter Schools, Closing schools, Corporate Reformers, Parents, Philadelphia, Privatization, Students
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