Archives for category: Education Industry
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DeBlasio: A Hypocrite on Charter Schools

By dianeravitch
July 12, 2019 //
56

 

DeBlasio recently boasted at the NEA candidates’ panel about his courageous resistance to the charter industry. It is true that he started his first term in office in 2014 determined to stop the charter zillionaires’ efforts to grab money and the students they wanted from the public schools.

When he did not grant Eva Moskowitz all the new charters she wanted, her backers launched a PR blitz against DeBlasio, spending $6 million on emotional appeals on TV.

Eva bused parents and students to Albany, where Governor Cuomo pledged his loyalty to the charter cause. The legislature passed a bill requiring NYC to let the charters expand at will, to give charters any public space they wanted at no cost, and to pay their rent if they couldn’t find suitable public space.

At that point, DeBlasio stopped fighting the charter industry.

Currently, the New York City Department of Education gives the charter industry its lists of students’ names and addresses for recruitment purposes.

Parents have protested this misuse of their children’s private information. This practice of releasing personally identifiable student information is illegal under state law.

Recently Chancellor Carranza pledged to end the practice. But as Leonie Haimson reported, DeBlasio reversed the decision and promised to reach his own decision. He has not made any decision and the charter industry continues to bombard public school parents with recruitment letters.

So much for those mythical long waiting lists!

Speaking of mythical waiting lists, Leonie Haimson also reported on an exciting new development at Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy charter chain:

More recently, Moskowitz created what is described as a “full service, brand strategy, marketing, and creative division within Success Academy” called the “The Success Academy Creative Agency” according to the LinkedIn profile of its Managing Director, Meredith Levin. 

In an earlier version of her profile, Levin described this internal marketing division of Success as a  “group of over 30 creative directors, designers, copywriters, strategists, e-learning architects & project managers to develop, execute and optimize campaigns to recruit 1,000+ teachers, enroll families, donors, influencers, and cultivate community engagement.

Categories Accountability, Bill de Blasio, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Education Reform, Harlem Success Academy, Hoax, Oakland, Privatization, Propaganda

California: Charter Schools Are the Day Lilies of Education

By dianeravitch
July 11, 2019 //
17

 

Larry Buhl of Capital and Main writes here about the transient nature of charter schools. In California, as in other states, they open with bold promises but many close with short notice to patents due to under enrollment  or financial problems or both.

As Buhl writes, parents are left scrambling and students’s lives are disrupted when their charter school closes suddenly.

Buhl begins:

IN LATE AUGUST OF 2018, Donald and Christine Fergusson were looking forward to the start of their daughter’s second year (second grade) at the International Preparatory Academy. The school, part of the Partnerships to Uplift Communities (PUC Schools), is located in the northeast Los Angeles suburb of Eagle Rock. But three weeks before the start of school, iPrep’s new superintendent, a PUC national board member and the PUC CEO held an emergency meeting where they told parents they would need to bring in more students or the school would close. The Spanish-Mandarin dual immersion school originally aimed to enroll 275 in grades K-2 and 6-8, although the organization told parents it could get by with 200. Panicked parents began distributing fliers in the neighborhood and urging neighbors to register for iPrep immediately.

“They gave us until September 24th to bring in more students,” Donald Fergusson said. “That’s not the parents’ job.”

After scrambling for a few days, the Fergussons decided iPrep was a sinking ship and enrolled their daughter in a Los Angeles Unified School District school with Mandarin immersion, which had been their main reason for choosing iPrep. It turned out to be a good decision. Three days after iPrep opened for its second year of operation — with only 114 students — PUC’s board voted to shut it down.

“Our school was under-enrolled from the very start,” Christine Fergusson said. “They told us it would grow and add one grade per year. I think [the board was] going to close the school anyway. They just strung us along.”

Categories Accountability, California, Charter Schools, Closing schools, Disruption, Education Industry, Education Reform, Privatization

Jan Resseger: The Long Process of Repairing the Damage to Education in Wisconsin

By dianeravitch
July 11, 2019 //
6

 

Jan Resseger writes here about Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ efforts to repair the damage done to education in Wisconsin by ex-Governor ScottWalker, who used his time in office to try to destroy education.

She writes about Gordon Lafer’s brilliant book The One Percent Solution as context for the siege of the schools and universities by Walker.

She begins:

In Gordon Lafer’s 2017 book, The One Percent Solution, in the first chapter entitled  “Wisconsin and Beyond: Dismantling the Government,” Lafer makes Wisconsin the emblem of what happened in the 2010 election, as corporate lobbies, the Tea Party, and the collapse of state revenue following the Great Recession converged to fuel a Red-state wave that took over state governments:

“Critically, this new territory included a string of states, running across the upper Midwest from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, that had traditionally constituted labor strongholds… Starting in 2011, the country has witnessed an unprecedented wave of legislation aimed at eliminating public employee unions, or, where they remain, strictly limiting their right to bargain.  At the same time, the overall size of government has been significantly reduced in both union and nonunion jurisdictions. The number of public jobs eliminated in 2011 was the highest ever recorded, and budgets for essential public services were dramatically scaled back in dozens of states.  All of this—deunionization, sharp cuts in public employee compensation and the dramatic rollback of public services—was forcefully championed by the corporate lobbies, who made shrinking the public sector a top policy priority in state after state.”  (The One Percent Solution, pp. 44-45)

Wisconsin was Ground Zero for the attack o the public sector unions, public schools, and public higher education.

Resseger describes Governor Evers’s first steps toward putting together what Walker destroyed.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Education Reform, Privatization, Vouchers

Mercedes Schneider: How “Non-Profit” Charters Make a Profit

By dianeravitch
July 11, 2019 //
8

 

Mercedes Schneider knows that Democratic candidates righteously day they oppose “for-profit” charters. Carol Burris explained that there is little or no difference between for-profit charters and nonprofit charters.

Schneider demonstrates how nonprofits can reap big profits through “related transactions,” that is, self-dealing. 

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Education Reform, For-Profit, Privatization

Rhode Island: Governor Raimondo Picks a Member of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs for Change as State Commissioner

By dianeravitch
July 10, 2019 //
13

 

Governor Gina Raimondo is a bona fide neoliberal  who is part of the DFER clique, having been a hedge fund manager herself.

She recently selected Angelina Infante-Green as State Commissioner of Education. Infante-Green is a member of Jeb Bush’s cohort of Future Chiefs for Change. Now that she is a State Commissioner, she will qualify to join the big boys and girls as a full-fledged member of Jeb’s Club.

Chiefs for Change support privatization and high-stakes testing. It is Jeb’s vehicle to spread Florida’s failed model, whose ultimate goal is the elimination of public schools, unions, and professional teachers.

Categories Accountability, Bush, Jeb, Chiefs for Change, Education Industry, Education Reform, Privatization, Rhode Island

G.F. Brandenburg on the Strange Case of the D.C. Editorialist Who Still Loves Michelle Rhee

By dianeravitch
July 10, 2019 //
21

 

G.F. Brandenburg cannot understand the Washington Post editorial writer Jo-Anne Armao. When Michelle Rhee started her job as chancellor of the D.C. schools in 2007, Armao interviewed her and decided that she was the greatest educator ever. Nothing that has happened in the past dozen years has changed her views. To this day, she still writes lovingly, respectfully about the Miracle that was Michelle Rhee. All her initiatives have failed. A huge cheating scandal was covered up and forgotten. Charter scandals have come and gone. A high school boasted of its 100% graduation rate, but it was a fake.

No matter. The Washington Post editorial board has Rhee’s back, almost a decade after she left.

For a fun trip down memory lane, read the comments on the John Merrow post from 2013 that is included.

Categories Accountability, Cheating, Corporate Reform, Corruption, Disruption, District of Columbia, Education Industry, Education Reform, Failure, Fraud, Rhee, Michelle

Angie Sullivan: Is Soner Tarim Opening a Charter in Nevada?

By dianeravitch
July 9, 2019 //
15

 

Angie Sullivan teaches in a Title 1 elementary school in Las Vegas. It is underfunded. The state is willing to fund failing charter schools but not pay for the public schools that most children attend. Angie wants to know why.

She recently learned that Soner Tarim wants to open a charter in Nevada. This is the same man who wants to open a charter in rural Washington County in Alabama and set off a firestorm of controversy. This is the same man whose proposal for a new charter chain was just rejected by the Texas State Board of Educatuon.

Angie writes:

Google:  Soner Tarim lawsuit
 
 
Why is Soner Tarim pictured at Switch with these local Nevada folks?   
 
Soner Tarim is a constantly under investigation all over the United States.  As soon as he gets caught – he goes to the next place. 
 
Someone in the NVDOE needs to be accountable for this and fired.   
 
Google:  Soner Tarim lawsuit
 
Folks in other states are contacting me to warn Nevada.   This huge charter scammer keeps reinventing himself and opening charter shells in various states to try to attract investors.  
 
Why is he opening new charters in Nevada?   Who gave permission for this?   He been kicked out of so many other states?  Does anyone in charge have google?  
 
Google:  Soner Tarim lawsuit
 
80% of Gulen Schools have been closed across the world for good reason.  
 
Alabama just kicked Soner Tarim out for fraud, hiring and other sketchy practices.  
 
 

 

The New York Times wrote an article about the misuse of federal money. 
 
 
Memphis denied their application – School of Excellence. 
 
 
List of Gulen Charters- Soner Charters are listed as low performing and closing or denied. 
 
 
Are they funding a terror group using Texas education money?  
 

 

 
This is bad. 
 
We have no education money and this is what we do with the money we have?  Fund a scammer?  
 
He uses local folks to scam the Nevada Tax Payer?  
 
Google:  Soner Tarim lawsuit
 
We do not have money to waste like this.  I’m not convinced the Gulens we have are honest or doing an education service.   Please. Make.  It.  Stop. 
 
I am
Mad. 
 
The teacher,
 
Angie 

 

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Gulen Charter Schools, Hoax, Nevada, Privatization, Resistance

Angie Sullivan: The Great Charter Scam in Nevada

By dianeravitch
July 9, 2019 //
8

 

Angie Sullivan teaches children in a Title 1 elementary school in Las Vegas. Many of her children are poor and don’t speak English. Her school is underfunded. Angie frequently sends blast emails to every legislator in the state, as well as journalists. She refuses to allow them to ignore her students, while they cater to the whims of billionaire casino owners, like the chair of the state board of education.

Angie wrote these posts recently:

Ironically as many scream for transparency of public schools  – they also seem intent on making it as difficult as possible to find information on Nevada Charters.  I’m looking at you “fiscal conservatives”.
 
Finding information on Nevada’s charters is like finding a needle in a haystack.
 
You can find it if you have 100 years. Or have time to puzzle it together.  It took me hundreds of hours to develop just a list of Nevada charter campuses a few years ago.
 
I might come across the name.  Or not.
 
Currently the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA) is the only sponsor accepting applications for new charter schools
 
The main source of information I have found is the Nevada Charter Authority.
 
 
You could look there for the names charters use.  As you know, charters can change their names and I have found up to 15 names for the same address.   Multiple campuses with different names are stacked under one charter.
 
The Nevada Secretary of State website can be searched.
 
 
I do know that business licenses with multiple names often come up as a topic in the Las Vegas City Council.  Mainly because charters open many businesses under different names and/or expand without permission (like open an on-line in a brick and mortar).    They forget to get licenses for all their “businesses”.
 
Charters are a nuisance.  They do not consider traffic at pick up and drop off.  They do not monitor kids and often do not have a playground.  The public regularly complains about charter “business practice” in Las Vegas City council meetings.   Sometimes I find information about them because they are a pain and citizens complain in public forums.
 
There should also be a way to follow the money since the receiverships are so plentiful.  But there is not a easy way that I have found.
 
 
Aaron Ford who got a PHD in charters before becoming our Attorney General is not likely to ask for accountability anytime soon.
 
It is for all these reasons – lack of transparency, lack of accountability, and poor business practice:   Nevada Assembly considered a moratorium on charters.  It did not pass but it should have.  
 
So long story short. 
 
I would not surprise me if you found a someone running a charter in Nevada using a sham company.    Who doesn’t?   Throw a rock and hit a charter scam.  
 
The bottom dwellers have all attempted to come here too.   Sometimes as the FBI is chasing them out of other places.  
 
I can hunt and peck around.   The name does not ring a bell but these shady characters come and go and change their name so often in my corporation friendly state – they could be right under my nose and I see nothing.  
 
You are welcome any time to come and I will find a venue for a movie showing.  I’m just a teacher and have no money – we pulled together enough to have a viewing of the Matt Damon Film last year with Congresswoman Dina Titus and Candidate for Governor turned Governor Steve Sisolak.  They did not watch the film but spoke at the beginning of the event.  
 
You have a true champion in Congresswoman Dina Titus if you ever need one. 
 
You need to avoid anyone from Team Harry Reid – he attended the Gulen Coral opening at the Air Force Base and supports Gulen charters fully.  May even be key to bringing them to Nevada. 
 
Teachers are most likely going to strike in the fall – so no union resources.  The union actually owes me one because VP Theo Small held a union event with a charter expert as a headliner. 
 
Gulen is a problem.
 
Academica is the charter monster in Nevada.  It’s a real estate grab.
 
Along with the Agassi-Turner Hedgefund.  It’s also a real estate grab.
 
We need money so badly – all of this is worse than a shame.  Robs all the kids I love.   All of them.   Robs kids.   Hurts kids.
 
Angie Sullivan
I would love to hear what new appointment Rebeca Feiden thinks of all of the above.   Lack of information or accessible information is long running.  And she knows it.
 
TFA creates data monsters who then are well paid to ignore data.
 

Then Angie wrote this post:

The Nevada Department of Education has been very pro-Charter under the direction of Casino Billionaire Elaine Wynn, Nevada State School Board President.
 
The other Nevada Gulens which are named Corals – even displaced the Air Force Teachers by offering to build a new school for the base.  They forced the military wives off the base because the charters could not match salary.  Gulen Corals clumped their data by north and south.   Their administrators came to some meetings I held and became verbally irate telling folks about how great they are.  How would anyone know?   The Gulen Corals have not shown three years of data for their campuses yet. Opened for decade plus and zero data by campus.
 
Now I suspect they will just manipulate the data.  There have been limited campus visits so no one makes sure there are testing protocols in place.
 
How do you keep a Nevada Charter from opening?
 
If someone can figure that out – I will employ that technique non-stop.  It is difficult to even find a place to voice opposition.
 
They have agenda here:
 
Meetings are held during the day when teachers work.  The person in charge of the 100+ charter campuses is a very young former TFA without a curriculum vitae to manage one charter let alone a $350+ million money distribution.
 
Most of the agendas are charter expansion.
 
And talking about charter problems without ever doing anything.
 
I would love to know how to actually prevent Nevada from being scammed by these corporations that other states are kicking out.
 
Please.   Let me know.
 
Reason does not work.
 
Logic does not work.
 
Data does not work.
 
Nevada insists on pouring money into the charter toilet.
 
Crazy folks go nuts for choice – even as it is explained to them it the worst choice in the nation.
 
There is zero accountability.  Nevada does not close charters for financial corruption/receivership.  Nevada does not close charters for lack of data or lack of graduation.  One charter might have closed because it literally had only one student.
 
Basically I keep pointing out to all the elected legislators,  these businesses are failing to educate children.   I try to shame folks taking money $350+ million and not providing anything to the tax payer.
 
Shaming.
 
Put them in the local newspaper.   That is about the best tool I have.
 
Failing charters that are bottom
dwelling scum are what Nevada attracts because our per pupil spending is last in the nation.
 
So of course Gulen wants to open more.
 
What a scam.
 
Angie Sullivan
Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Education Reform, For-Profit, Fraud, Privatization

Noliwe Rooks Speaks About School Privatization and Racial Inequity

By dianeravitch
July 9, 2019 //
17

 

Please watch this six-minute presentation by Noliwe Rooks about her book Cutting School: Privatization, Segregation, and the End of Public Education. 

The video was produced by Bob Greenberg as part of his Brainwaves project.

Rooks is the Director of American Studies and Director of African-American Studies at Cornell University.

Her book is a fascinating history that examines the interest of billionaires in the education of communities of color.

Dr. Rooks will be a keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Network for Public Education in Philadelphia in March 27-28, 2020.

Categories Accountability, Billionaires, Education Industry, Education Reform, Network for Public Education, Privatization, Racism, Segregation, Teach for America

Did Jeb Bush Choose Your District’s Superintendent?

By dianeravitch
July 9, 2019 //
25

 

Jeb Bush created an organization called Chiefs for Change, whose original membership consisted of state superintendents who shared Jeb’s ideas: high-stakes testing, evaluating teachers by the test scores of their students, school grades of A-F, and school choice (charters and vouchers).

Chiefs for Change has now become a clearinghouse for district superintendents.

You can be sure that anyone recommended by Chiefs for Change is dedicated to disrupting and privatizing your district.

Here are some of the district superintendents that Chiefs for Change points to with pride.

Lewis Ferebee, the new Superintendent of the schools of the District of Columbia.

Susana Cordova, the new Superintendent of the Denver schools.

Jesus Jara, Superintendent of the Clark County (Nevada) Schools. Nevada’s State Commissioner Steve Canovera is a member of Chiefs for Change.

Donald Fennoy, Superintendent of Palm Beach County, Florida.

Deborah Gist, Superintendent of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Schools, along with Andrea Castenada, the district’s “chief innovation officer.”

There are more.

This is the Jeb Bush pipeline, the leaders committed to his vision of disruption and privatization. Of course, you won’t find those two words on Jeb’s website, but those are the results of his convictions, and the proof of those convictions can be found in Florida, the state whose education policy he has controlled for 20 years.

Categories Accountability, Bush, Jeb, Charter Schools, Corporate Reform, Disruption, Education Industry, Education Reform, School Choice, VAM, Vouchers
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