Archives for category: Privatization
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Jersey Jazzman Reviews Joel Klein

By dianeravitch
August 29, 2012 //
4

Jersey Jazzman parses the latest article by Joel Klein, who frankly admits that the real goal of reform is to open up the education system to entrepreneurs and investors. As more start-ups produce new products and innovations, schools are sure to benefit, he predicts.

Klein also thinks that the R&D cycle for schools is much too slow. Randomized trials in education take years, but Apps for cellphones can be improved in a matter of months without all that slow processing of information.

This appalls Jersey Jazzman. He writes:

It’s really amazing that Klein is comparing the education of a child with a smartphone app. If you buy an app, it costs you maybe 99 cents; if it doesn’t work, you trash it. When you’re a school district, however, you spend hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of public dollars on curricula that affect every student in your district. If you buy a piece of junk that doesn’t work, you’ve abused the trust of both the taxpayers and the children.

Don’t you think maybe it’s worth taking some time to get these things right?

Categories For-Profit, Privatization

An Angry Teacher in Louisiana Replies

By dianeravitch
August 28, 2012 //
11

A reader said he was shocked, shocked by a post that linked to an article that spoke disparagingly of Governor Bobby Jindal and State Commissioner of Education John White. He thought it was “uncivil” to refer to them in disrespectful language.

This teacher from Louisiana disagrees. Since there aren’t many places in Louisiana where his or her views may be expressed in print, I am happy to print them here.

But they are thieves, vandals, liars and profiteers here in Louisiana!

They are also people I disagree with. I disagree with them because I disagree with rating teachers on student test scores. I disagree with them on ACT 54 and value added.

I disagree with them when our Governor and education secretary intentionally ignore the facts and twist the data to spread lies about Louisiana teachers, students and schools.

I disagree with ignoring the real issues of poverty, school quality, teacher qualifications and standardized testing. I

disagree with elected public officials lying, cheating and profiting from the destruction of the lives of the children of our state.

I come here for the discussions, I come to hear people express the truth and if what is happening here is not civil discourse, (I think it is quite civil for the most part and the occasional attacks are quickly rebutted or patiently ignored) then I guess we will have to agree to disagree on what civil discourse is and should discuss if the time for statesmanship has passed in this battle and it is time to change strategy?

I sometimes feel as if teachers are prisoners of this war and need the allies to arrive; I just do not know who the allies are. I thought they would be parents, education program professors, student teachers still in school, the Wongs, NIH scientists, associations like ACSD, NSTA, NTMA, Kaplans and others who write all the books, journals, seminars we attend and buy and programs we use.

If they run an organization for professional teachers and there are no more professional teachers who do they think their membership will be? The graduate schools of education, doctoral programs and certification providers. Why are they silent? All the experts we go to listen to at conferences and national meetings, the employees in the state departments of education(surely they believe what they do is important?) school board members, PTAs, PTOs and governmental organizations like NASA, NOAA, US Geological Survey, and hundreds of other agencies whose resources and outreach we use.

What about the United States Military branches who are constantly short of qualified, educated, diploma holding troops? Does the Department of Defense intend to recruit graduates of virtual schools, students from charters taught by people who are not certified and maybe have college degrees?

Do they want to depend on the for profit companies who are even now submitting their applications for Louisiana’s Course Choice program intended to remove even more students from Louisiana public high schools. Will these programs free of accountability and totally opaque to the parents and community produce men and women with the skills and commitment for national defense?

Do they not see that the destruction of public schools will eventually make them obsolete? Do they not all have a stake in collaboratively helping teachers make our schools the best and able to meet the needs of the children we serve?

Categories For-Profit, Jindal, Bobby, Privatization, Teacher Evaluations, Teacher Tenure, Teachers and Teaching

What Can Be Done to Stop the “Vandals at the Gate”?

By dianeravitch
August 28, 2012 //
25

This is one of the sharpest commentaries I have read about the depredations of the Jindal-White gang in Louisiana, who are intent on destroying public education in the state as well as the teaching profession.

Everyone can pick their favorite line; there are many.

What I appreciate is the writer’s slashing criticism of the silent education professors, who have lost their tongues, unable or unwilling to defend the people they trained, mute in the face of the vandals at the gate.

 

Categories Corporate Reformers, Jindal, Bobby, Louisiana, Privatization, Teach for America TFA

Did He Miss Class That Day?

By dianeravitch
August 28, 2012 //
2

I posted earlier about Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, who said he could not see the difference between public, private and religious schools.

A teacher asks:

I wonder where these politicians are getting their education from. Did they miss class on the days when the Constitution and First Amendment were discussed?

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Reform, For-Profit, Philadelphia, Privatization, Vouchers

Philly Mayor: No Difference Among Public, Private, Religious Schools?

By dianeravitch
August 28, 2012 //
8

The mayor of Philadelphia says there is no difference among different kinds of schools, be they public, private, religious, charter, whatever.

He sees no special responsibility to support public education.

In a sense it is understandable since the people of Philadelphia lost control of their schools to the state years ago.

And the state imposed a massive privatization scheme, which failed.

And now the state control board for the public schools wants to try privatization again.

Parent activist Helen Gym explains to Mayor Michael Nutter why public education matters to the people of Philadelphia.

Investigative reporter Daniel Denvir followed the money trail and uncovered a reason for Mayor Nutter’s indifference to the powerless people of Philadelphia: the big money in the city and suburbs is betting on privatization. The campaign to privatize the schools of Philadelphia has raised $50 million, while the public schools are neglected by the powerful.

Categories Boston Consulting Group, Charter Schools, Education Reform, Philadelphia, Privatization, Religion

Who Might Be Romney’s Education Secretary?

By dianeravitch
August 27, 2012 //
33

Education Week has an article by the always well-informed Alyson Klein that speculates about Romney’s possible choice for Secretary of Education.

The possibilities include:

Jeb Bush, former Florida governor, who shaped the Romney agenda for privatization of the nation’s schools;

Tom Luna, the state superintendent in Idaho who is known for his allegiance to online corporations and his efforts to increase class size;

Joel Klein, the former chancellor of NYC, now selling technology for Rupert Murdoch, another supporter of privatization and opponent of unions, seniority and tenure;

Michelle Rhee, leader of a national campaign to remove all tenure, seniority and collective bargaining fromt teachers;

Chris Cerf, acting commission in New Jersey, who is leading Chris Christie’s push to privatize public schools in that state;

Here is the big surprise:

Arne Duncan, who is seen by Republicans as compatible with Romney’s agenda and, as the article, says, eager to stay on.

There are other names, but it is interesting to realize that at least four of the six listed here are allegedly, nominally Democrats.

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Duncan, Arne, Education Industry, For-Profit, Klein, Joel, Luna, Tom, On-Line Education, Privatization, Rhee, Michelle, Romney, Mitt, Technology, Computers, U.S. Department of Education, Unions

Charters Hope to Open in Florida’s Top County

By dianeravitch
August 27, 2012 //
7

Three charter schools want to open in St. John’s County in Florida, which is the state’s highest ranking county.

Some of the state legislators, including one of the state senate’s most avid supporters of charters, are surprised. They thought that charters were supposed to rescue students in failing schools, but St. John’s County is known for its excellent public schools.

If approved, the charters will siphon almost $13 million out of the public school budget, requiring at least 200 teacher layoffs. School officials are alarmed. The excellent public schools of St. John’s County won’t be quite so excellent in the future. This is the kind of competition that Jeb Bush put into place, which he wants to replicate across the nation.

Two of the charters would be run by a for-profit charter chain that is already collecting $158 million in revenues from South Florida charters, which includes an annual profit to the firm of $9 million. It’s a very good business indeed.

A reader who runs a charter school wrote a week or so ago and insisted that charters are not deregulated; he asked for examples of state laws and regulations that charters are not required to meet. Here are some that apply in Florida, according to this article:

PUBLIC SCHOOL VS. CHARTER SCHOOL
A 2012 law passed by the Legislature makes charter schools part of the state’s public education program and thus makes charter schools public schools. Tax money can now go to the charters.
The law also gives charter schools what some see as preferential treatment, including now receiving all the state’s building money, which once went to public schools.
Charter schools do have to administer the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. They may or may not get a school grade.
Charter schools are not bound to the Sunshine State Standards or the upcoming Common Core standards.
Charter schools do not have to meet the Classroom Size Amendment, which sets the number of students in certain classes.
Charter schools don’t have to meet the same building standards required of traditional public schools, which face tougher standards than regular building codes.
Charter schools have parent contracts including requiring parents to fulfill certain contractual items. If the parents fail to keep their side of the bargain, their children can be removed from the schools.
Categories Bush, Jeb, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Reform, Florida, For-Profit, Privatization

What You Need to Know about Chester Upland

By dianeravitch
August 24, 2012 //
8

A reader comments on previous posts (see here and here) about Governor Corbett’s appointment of a voucher advocate to be the “chief recovery officer” for financially stressed Chester Upland, Pennsylvania. This is a district that allocates 1/3 of its scarce budget to a for-profit charter school that pays its owner a management fee of $16 million. Oh, and one other thing: First Lady Michelle Obama invited a teacher from Chester Upland to sit with her during the State of the Union Address earlier this year, presumably to acknowledge the staff’s decision to work without salaries while the district was in deep trouble.

Thanks for bringing the Chester Upland, Pennyslvania scandal to national attention. It is not accidental that this is happening in the poorest school district in the state, with the highest African American percentage in the state, with the worst test results of any district in the state, and where there has been an elected school board in control only two out of the last 18 years. Pity the children.

Categories Charter Schools, Education Reform, Pennsylvania, Privatization, Vouchers

Governor Corbett’s Privatization Agenda in Pennsylvania

By dianeravitch
August 23, 2012 //
2

Thanks to a reader who forwarded this fascinating and informative article about the situation in Chester Upland, Pennsylvania.

I posted previously about the Governor’s appointment of a “recovery officer” to help the district get back on its feet.

The Governor appointed a prominent advocate for vouchers and charters to a position that puts him in complete control of the district and its future. Ironically, the “recovery officer” has been a consultant to the charter school in the district that takes away 1/3 of the district’s stressed budget. The charter school is owned by the governor’s biggest campaign contributor. The charter school owner collects $16 million each year as a management fee.  So many interesting coincidences!

It seems likely that the district won’t get back on its feet. More likely there won’t be a district in the future.

This “recovery officer” law sounds an awful lot like the law permitting the governor in Michigan to appoint emergency financial managers. These EFMs arrive in financially troubled districts and decide that the cure was to close down public education and to hand the children over to for-profit charter chains. The most amazing one is Muskegon Heights, where the district has a $12 million deficit; the for-profit charter chain plans to extract a profit of $8.75 million to $11 million. And that’s just for starters.

Somehow all this seems to be aligned with the ALEC agenda of dismantling public education by fiat, the sooner the better.

It’s Chester Upland and Muskegon Heights today.

Who’s next?

Categories ALEC, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Reform, Pennsylvania, Privatization

Will the Real President Obama Please Stand Up? UPDATE

By dianeravitch
August 23, 2012 //
23

Josh Greenman of the New York Daily News writes today that President Obama has been terrific on education reform issues: he has challenged teachers’ unions, pushed for merit pay, encouraged the expansion of charter schools, and used billions of dollars in stimulus funds (via Race to the Top) to promote an agenda that either President Bush would envy. In its editorials, the Daily News has stridently defended charters, testing, and accountability, and has led the charge against the teachers’ union. The billionaire owner of the Daily News, Mort Zuckerman, is on the board of the Broad Foundation, which avidly promotes school closings and privatization.

So imagine Josh’s disappointment that the President is now kowtowing to those teachers unions and saying that more money will solve the problems. He writes, “So count me disappointed that Obama is campaigning for reelection with education rhetoric that is ripped right out of a dusty old Democratic Party playbook.” Wow. A Democratic President actually sounding like a Democrat on education.

Josh wonders why the President doesn’t stick up for his strong testing-and-accountabiilty and school choice agenda. Why doesn’t he boldly admit that his program is not all that different from Romney’s? (There are two big issues where they differ: Romney supports vouchers, Obama doesn’t; Obama wants to help students with their crushing student loans, Romney doesn’t.) UPDATE: (One other major difference: Romney thinks anyone should be allowed to teach, without any certification or standards, and you can bet that he will continue the Republican assault on teachers’ unions.)

Josh implies that the President is reaching out to teachers and their unions and supporters of public education because–guess what?–it is an election year. With a few more eloquent speeches, maybe he can persuade them that his agenda has some resemblance to the traditional Democratic view that schools should have adequate resources, that teachers have a right to bargain collectively, that the federal government has a responsibility to promote equity (not competition), and that school choice is the rightwing plan to privatize the public schools.

Well, it is good to hear the rhetoric. That’s a change. We can always hope that he means it. But that, of course, would mean ditching Race to the Top and all that absurd rightwing rhetoric about how schools can fix poverty, all by themselves.

Categories Obama, Poverty, Privatization, Race to the Top, Unions, US Education, Vouchers
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