Hunger Games Comes to New York State’s Public Schools. It’s starve, test, and destroy.

[madfloridian]

Very insightful column by Zephyr Teachout at The Daily Beast today.

Hunger Games Comes to New York State’s Public Schools

Like President Snow, who starves the Districts, tests the residents with the Hunger Games competition, and then sets out to destroy them, the hedge-funders want to take over our schools with the same three steps: Starve, Test, Destroy. Budgets are cut severely, tests reveal “poor performance,” and then public schools, having been thus gutted, are replaced by privately managed charters.

First, the starvation: The state of New York is being sued again for funding public schools below constitutional levels. Cuomo’s budgets have stripped grade schools of art, music, sports, and counselors. Without money, classrooms grow so large no teacher can manage them, and kids can’t learn. Billionaires benefit as the money “saved” by not funding schools goes to tax breaks for the rich.

Second, the testing: Children are subject to a ridiculous battery of tests that lead to huge profits by corporations like the testing company Pearson but does little to improve the lives of the children. We’re talking about high-stakes, high-stress testing, including testing of the controversial Common Core. These tests prod and poke the children, creating lots of anxiety and taking away from the joy of learning.

Third, the destruction: These hedge-fund managers want to eliminate all limits and oversight of charter schools. They want to take control of New York City schools away from Mayor Bill de Blasio and let privatization run rampant. And they want billions in new funding from taxpayers to build new charter schools everywhere across the state, taking even more resources away from hard-pressed public schools.

Zephyr co-wrote a book about the Dean Campaign called Mousepads, Shoe Leather and Hope. She is an American academic. She is an Associate Professor of Law at Fordham University. She ran against Andrew Cuomo for the 2014 Democratic Party nomination for Governor of New York.

[malthaussen]

1. It's quite simple, you know.

The people with all the money have determined that they do not need an educated work force, hence education has become another cow for them to milk. Their own children are assured education and lucrative jobs as a birthright, and any of the few truly educated workers that are needed can be pulled from the pool of overqualified, or brought in from overseas on work visas (and usually at a prime discount). The rest of us can illiterally push picture-buttons at McDonald's.

-- Mal

[HockeyMom]

2. Charter on Long Island many years ago

Teachers without college degrees. Paras without high school diplomas. Kids failing all the standarized testing. Bad? Oh, no, it was even worse. Private contractors for janitorial and food services. Rats, bugs, and their dropping all over the school, and in the cafeteria. Teachers were told THEY were responsible for cleaning all this up. What the hell did the custodial staff do?

Parents complained to the state and it was not just about the education of their children, but also about health hazards of the school. The kids were also getting sick from these conditions.

It was totally shut down. I think this happened in the 90s if I recall. Welcome to the future of for profit education.

[octoberlib]

3. K&R

It's happening in a lot of states. I was just reading this article on Wisconsin


By Christopher Fons, a social studies teacher in the Milwaukee public school system

With the victory of Scott Walker and the Republican Party in Wisconsin this past election day – they increased their majorities in both the Assembly and Senate – the Milwaukee Public Schools have joined the “endangered species list” of public school districts in the United States.

Within the next few months the school privatization lobby and religious schools will draw up a plan that will for all intents and purposes end public education in one of the largest school districts in the United States. This will leave some of the poorest, and most incarcerated people (Wisconsin imprisons more black men than any other state) in the nation exposed to “market forces” when it comes to educating their children. http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2014/11/wisconsin-frontier-school-privatization-will-anyone-notice-looting.html

[madfloridian]

6. Thanks for the link.

That's sounding a lot like Florida now.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. And there's this for people who REALLY want to get their feet wet:

Which reminds me to OP that.

I met her, btw, about a month ago at a book signing.

Working with some other people to invite her to speak on ED corruption at a forum in the city.

She's the Woman of the Hour in progressive circles around here.

[madfloridian]

5. She's great. A breath of fresh air.

Late hubby and I were so active in the Dean campaign we talked to her several times. Also Jim Dean on phone and met him.