The Sharks Are Circling Our Public Schools

[marmar]

from The Progressive:


THE SHARKS ARE CIRCLING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
By Ruth Conniff on Apr 11, 2014

Private operators want our tax dollars

Parents whose children attend the public schools in Wisconsin have been getting a barrage of phone calls lately offering "free tuition to send your child to a private or religious school."

"We at School Choice Wisconsin are proud to pay for this call, because we want the very best for you and your child," a woman's voice intones.

The friendly voice directs parents to a website: chooseyourschoolwi.org.

A little online digging reveals that the School Choice Wisconsin website address is registered to the American Education Reform Council -- a group funded by John Walton, of Walmart, to the tune of $1 million between 1999 and 2000, and also funded in part by grants worth hundreds of millions from the rightwing Bradley Foundation. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://progressive.org/content/sharks-are-circling-our-public-schools

[vi5]

1. Well it's a good thing...

We have a president and a secretary of education who strongly support public schools, public school teachers, and public school teachers unions, and loudly speak out against the scourge of common core and emphasis on standardized testing, and who oppose charter schools and private schools draining much needed funds from our already desparate public schools.

Oh wait. Never mind. We don't have any of that.

[ancianita]

2. We do have the teachers, however,who've known of this for a decade, and with whom the public

should ally itself.

It will take an army of lawyers, but class actions about the misuse of public monies should be formed. The public has standing constitutionally about spending and the structure of its public schools, if only it can get lawyers to defend its interests. The judicial system in this country seems to slowly be selling out to corporate interests, but we just need one good case to make it to a state supreme court for the other states to have precedence. Though I'm no lawyer. Just hoping.

[vi5]

4. I'm afraid "our side" has conceded this issue.

among many others. The current administration has given "both sides agree" cover to this bullshit and has succeeded in their scare tactics about the state of public education. They've joined the right in making teachers out to be greedy pariahs out for their own interests at the expense of people's children and it's sickening to bear witness to.

I'm afraid there's no turning back and no getting the people on the side of the angels on this one.

[ancianita]

7. Then we truly are fucked. And a corporate state. Goddammit.

Do I really have to give up the hope that laws are just as much for preserving the public's assets as for enforcing some corporate social order?

[BlindTiresias]

8. Yes

[scarletwoman]

3. Ha! Well said. (nt)

[pragmatic_dem]

5. conservatives will keep punishing children until they agree to work for $2/day like India ---

Democratic conservative wing nuts like Arne Duncan and Bill Gates are going to keep torturing your kids while sending jobs to low wage, low skill labor markets in Asia.

Conservatives in both parties are doing very well separating the entitled rich from working poor.

[Brigid]

6. Call this country the "Titanic."

It's sinking fast. That's why the sharks are circling.

[awoke_in_2003]

9. And we have "democrats"

like Rahm Emmanuel joining in the feeding frenzy.

[vi5]

10. And Arne Duncan, at the top post in education. (n/t)

[awoke_in_2003]

11. Yep. But you only bring that up

if you hate the president

[vi5]

14. Well, to be fair

There has to be some other reason that the President hired him, and not because he believes in his positions and wants to see the person in charge of that policy enact those types of policies.

Just as I was told the other day that the President didn't really like or agree with Rahm on any number of shitty, horrible, third way policies, he just hired him as his chief of staff because he had to because Rahm helped him win the election.

[Octafish]

12. Banksters in State Government

The American Education Reform Council's political arm has been heavily involved in pushing voucher legislation in Colorado and Michigan; "paycheck protection" (to limit unions' ability to spend money in elections) in California; and a failed Washington, D.C., voucher initiative designed by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

13. Kick. (n/t)

[xchrom]

15. du rec.