Something Wicked This Way Comes -- Whitney Tilson in Los Angeles

Gabe Rose, Deputy Director Parent Revolution aka McKinley Parents for Change

Predatory hedge fund manager and white supremacist Whitney "we need a lot more well-off, well-educated white folks" Tilson, is bringing his Plutocrats for Education Elimination... er, I mean Democrats for Education Reform road show to Los Angeles this Monday. Tilson, who made his fortunes using daddy and mummy's money in the honorable work of shorting against housing derivatives and managing hedge funds for other billionaires, is a self-styled education reformer. His ill earned fortune funds several right wing school privatization ventures including DFER, KIPP, and TFA. Tilson despises working people, our communities, and our input (aka democracy). He hasn't met a problem that a rich white guy like himself couldn't solve since he thinks he's smarter than everyone else.

I would organize a protest, but we have an event that same night for the LD4 + Echo Park Community Partners Design Team Plan. The good news is that we've won the advisory vote, but still have lots of work to do.

If anyone else is interested in protesting these reactionary agents of neoliberalism and school privatization, here's the details:

DFER School Privateers Planning Session
Monday, February 28, 2011, 6:30-8:30PM
Frederick Douglass High School
3202 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA  90018

Despite all his wealth and Ivy League education, Tilson is somewhat of a dullard, and his writing is reminiscent of a disinterested third grade charter school dropout. His recent attempt to rebut an essay by Dr. Diane Ravitch was embarrassing to say the least. My comments on Tilson's screed were so well received in social justice circles that the South Bronx School Blog reproduced my comments from the HuffPost. Here they are:

But, let's give credit where credit is due. The blogger, rdsathene of the Solidaridad blog put Whitney's writing so eloquently in perspective;

I suppose the best part of watching a predatory hedge fund manager try to rebut the most celebrated education historian in our nation is that we are witness to how the right wing's obsession with Ayn Rand's ideas (competition, rewards, etc.) are pervasive in all their discourse.

I've never seen a less cogent, flailing, amateurish essay. I was trying to count the straw men and non sequiturs, but ran out of patience. It's funny that finance capitalist­s like this talk about top college graduates. If the above screed is indicative of their lack of critical thinking skills, it's no wonder they cleave to standardiz­ed tests so much.

Beautiful. Well said.

I was flattered that my humble prose would be considered beautiful.

Who else will be at this neoliberal privatization-fest? Of course, DFER's incorrigible Gloria Romero, who created the corporate charter trigger law and SB 592, which hands public school property over to private corporations. Corri Tate Ravere, associated with the Families That Can thugs, as well as ICEF (where's the money Mike Piscal?), and the CCSA. Caprice Young also of the ICEF money-pit and that notorious charter-voucher market share increasing industry group CCSA. Tara Roth McConaghy, formerly of corporate front group GOOD, which has a love affair with snake-oil salesman extraordinaire, Steve Barr. Lastly, Crook and Liar Ben Austin's lieutenant, Gabe Rose (aka Compton parent and founder of McKinley Parents for Change).

With such a ghastly assortment of public school and teacher haters in one place, let's hope it doesn't attract their ideological equivalents, the teabaggers.

Something Wicked This Way Comes -- Whitney Tilson in Los Angeles