Ron Gochez was kind enough to give me permission to reprint his excellent take on school privatization, and how it impacts communities of color and poverty.The state is strategically allowing the public education system to go down the tubes because that will facilitate the process of privatizing public education (K-12) as we know it. The state is trying to shed their social responsibility of providing (financing) this social service and putting it in the hands of capitalist/imperialist corporations. This kills two birds with one stone for the system!
This opens the flood gates for private corporations (Green Dot...etc), the US military and others to take direct control of "educating" our youth. This will further the process of indoctrination for the US public in general and for Raza/People of color/Poor folks in particular. This also means that with these conditions, even less people of color will graduate from high school which means that less people will have the opportunity to make it to a four year university.
This is clear evidence that local politicians are selling-out our community to the wolves (corporations) who have NO interest in uplifting our people. I hope that the teachers in Los Angeles and around the country can organize a true teachers movement to not only SAVE public education but that we fight to improve the standard of education that our youth. We need a culturally relevant education that is liberatory. Anything less will continue to be irrelevant and the majority of our youth will continue to be pushed out of the White Power mis-educational system that currently exists.
Teachers: Are we going to let these politicians sell public education to the corporations or are we going to organize and struggle? Some of us will continue to organize and we hope you'll join the movement! If not, what are you going to answer when one of your kids asks you "Mr./Ms. so what are you doing about it?"
Ron Gochez
Social Justice Educator/Community Organizer
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