Archives for category: For-Profit
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Major Rally in Louisiana Today at 3 PM

By dianeravitch
April 23, 2013 //
2

Educators in Louisiana will rally today against Bobby Jindal’s radical privatization “reforms.”

******************************

Media writers, reporters, editors, webmasters, bloggers:

TODAY at the Capitol — Unified Education Organizations to Address Jindal Agenda

WHO: Major State Education Organizations representing Louisiana public schools

WHAT: Press conference to announce unified opposition to re-enacting elements of Acts 1 and 2 of the 2012 Session

WHEN: TODAY — Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 3 p.m.

WHERE: Steps of the Louisiana State Capitol — located at 900 N. 3rd Street in Baton Rouge

WHICH Organizations:
Coalition for Louisiana Public Education
Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA)
Louisiana Association of School Superintendents (LASS)
Louisiana Association of School Executives (LASE)
Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE)
Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT)

An unprecedented alliance of education organizations will hold a joint press conference at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, to announce their opposition to the re-enactment of elements of Governor Bobby Jindal’s education agenda.

Act 1 and Act 2 of the 2012 Legislative Session have both been declared unconstitutional by district courts.

Instead of working with stakeholders on meaningful, research-based education reform, the governor and his allies seem intent on rehashing the same failed policies that have frustrated educators and school boards around the state.

Leaders of organizations including the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE), Louisiana Association of School Executives (LASE), Louisiana Association of School Superintendents (LASS), Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), and Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA) will announce their unity plans at the press conference.

Look for these contacts today at the Capitol, or call them for more details:
CONTACT: LSBA — Executive Director Scott Richard – (225)769-3191
LASS — President Mike Faulk – (225) 791-0365
LAE — Communications Specialist Ashley Davies – (225) 343-9243 ext. 119.
LFT — Director of Public Relations Les Landon – (225) 923-1037
Coalition for Louisiana Public Education — Founder/Chairman Jack Loup — 985-373-1781
— jackloup@wildblue.net
Thank you for your coverage,
Mary K. Bellisario
Member, Coalition for Louisiana Public Education
bayouduo@bellsouth.net
Check us out on Facebook!

Categories Education Industry, For-Profit, Jindal, Bobby, Louisiana, Privatization

Billionaires vs. Unions: Who Is David? Who Is Goliath?

By dianeravitch
April 23, 2013 //
20

Leo Casey, a long-time union activist, here reviews a recent report by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute decrying the immense power of teachers’ unions. Michael Petrilli of TBF described the unions as “Goliaths” battling the weak, underfunded “Davids” of the corporate reform movement.

Casey challenges the report and the characterization, pointing out that corporate reformers have deployed vast amounts of money–far greater than the teachers’ unions could ever muster–to destroy the last vestige of teacher unionism. This assures that teachers have no voice at the table when governors and legislatures decide to slash spending on education or to privatize it to the benefit of entrepreneurs and campaign contributors.

Categories Bloomberg, Michael, Broad Foundation, Bush, Jeb, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Rhee, Michelle, Unions, Walton Foundation

Nine of the Ten Richest in US Are Attacking Unions

By dianeravitch
April 22, 2013 //
88

Leo Casey explains here that there really is “class warfare” in the U.S. today.

It is not the 1% that is attacking unions and working Americans.

It is the 1% of the 1%.

Nine of the ten richest Americans–all billionaires–are united in opposition to rights for working people.

They don’t want working people to have an assured pension.

They don’t want teachers to have any job security.

They want to roll back the New Deal.

They want capital to be unfettered.

They want teachers to have no rights at all.

They want to open up public education for entrepreneurs and profiteers.

They want privatization of public education.

But do not despair.

Armed with knowledge, we can beat them where it counts: at the polls.

Categories For-Profit, Privatization, Teacher Tenure, Teachers and Teaching, Unions, US Education

The Attack on Unions: Which Side Are You On?

By dianeravitch
April 22, 2013 //
123

The attack on unions flared into public view in 2011, when Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin attacked public sector unions, and thousands of people surrounded the State Capitol in protest.

Since so many radical Republicans took office in 2010, the effort to destroy public sector unions–especially the teachers’ unions–has accelerated.

Leo Casey explores the context of the anti-union movement here.

In state after state, legislatures have wiped out collective bargaining rights. That meant teachers would have no voice in the funding of public schools or their working conditions. Teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions.

The so-called reformers are closing public schools and turning the students over to private corporations. 90% of charters are non-union.

The questions that I keep asking are, where was Barack Obama as the efforts to destroy America’s workers gained momentum? Why didn’t he go to Madison in the spring of 2011? Why did he go instead at the very height of the Wisconsin protests to hail Jeb Bush in Miami as “a champion of education reform?”

Why did his Secretary of Education effusively praise some of the most anti-union, anti-teacher state commissioners of education in the nation, like John White in Louisiana and Hanna Skandera in New Mexico? Why have Secretary Duncan and President Obama said nothing in opposition to the attacks on teachers, the mass closure of public schools, and the growing for-profit sector in education? Why was the Democratic National Convention of 2012 held in North Carolina, a right-to-work state? When was the last time that the Democratic Party held its convention in a right to work state?

Categories Duncan, Arne, Economy, Education Industry, For-Profit, Obama, Privatization, Support for public schools, Teacher Evaluations, Teacher Tenure, Unions

What Data-Sharing Means for YOUR Child

By dianeravitch
April 21, 2013 //
17

The intersection of Common Core, inBloom, and the deregulation of federal privacy law is no accident.

Pay attention.

Categories Common Core, Education Industry, For-Profit, Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Privacy and Privacy Rights

Can You Answer a Question about Boston Consulting Group?

By dianeravitch
April 21, 2013 //
7

This reader has a question.

I am aware that BCG recommended mass school closings in Philadelphia and handover of students to private organizations.

Can you help?

“Which cities has the BCG done this work in so far: Memphis, New Orleans, Cleveland, Philadelphia… what about chicago/DC/Detroit??? Was that BCG work too? The BCG never released their criteria for evaluating which schools to close- nor did they do site visits…. I want to piece together their decision-making process in order to reveal it for what it is… but I do not have a complete list of cities where they have made recommendations- can you provide that, Diane?”

Categories Boston Consulting Group, Closing schools, Education Industry, For-Profit, Philadelphia, Privatization

Indiana: How Tony Bennett Conned The Public and Helped Corporations

By dianeravitch
April 21, 2013 //
18

Readers may recall that outgoing Indiana State Superintendent Tony Bennett left behind a videoconferencing system that cost $1.7 million and was utterly useless because it was incompatible with the department’s existing technology. The expensive technology was purchased from Cisco Systems, which by happy coincidence employs Bennett’s former chief of staff Todd Huston.

Karen Francisco of the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette notes that the useless videoconferencing system is symptomatic of Bennett’s most important legacy: a full-bore assault on Indiana’s public school system.

She asks:

“Is the spin that is used to justify the questionable $1.7 million deal any different from the claims he used to expand charter schools, to shift tax dollars to private schools through voucher payments, to strip collective bargaining rights for teachers or require third-graders to pass a standardized reading test before moving on to fourth grade?

“Aside from his former chief of staff’s job with Cisco, Bennett’s ties to corporate interests have become increasingly clear. A nonprofit group in January released thousands of emails revealing the Foundation for Excellence in Education’s efforts in working with state officials, including Bennett, in writing education laws to benefit the foundation’s corporate supporters. The foundation, started by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has received financial support from for-profit companies like McGraw Hill, Pearson and K12 and the nonprofit College Board, Huston’s current employer.

“The complex web of ties between corporate influences, Bennett’s administration and the raft of legislation should give lawmakers every reason to halt the continuing tide of education bills, including several sponsored by Huston. Demanding research-based evidence of the effectiveness of laws already passed and simply giving schools time to implement and evaluate them could save legislators some embarrassment later.”

Categories Bush, Jeb, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Indiana

ALEC and Cato: Frat Brothers on the Far Right

By dianeravitch
April 20, 2013 //
7

Mercedes Schneider checks out the linkages between ALEC and Cato, the think tanks that are doing their best to advance freedom from government, I.e. deregulation and privatization of everything in the public sector.

One common link: the billionaire Koch brothers.

Categories ALEC, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Privatization

Breaking News! Corporate Reform Setback in Tennessee!

By dianeravitch
April 20, 2013 //
14

A reliable source in Tennessee sent this news to me.

Angry Moms of Tennessee scored a big victory!

Here is the report:

“No state charter authorizer. No vouchers. No charter trigger law expansion. No for-profit charter schools.

“BAM!

“Cost to StudentsFirst, etc. this election cycle- $2M. Cost of Angry Mamas- nothing. 🙂

“Wanted to make sure you knew. Huge Victory! Big celebrating down here!

“The end of session yesterday was nuts. The Lt. Gov. decided to hold the authorizer bill hostage to force the House to pass his unrelated judicial redistricting bill. The House refused, and amazingly- at the 11th hour- the authorizer was suddenly dead! No one could have predicted that one.

“Now to start educating and talking about all this so that it’s not so appealing when session starts again in January. “

Categories Charter Schools, For-Profit, Tennessee

Secret Group in Michigan Plans Voucher-Style “Reform”

By dianeravitch
April 19, 2013 //
10

A secret group commissioned by reactionary elements in Michigan crafted a plan to voucherize education funding. The plan will be submitted to Governor Snyder. Note that the purpose of the plan is not to provide better education, but to cut costs.

The article describes the plan as “reform,” but as usual, the real intent of this treat eggy is to abandon public education. When the privatizers say “the money should follow the child,” what tpthey mean is that the funding should go anywhere: to religious schools, private schools, cyber schools, for-profit vendors. That way, they drain essential funding from public schools, which will lose programs and staff, this facilitating the growth of the private sector.

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Michigan, Vouchers
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »