This roundup has been a long time coming. Family illness, writing deadlines, and other commitments/obligations have kept me from keeping up with the blog the way I should. With the incredible onslaught by the corporate charter industry against our communities, it seems as if we social justice advocates are loosing ground every day.Before beginning, I want to express my condolences to UTLA's Julie Washington and her family for the tragic loss they just suffered. Anyone wanting to contribute to the Educational Fund to help with Ivison Washington's daughters' college fund, please let me know and I will provide you with the appropriate contact information.
We also lost social justice educator and activist Howard Zinn. I will write about that in a separate post soon. But I figured this quote needs constant repetition, especially in the current dystopian "world according to Eli" education atmosphere we're struggling against. "I wanted students to leave my classes not just better informed, but more prepared to relinquish the safety of silence, more prepared to speak up, to act against injustice wherever they saw it." — Howard Zinn
First off, right wing reactionary DFER/DLC corporate elitist filth Arne Duncan was recently interviewed. Mocking the deaths, destruction, diaspora of people of color, gentrification, and widespread misery Hurricane Katrina caused, Duncan had this unconscionable thing to say about schools in relation to Katrina: "best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans." That such a monster is Secretary of Education goes way beyond the pale — Duncan is a throwback to Generalissimo Francisco Franco. Diane Ravitch's take is a little less critical of the well heeled Harvard businessman than I am, but even her measured response captures the inappropriateness of Duncan's schadenfreude.
The Educational Justice blog introduces California majority rule initiative. If we had laws that served the people of California instead of corporations, put people before profits, and actually funded education the way the ideologically bankrupt billionaires bankroll their corporate charter school projects, then we wouldn't need to try to save public education from insatiably greedy CMO executives like Judy Burton, Steve Barr, Jed Wallace and Ben Austin. If we had a majority rule budget process, we'd be able to spend money on the important things, and keep those funds out of the hands of those who deserve it the least. You can bet your bottom dollar Ben Austin will campaign against this and anything else that threatens the privileged status of he and his fellow plutocrats.
People might want to start planning for an afternoon with Diane Ravitch in April. From the UCLA SMP site "She will be speaking about her soon-to-be-released book The Death and Life of the Great American School System. She will also engage in a conversation with Professor Mike Rose, and take questions from the audience."
Following in master thief Steve Barr's footsteps, is KIPP = Knowledge Is Perpetrator Program. Jim Horn's KIPP Joins Charter School Corruption Nationwide with Six Figure Embezzlement Scheme gives a short introduction to a mainstream media piece looking at what has become commonplace now that corporations, entrepreneurs, and right wing zealots take over what used to be public institutions — malfeasance! More CMO Charter Charlatans caught pilfering public and kid's money! Couple accused of embezzling from Chandler charter school, and here's one Ben Austin constantly accuses public school teachers of as part of his ongoing fear tactics and union bashing, but it's a charter school teacher engaging in inappropriate behavior. We know in Jason Song and Ben Austin's world, only public school teachers are very bad people™ (especially those scary unionized ones). Too bad none of the politicians pushing school privatization down our throats can speak to the high level of embezzlement and other scandals associated with charter schools. Maybe Randite and social injustice filmmaker Jaemin Yi can find a way to put a creative spin on all these CMO corporate charter embezzling schemes. He seems to have a knack for making ugly lies pretty.
Don't Forget South Central (DFSC) asks if Villaraigosa privatization allies on LAUSD board like Yolie Flores Aguilar, Inc. will be denied tenure over the missing $200 million dollar scandal. The wise @avalonsensei also pointed out "21 charter schools applied for district campuses, with only one charter operator applying for an existing, failing school."
Dr. Danny Weil asks is Green Dot 'Public' Schools using their non-profit status illegally? Bath tub gin from the PR astroturf organization.
Lastly charter-voucher corporate values in action. Texas edreform camp wants to eliminate Cesar Chavez from school texts.
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