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Outside Cash Flooding into New Orleans School Board Race

By dianeravitch
November 4, 2012 //
4

This is becoming a familiar story: billionaires and millionaires are choosing a school board member in New Orleans. One of the city’s leading charter advocates, Sarah Newell Usdin, is the recipient of more than $110,000, way more than her opponents. Usdin was executive director of New Schools for New Orleans, which received nearly $30 million from the federal government to open charter schools. she also worked for the New Teacher Project and is an alumna of Teach for America. Among her contributors: Joel Klein and hedge fund manager Boykin Curry, both residents of New York City, not New Orleans.

According to the National School Boards Association, 87% of school board members spend less than $5,000 to run for office.

In the most recent state board election, Kira Orange Jones, the director of Teach for America in New Orleans, raised $450,000 in her successful effort to oust an incumbent. She had the support of the Wall Street hedge fund managers’ organization called Democrats for Education Reform. Among her generous contributors: Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Eli Broad, both billionaires who don’t live in Louisiana. Jones’ opponent raised $9,000.

There seems to be a concerted program by DFER and its allies to pour money into local and state school races and issues. The number of contributors is small, but they swamp the local races. The same names pop up again and again. Their agenda is always the same: testing, union-busting, TFA, and privatization.

Categories Bloomberg, Michael, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Democrats for Education Reform, Education Industry, Education Reform, Louisiana, New Orleans, Privatization, Teach for America TFA

Who Is Thriving in the New World of New Orleans?

By dianeravitch
November 1, 2012 //
5

Into my mailbox came this link, which suggests there are some mighty big winners in the new education world of New Orleans.

Read it and gasp.

Advocates say that New Orleans is a national model. The documents here raise questions about who benefits from the avalanche of money poured into the city’s new way of doing business.

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, For-Profit, New Orleans, Privatization

In New Orleans, Students Lead the Way

By dianeravitch
November 1, 2012 //
15

Several student groups convened an open forum for candidates running for the local school board.
This gave students an opportunity to question candidates about where they stand on issues that affect students.

Only one candidate did not appear: Sarah Usdin, who confirmed that she would show but did not. Usdin is the ex-TFA executive director of New Schools for New Orleans. She has received more than $110,000 from generous out-of-state donors like Joel Klein, who sells technology for Rupert Murdoch, and assorted Wall Street hedge fund managers who are devoted to charters.

Key points that emerged from the forum:

-Unanimous opposition expressed by candidates regarding the RSD’s method for closing and chartering schools

-All candidates said they believe the fast-track teacher certification programs are insufficient.

-Unanimous opposition from candidates to New Orleans becoming the first all-charter city.

-Unanimous support for comprehensive sex education

-Unanimous support to extracurricular busses so students can participate in after school programs

This is the students’ account of the meeting they organized:

Press Release
For Release on November 1st, 2012
Contact: Jacob Cohen (jacobcohen@vayla-no.org)

Students Grill Orleans Parish School Board Candidates in
First-Ever Student-led Forum

Candidates express strong support for slate of student issues and opposition to fully chartering New Orleans public schools

At 5:30 pm on October 30th, eleven Orleans Parish School Board candidates put themselves in the hot seat Tuesday evening, sitting before a panel of students. Ten students from schools around the city questioned the candidates on issues ranging from bus transportation to school closings. In “lightning rounds,” the youth asked yes or no questions and had the candidates raise a card indicating their response. Several surprise answers came from this format, including broad condemnation of the proposition that New Orleans should become the first city in the United States in which all schools are chartered.

The forum appears to have been the best attended candidate event in this election cycle, with roughly 150 people packing the main hall at the Ashe’ Cultural Arts Center.

One high school student on the panel described his role as the designated interpreter for family members, revealing a serious lack of services for Limited English Proficient households.

Other issues that students and audience members raised include the need for comprehensive sex education; a higher ratio of guidance counselors to students, and the need for certified teachers and ongoing professional development services.

One sore point that students raised also concerned the way that schools have been closed. Bryan Kelso, a sophomore at Reed High School, told the candidates, “it’s a struggle going to a school that may not be there next year or even next semester,” explaining that his school had been labeled a “failure.” In the lightening round that followed, all of the candidates unanimously said they did not support the RSD or BESE’s method for addressing struggling schools through closure and takeover.

Notwithstanding the support expressed by the candidates on nearly all of the issues they raised, students attending the forum questioned the role the Orleans Parish School Board will play in the future. On a handful of the issues, candidates admitted that the board’s power will be limited until Act 35 is overturned. Students also questioned the power that this future board will have in a city dominated by private charter organizations.

Forum organizers also recognize some of the contradictions between the answers candidates gave at the youth-led event and those given at other, adult forums.

Here is the list of questions for the lightening rounds:

TEACHERS: Do you believe that fast track teacher certification programs are providing schools with enough experienced teachers?

[Every candidate said no.]

TRANSPORTATION I: Are you willing to help the school system provide busses for extracurricular activities?

[Every candidate said yes.]

TRANSPORTATION II: Do you believe that every child should have safe, reliable, free transportation options to and from school?

[Every candidate said yes]

DISCIPLINE: Will you support alternatives to zero tolerance school discipline policies and out-of-school suspensions?

[Every candidate said yes but one, who abstained]

SCHOOL CLOSURES: In general, do you support the Recovery School District and BESE’s process for dealing with schools, including closing schools?

[Every candidate said no.]

COUNSELORS: Do you believe, per the American College Counselor Association’s guidelines, that all Orleans Parish schools should have at least one college or guidance counselor for ever 250 students?

[Every candidate said yes.]

SHAMING STUDENTS: Will you support the posting of individual students’ standardized test scores in school hallways and classrooms?

[Every candidate said no.]

LANGUAGE ACCESS: Will you ensure that families have interpretation and translation services at all direct-run and charter schools?

[every candidate said yes or abstained.]

CHARTERS: Should New Orleans become the first district in the country to have 100% of their schools be charter schools.

[Note: no candidate said yes.]

SEX ED: If in compliance with state and BESE board laws, do you support comprehensive sex education in New Orleans public schools?

[Every candidate voted yes, except for two marked “not present”]

A video highlight reel can be accessed at: http://youtu.be/MUSabzsg5ls

Photographs from the event can be accessed at: http://my.slideroll.com/galleries/members/jacobcohen/gallery/my-gallery/?g=by4jfwgw

Photo reel can be embedded on your site by copying:

A transcription of the event and uncut video can be made available upon request

Categories Charter Schools, Education Reform, New Orleans, Privatization, Teach for America TFA

Me Vs. Goliath

By dianeravitch
November 1, 2012 //
3

I sent a check for $100 to Karran Royal Harper, the parent activist who is running for a seat on the New Orleans school board.

Her opponent has raised more than $110,000 from out-of-state funders.

Karran, who is a champion for children, has raised about $5,500. In other words, she is being outspent about 20-1.

My contribution was so huge that it was enough to produce a story in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I admit right now that I also sent an equally whopping contribution of $100 to “No on 1240,” the Washington State charter referendum.

That should strike fear into the hearts of the billionaires on the other side of the issue.

It’s not too late to help Karran in her race against the big boys.

Here is her website, where you can learn more about her. She takes credit cards.

She is strong and fearless.

New Orleans should have a home-grown parent on its school board.

Categories New Orleans, Washington State

Will the East Coast Learn from the Gulf Coast?

By dianeravitch
October 31, 2012 //
10

Thomas J. Adams, on the faculty of Tulane University, has a startling and funny column at Huffington Post about what the East Coast can learn from the Gulf Coast.

Now, New York, New Jersey, and other states have had their own version of Hurricane Katrina. Ours is Sandy.

Adams says we can do what New Orleans did:

The absolute first thing you have to do is fire all your public school teachers. Just fire them. We all know education is broken in this country and that teachers are to blame. So why not take this opportunity to do what you helped us do back in 2005? It might create a bit of confusion when the power gets turned back on and the debris gets removed, but that’s a small price to pay for our children’s future. Besides, if there’s a shortage of teachers we can help with that the same way you helped us. We certainly have a surfeit of energetic recent college graduates who we’ll happily send up there to fix your ailing schools. They may have no experience and most peer-reviewed education research concludes they’re not as effective as your former teachers, but they bring energy to the classroom! Sure, they may only stay for a year or two, but their M.B.A. and law school applications will be so much stronger because of it and they’ll make quality education a national issue.

Then he says, what follows easily is complete privatization and new opportunities:

After you get rid of your teachers it will be that much easier to turn control of your schools over to a variety of non- and for-profit groups. Don’t worry, you need not be concerned about whether these schools are effective or not, whether they cherry pick students, cook their test scores, get rid of education professionals in favor of computers, what kinds of salaries their board members are taking in, etc. As you’ve told us many times on countless of your leading editorial pages, this is the model for education reform in the country. In fact if you’re as lucky as us, this will lead you down an easy road to a voucher system in the next few years. Educational equality will come shortly thereafter, I promise.

While the privatization fever is raging, next to go is public housing, then free clinics.

Read it and remember that Arne Duncan said that Hurricane Katrina was the best thing ever to happen to education in New Orleans. I’m waiting to hear if he says the same about Hurricane Sandy.

Categories Charter Schools, For-Profit, New Orleans, Privatization, Unions, Vouchers

New Orleans Students Demand True Reform

By dianeravitch
October 29, 2012 //
22

In all the hype and spin about the privatization of education in New Orleans, no one has heard from students. Various special-interest claim to speak for them, say “it’s all about the kids.” Some raise millions of dollars from corporations and ideologues by claiming to be student advocates. It turns out that students have their own views and need no surrogates.

Silent no more. High school students are speaking out. They are holding a rally on October 30 at 5:30 pm to insist that they be heard. See the details below.
***********************

New Orleans students host first ever youth-led election forum for Orleans Parish School Board

Using their voices rather than a Super PAC, impacted students attempt to re-shape direction of a school system that has become a prime target of out-of-state political contributions and influence.

What: The Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association, in partnership with Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools and Orleans Public Education Network, will be mobilizing students and families from all across the city to engage candidates on issues that passionately concern them. A candidate forum of this scale, placing student voices at the center of the discussion, has not taken place in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. From food access, discipline policies, and transportation services, to charter governance, school closures, and resource inequality, student leaders will share testimony and ask the candidates to lay our their plans for improving academic achievement, democratic participation, and resource equity.

When: October 30th at 5:30 pm

Where: Ashe Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Bldv., New Orleans, LA 70113

Who: The Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association, Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools, Orleans Public Education Network, Fyre Youth Squad, Young Adults Striving for Success, Puentes New Orleans, and students from McMain Secondary, Warren Easton, Benjamin Franklin, and Sarah T. Reed

Why: In recent state school board elections, billionaires Michael Bloomberg, Eli Broad, and Alice and Jim Walton gave $500,000 in political contributions to cement New Orleans’ status as the nation’s preeminent education reform test-tube. Yet, New Orleans students inside this national experiment have not been given meaningful opportunities to provide feedback on these reforms or vocalize their own visions for educational equity. Despite being the stakeholder group with the greatest first-hand experience of present schooling conditions and the most at stake in school board elections, student voices have been consistently drowned out by a well-financed, national education reform agenda.

Media Visuals: Students speaking at a lectern to present issues and questions; students moderating the event; students submitting comment cards; a room with 100-150 community members and youth from all over the city representing over a dozen organizations and schools.
***********************************************************

Here are the articles generated by the activist youth groups of New Orleans:

Press on our youth organizing work and campaigns:

EdWeek: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/11/02/10tran.h31.html? (tkn=PNPF+K6Ugps%2F6AuN60lliB8PhatGJThqZFXs&cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS (Student opinion piece based on survey of conditions in six schools)

The Lens: http://thelensnola.org/2011/09/07/vayla-surveys-high-schools/

Colorlines: http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/11/new_orleans_students_who_raised_concerns_about_city_schools_win_accountability.html

Times Picayune: http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2011/09/vietnamese-american_group_rate.html

Good Magazine: http://www.good.is/post/students-say-new-orleans-schools-are-no-education-miracle/

Louisiana Weekly: http://www.louisianaweekly.com/reed-students-present-turnaround-plan/

Louisiana Weekly: http://www.louisianaweekly.com/removing-the-mask-of-chartered-schools/
/www.louisianaweekly.com/n-o-east-residents-picket-outside-ben-franklin-high-school/

Times Picayune: http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2012/05/eastern_new_orleans_residents.html

The Lens: thelensnola.org/charters/eastern-new-orleans-students-want-more-reliable-faster-bus-service/

###

Categories Charter Schools, Louisiana, New Orleans, Students

Two Contrasting Views of the New Orleans Story: LINK FIXED!

By dianeravitch
October 27, 2012 //
13

Is New Orleans a national model?

Simple formula: have a major catastrophe. Wipe out public education. Get rid of the unions. Hand schools over to private operators. A miracle. A national model for school reform. Read this article by a British reporter.

Or the contrary view: The New Orleans story is an example of hype and spin by entrepreneurs seeking new markets. The district ranks 69 of 70 districts in the state. Read this letter by a teacher in the state.

What do you think?

Categories Charter Schools, Education Industry, Education Reform, Louisiana, New Orleans, Privatization, Vouchers

Why Are Billionaires Funding School Board Races in Louisiana?

By dianeravitch
October 22, 2012 //
7

There are few investigative writers in education journalism these days. It is disturbingly rare to find writers who look behind the press releases, the hype and spin.

One place that cries out for investigative journalism is Louisiana, the locus for the most extreme privatization schemes. The governor is now imposing the New Orleans model on the entire state, and many hold up New Orleans as a national model. That means wiping out public education.

So here is an excellent article that does what journalists are supposed to do: Matthew Cunningham follows the money. He looks closely at the money flowing into the state school board races. In 2007, the total spent was about a quarter million dollars. In 2011, it was multiplied by ten times, to $2.6 million. Read the article to see where the money came from.

Categories Bloomberg, Michael, Broad Foundation, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Education Reform, Global Education Reform Movement (GERM), K12 Inc., Louisiana, New Orleans

Karran Royal Thanks You–and Me

By dianeravitch
October 13, 2012 //
1

Yesterday I urged you to send donations to help Karran Harper Royal in her campaign to win a seat on the New Orleans school board.

Karran faces an uphill battle against the leader of the charter sector in New Orleans, who has received $110,000 from the supporters of privatization.

I sent her $100 via Paypal. Others sent whatever they could: $5, $10, $20, $50, or more. If 1,000 people who read this post each sent Karran $10, we could match the campaign fund of the privatizers. If each sent $20—well, you can do the math. We can make a difference for an articulate, brave, dedicated and clear-eyed parent advocate.

Karran has stood up for public education. Let’s help her.

This is the email I received this morning.

Hi Diane,

Thank you so much for your blog post regarding my campaign. Today I began receiving donations from various parts of the US and was very confused. I haven’t had a chance to be online, so I did not know at the time about your blog post and it was tweeted by one of my Parents Across America members as well. I just knew that within a short period of time I was receiving donations from people I did not know. I was baffled. It is heartwarming to see that people are supporting my candidacy because they believe in me. It’s especially special to me that you are supporting me and would write such a lovely post. I am so honored. Again, thank you very much.

Karran Harper Royal #86
Orleans Parish School Board, District 3
Let’s Redefine Reform
Twitter @Karran4Kids
Facebook Karran4Kids
http://www.karran4kids.com
Donations Accepted
Make Checks Payable to:
Karran Harper Royal Campaign Fund
P.O. Box 791834
New Orleans, LA 70179

Categories New Orleans

Please Help a Deserving Candidate

By dianeravitch
October 12, 2012 //
12

A reader asked the other day if there was anything he could do for me.

The answer is yes.

Please send a contribution to Karran Harper Royal of New Orleans, a parent leader who is running for school board. I met Karran in New York City a year ago, and she explained what a farce “choice” is in Nola. “There’s one choice they deny every parent,” she said, “and that’s the choice to send your child to a neighborhood public school.”

Karran is running against a heavily funded “reformer,” Sarah Usdin and incumbent Brett Bonin.

Joel Klein, Reed Hastings (of Netflix) & Walter Isaacson of Aspen Institute have donated big money to corpreform challenger Sarah Usdin.

Parent activist Karran Harper Royal is a great voice for public education. http://www.tribunetalk.com/?p=3887

She recently returned from a tour of New Zealand, where she warned about the dangers of privatization.

Usdin reported $110,468 in donations in the period running from Jan. 1 to Sept. 27, compared with Bonin’s $24,990 and Royal’s $5,569

Usdin has raised three times as much as ANY candidate running for school board; she is the founder of the pro-charter organization New Schools for New Orleans. If memory serves, that organization received about $30 million in federal funds to replace public schools with non-union charters staffed mainly by TFA.

Karran Harper Royal is a parent of children in the New Orleans schools. She needs our help.

If she pulled an upset, that would make me very happy.

Categories Charter Schools, Education Reform, New Orleans, Privatization
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