Bernie Sanders claims charters let Wall Street ‘hijack’ education
Nov. 2, 2016
Bernie Sanders jumped into the Massachusetts Question 2 fight yesterday, calling on voters to defeat the campaign to lift the cap on charter schools per year, claiming it’s a Wall Street-funded effort that would drain tax dollars from public schools.
“Wall Street must not be allowed to hijack public education in Massachusetts. We must defeat Massachusetts Ballot Question 2. This is Wall Street’s attempt to line their own pockets while draining resources away from public education at the expense of low-income, special-education students and English language learners,” the Vermont U.S. senator said in a statement.
Sanders claimed charter schools in Massachusetts siphon $450 million away from public education — taking a line out of the teachers unions’ playbook. Sanders argued that “the hedge funds and corporate backers” would gain an additional $1 billion over the next 10 years if Question 2 passes.
The progressive former Democratic presidential candidate is a fierce critic of Wall Street and has called to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court decision that allows corporations to give unlimited donations.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_politics/2016/11/bernie_sanders_claims_charters_let_wall_street_hijack_education
