Schools Matter: Perhaps Bill and Melinda Gates need their folly expressed in a more familiar format to understand it?

First published on Schools Matter on August 16, 2016

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“Philanthropy is not progressive and never has been.” — Tiffany Lethabo King and Ewuare Osayande

Seems Bill and Melinda Gates have great difficulty learning from their myriad mistakes. Our Professor Stephen Krashen is frequently reminding them and their fellow neoliberal corporate education reformers of what the real problem is. While the convicted predatory monopolist has no degree, Melinda Gates actually attended and graduated college, so one would think the two of them could sort these issues out. Despite this, the Gates Foundation duo are demanding yet more data, as if that doubling down on their poorly-thought-out ideas will work.

Since they're both computer science types, the problem may just be that they need to see their folly expressed in code. To that end, I've written a short program illustrating what the two Gates Foundation plutocrats do.

If I were more cynical, given their behavior in the face of overwhelming evidence discrediting their ideas and ideology, I think that their constant calls for more data are an attempt to rationalize their conduct, rather than actually trying to help anyone.

Schools Matter: Perhaps Bill and Melinda Gates need their folly expressed in a more familiar format to understand it?

Schools Matter: This week's Questions and Answers on Neoliberal Corporate Education Reform

First published on Schools Matter August 29, 2015

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“Our rulers don’t just want exclusive control over the governance and finances of our schools, they want to control both what is taught and by whom.” — Robert D. Skeels

On the average week I answer a few inquiries regarding various education issues. This week I received two that I felt deserved publishing. The first was addressed to a group of us on facebook, the second was a private email. In both cases the identity of others is removed in order to protect them.

Question One

Anyone ever hear of blended schools network or global personalized academics?

They are for-profit firms, both held by Sibling Group Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: SIBE). The former is associated with Gooru, a 501c3 funded by right-wing donors including the Gates and Hewlett Foundations. The latter is Florida based and apparently has worked with privately managed charters associated with Jeb Bush and Joe Biden's brother. They "empower" students by profiting off of them staring mindlessly at computer screens.

Question Two

Robert-

A [reporter] from LA School Report contacted [redacted] today. I told her I've heard that LA School Report is very bad - biased..possibly part of corporate ed reform agenda.

More than one person has told me this about LA School Report. 

What are your thoughts?

The LA School Report  blog (LASR) is owned and operated by Jamie Alter-Lynton, sister of corporate reform cheerleader Jonathan Alter (cf. his attacks on Professor Ravitch), and wife of elitist Sony CEO Michael Lynton.

Alter-Lynton is a wealthy reactionary who sits as a board member on former Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent John Deasy’s LA Fund slush 501c3, and a number of other neoliberal corporate education reform outfits. They used their insider status with Deasy to know when to sell off all of their Pearson PLC stock before it took a big hit when the FBI investigation of LAUSD was announced.

Husband of John Deasy confidant, Jamie Alter Lynton, cashed in big on Pearson PLC's LAUSD iPad Deal

They are virulently anti-labor, hate the public commons, and are against elected school boards. She's sort of a West Coast Campbell Brown, except she was doing this first. The Sony leaks reveal they are connected to all of the worst neoliberal corporate education reformers in the country. She funded the right-wing Coalition for School Reform SuperPAC to the tune of $100,000 once, and continues to support charter industry profiteers taking over our public school boards.

I could go on and on, but nothing sums these wealthy, white hypocrites up like this:

How the Rich Get Into Ivies: Behind the Scenes of Elite Admissions

Let me know if you need any more on them.

Schools Matter: This week's Questions and Answers on Neoliberal Corporate Education Reform

Ref Rodriguez's Game of Hide the PUC Audit

May 12, 2015

Contact: Bennett Kayser HQ
Cell: 323-535-9930
 

DEFLATE GATE AT LAUSD AS RODRIGUEZ SUPPORTER GARCIA TRIES TO SQUASH RODRIGUEZ AUDIT SHOWING BAD BUSINESS.  BAD BOOKS AND VIOLATIONS – AUDIT DISAPPEARS, AGAIN!!

Los Angeles – Bennett Kayser, Board member of the second largest school district in the nation, has balanced three, $7 billion dollar budgets affecting 660,000 students, their families and those who serve them.

The report shows that Kayser’s Board District 5 challenger Ref Rodriguez couldn’t keep one school, with only 100 students, balanced for nine years (9) straight! This “insolvent” bad apple is Lakeview Charter, part of the Rodriguez/PUC charter chain. Ham-handed attempts by Rodriguez’s supporter to hide the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) audit of the Rodriguez-run PUC Lakeview Charter School, and affiliated enterprises, have been exposed.

The audit became a hot political football to be deflated by Rodriguez’s ideological ally. Howard Blume of the Los Angeles Times first reported last week on the surreptitious attempts to hide the facts: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-puc-charter-audit-20150428-story.html

Under extraordinary circumstances, the independent audit of Rodriguez’s charter was withheld from the public, diverted into a “closed session” of the Tuesday, May 12th Board meeting and shoved under “attorney-client privilege” in an attempt to bury the damning report. The audit was also withheld from the usual public posting on the OIG’s website. Though still not posted, the audit can be viewed here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2070211/puc-lakeview-charter-academy-audit-4-23-2015-1.pdf

The Inspector General's report lays out how Rodriguez's school violated child abuse requirements, the State’s Education Code, State labor rules, best practices, and even its own charter, multiple times. On page three the report highlights “...the fact that for nine straight years of school operations, the Lakeview Charter Academy had poor financial results, and was fiscally insolvent.” (aka bankrupt!)

Perhaps out of fear that the scathing audit would trigger calls for additional investigations and oversite of Rodriguez’s schools, the topic was dropped from the Board’s Closed Session agenda for May 12, 2015.

The fact the PUC audit was pulled from the Board’s closed session agenda is proof-positive that games are being played by political allies to hide poor management, if not serious violations by Rodriguez and his executive team. What the PUC?
 

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Paid for by Re-Elect Bennett Kayser for School Board 2015 - General – 419 North Larchmont Blvd., #37, Los Angeles, CA 90004 – ID #1375891 – More information available at Ethics.lacity.org – Bennett2015.com – (323) 535-9930

Ref Rodriguez's Game of Hide the PUC Audit

CCSA's Ref Rodriguez campaign now linked to ALEC, Kochs, SFER and DFER

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April 21, 2015

Contact: Bennett Kayser HQ
Cell: 323-535-9930

HEY NEW YORKERS, WELCOME TO OUR L.A. SCHOOL BOARD RACE, NOW FOLLOW OUR LOCAL ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY RULES!!

Los Angeles – New York money continues to attempt to buy influence in the Los Angeles Unified School Board race in District 5. Out-of-state “Reform, Inc.” money still pours in against local teacher and current Board member Bennett Kayser. One NYC billionaire was good for $450,000 as of December. Now, a front group from NYC linked to the hard-core Republican super PAC known as ALEC and the Koch brothers has inserted money in our school board race.

“Students for Education Reform” (SFER) has landed with boots on the ground, paid boots. (Whether they were flown in is another question.) SFER has spent $20,120.80 so far. Just two weeks in town and SFER has already violated our local ethics and transparency requirements.

SFER has failed to follow both California and the City of Los Angeles’ election ethics rules for mail communications. They are required to include a disclaimer specifying the name, address, a registered ID number and to inform the public who paid for the material and that additional information is available at ethics.lacity.org. Once again Rodriguez supporters are circumventing the law, violating local ethics rules and hiding out-of-state billionaire backers.

The following is SFER’s non-disclosure, “dis-closure” found on their mail: “Paid for by Students for Education Reform Action Network and not authorized by candidate(s) or any committee controlled by the candidate(s).”

Astroturf Activism: Who is Behind Students for Education Reform? (by George Joseph in the Nation)

SFER has received $1.6 million from Education Reform Now, whose PAC, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), shelled out $1 million to attack the Chicago Teachers Union. DFER worked with the Koch brothers and ALEC to push Proposition 32, which if passed, would have blocked labor unions from using automatic payroll deductions for political purposes. Though SFER claims neutral territory, its motives are laid bare by its rallying around the funding of charter schools, the issue of limiting tenure, and its strict focus on testing. The testing corporations and charter school CEOs might agree with hedge funder and DFER founder Whitney Tilson’s explanation for his interest in education: “Hedge funds are always looking for ways to turn a small amount of capital into a large amount of capital.”

http://www.thenation.com/blog/172174/astroturf-activism-who-behind-students-education-reform

Nothing says democracy, education Reform, Inc.-style more than a trip to Walmart and valet service!



http://ethics.lacity.org/disclosure/campaign/search/public_ie_search_results.cfm

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Paid for by Re-Elect Bennett Kayser for School Board 2015 - General – 419 North Larchmont Blvd., #37, Los Angeles, CA 90004 – ID #1375891 – More information available at Ethics.lacity.org – Bennett2015.com – (323) 535-9930

Copyright © 2015 Re-Elect Bennett Kayser For School Board 2015 - General, All rights reserved.

CCSA's Ref Rodriguez campaign now linked to ALEC, Kochs, SFER and DFER

Billionaires behind California Charter Schools Association’s (CCSA) near record spending to defeat LAUSD's advocate for Students with Disabilities

Contact: Dan Nyaradi Cell: 541-480-4948 3/1/15 KAYSER IS UNDER-DOG IN ELECTION AS CCSA IS ON TRACK FOR ANOTHER ALL-TIME SPENDING RECORD IN A SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION Los Angeles –The California Charter Schools Association’s (CCSA) political arm, the CCSA Advocates, has dumped three quarters of a million dollars into defeating Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board member Bennett Kayser and for promoting Dr. Ref Rodriguez, a member of CCSA’s own Board of Directors. While the issues facing the District are many and varied, this single-issue advocacy group has compressed debate to a simplistic pro- or anti-charter discussion. With just three days left before Election Day, the trade organization and its candidate are $277,543.68 ahead in campaign expenditures. As of 2/25/15, a total of $412,615.34 has been spent in favor of Rodriguez with another $373,762.82 spent maliciously attacking Kayser. With over a quarter million dollar advantage, CCSAA has flooded the airwaves, radio waves, social media, mailboxes and phones. Over the next four days, this gap is expected to increase even more given the large pot of money stashed in Sacramento by the b/millionaires. Howard Blume recently reported in the Los Angeles Times (2/26/15) that prior to the December filing deadline, one billionaire gave the political action committee (PAC) $1.5 million, an out-of-state Republican gave $450,000, and an out-of-state Republican Walmart heir kicked in $250,000 to the group’s large political pot. By running its money through a Sacramento PAC, CCSAA has bypassed local reporting rules that require a much higher level of transparency. Once past the December deadline, the next time CCSA Advocates report is August 2015, at which point voters will learn who gave what in their local school board race. If necessary, there will be a general election in May, once again, voters will be without key information about the rich out-of-town Republicans paying to promote charter school growth in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Bennett Kayser donors represent the 99% who rely on public education. It will be their volunteering and their small donations that conquer Goliath. Rodriguez Total: $786,378.16 Kayser Total: $508,834.48 (Sources: http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-lausd-charters-election-20150226-story.html#page=1 and http://ethics.lacity.org/disclosure/campaign/totals/public_election.cfm?election_id=50) ### Paid for by Re-Elect Bennett Kayser for School Board 2015 – 419 North Larchmont Blvd., #37, Los Angeles, CA 90004 – ID #1361502 – Additional information is available at Ethics.lacity.org – Bennett2015.com – (323) 283-5574

Copyright © 2015 Re-Elect Bennett Kayser For School Board 2015, All rights reserved.

Billionaires behind California Charter Schools Association’s (CCSA) near record spending to defeat LAUSD's advocate for Students with Disabilities

Shutting out the public's voice. Why does the LA Times only publish the charter industry's side?

Sent to the Los Angeles Times on February 26, 2015

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Mr. Blume:

Your seemingly heavily biased piece today cites several who have made millions from the charter industry (e.g. Borden, Chang, and Austin), and even quotes right-wing millionaires like Hastings. No doubt giving them the only voices in the piece, and casting the simplistic accusation that this is an issue of teacher union versus charter industry "heroes" is the easiest way to win Karin Klein's go-ahead.

Would have been nice if you considered citing a single public school supporter in the community. Karen Wolfe, David Tokofsky, Dr. Cynthia Liu, Ellen Lubic, Sonja Luchini, Scott Folsom, and a host of others that believe in public schools, rather than privately managed charters, should be able to speak for the large part of the community that doesn't stand for either union interests or charter sector greed.

As the runner up in the 2013 election, and a widely cited essayist on education, I'm always available for thoughts on these things as well. However, I understand that my speaking truth to power makes me somewhat of a threat to the deep pocketed interests in the charter industry. That said, I think we should be asking the question: "why is it that Rodriguez can run for the LAUSD PUBLIC school board, but NO member of the PUBLIC can run for his PUC charter empire board?"

Robert D. Skeels
*********@ucla.edu

Shutting out the public's voice. Why does the LA Times only publish the charter industry's side?

HOW INDEPENDENT IS CCSA’S “INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE FOR RODRIGUEZ AND DID HIS STUDENTS FOOT THE BILL?

Contact: Dan Nyaradi Cell: 541-480-4948 2/23/15   HOW INDEPENDENT IS CCSA’S “INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE  FOR RODRIGUEZ AND DID HIS STUDENTS FOOT THE BILL? Los Angeles – According to its website, membership in the California Charter School Association (CCSA) is five dollars ($5.00) per child per year. The Partnership to Uplift Communities (PUC) is a charter chain opened in 1999 by Dr. Ref Rodriguez. In 2014 alone, PUC schools contributed over $21,000.00 to CCSA, with more anticipated in 2015 as two new PUC schools were opened. Assuming each PUC school joined CCSA in a timely manner, and that dues have been consistent and paid, PUC charter schools have given about $140,000.00 to CCSA over the years. Are tax dollars meant for student learning flowing to the charter lobby group from PUC classrooms? Or, is the $20,000.00 per year paid to CCSA considered a tax-deductible contribution from Rodriguez similar to a business association or a 501c3? Furthermore, Rodriguez currently sits on CCSA’s Board of Trustees according to PUC’s website (2/25/15). So, again, one must ask, how independent is CCSA’s “Independent Expenditure” on Rodriguez?   PUC School Year Opened 2014 Cumulative Dollars         PUC CALS 2000 $1530 $19,335 PUC CALS HS 2003 $1165 $12,400 PUC Early College 2004 $2200 $16,895 PUC ES Community 1999 $0 $600 PUC Community Middle PUC ECALS PUC Excel PUC Inspire PUC Lakeview PUC Lakeview HS PUC Milagro PUC Nueva Esperanza PUC Santa Rosa PUC Triumph PUC Triumph HS 1999 2011 2006 2014 2004 2010 2004 2009 2010 2007 2010 $1740 $2060 $1595 $0 $1765 $1560 $1440 $1730 $1065 $1730 $1460   $21,905 $4,805 $10,900 $600 $11,895 $4,545 $11,230 $6,475 $4,975 $9,970 $3,655       Over $140,000.00 Sources: http://www.calcharters.org/services/membership/school.html, the California Department of Education http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/ and PUC’s websitehttp://www.pucschools.org/about/founders.php)   ###   Paid for by Re-Elect Bennett Kayser for School Board 2015 – 419 North Larchmont Blvd., #37, Los Angeles, CA 90004 – ID #1361502 – Additional information is available at Ethics.lacity.org – Bennett2015.com – (323) 283-5574

HOW INDEPENDENT IS CCSA’S “INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE FOR RODRIGUEZ AND DID HIS STUDENTS FOOT THE BILL?

Ben Austin's Wall Street buddies are profiting off student loan debt

Make massive profits off of college loans. Reinvest those funds on the trigger-happy Parent Revolution to privatize local K-12 schools—providing more profits from the charter-sector periphery. Rinse and repeat.

Ben Austin's Wall Street buddies are profiting off student loan debt

What the CCSS profiteers are subjecting my nephew and his peers to

What the #CCSS profiteers are subjecting my nephew and his peers to. photo via @hmgardner #testhearingsnow pic.twitter.com/UfvwflMQgL

— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) March 24, 2014

What the CCSS profiteers are subjecting my nephew and his peers to

Philip J. Lance of PND and CNCA, slumlord as well as poverty pimp?

A former tenant of one of Philip J. Lance's many "properties" documents abysmally unsafe conditions, including unchecked mold growth. Because of Lance's connections, an apparent coverup followed. Like their awful, but lucrative CNCA charter school empire, PND's alleged slum-apartments are part and parcel their putting a helping-the-poor veneer on something dark, sinister, and revenue generating.

Philip J. Lance of PND and CNCA, Slumlord? by Robert D. Skeels

Philip J. Lance of PND and CNCA, slumlord as well as poverty pimp?

High-stakes standardized tests and CCSS, they're a great way to measure… profits

High-stakes standardized tests & #CCSS, they're a great way to measure… profits. #LAUSD #edreform @skrashen @susanoha pic.twitter.com/Gn4LXB9KHi
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 4, 2014

High-stakes standardized tests and CCSS, they're a great way to measure… profits

Forum on for-profit education this Thursday evening at UCLA Hammer Museum

"This is part of the reason they are cutting Adult Education, so they can funnel the students to the for profit industry. Diane Feinstein's husband is a large stock holder in ITT Tech, and former Rep Senator, Olympia Snowe's husband has federal indictments against him for his shady activities as the CEO of the for profit chain, EDMC."—Lisa

THE PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATION

As for-profit colleges proliferate and billionaires publicly push for private charter schools to replace public education, we examine the impact on students, who now carry more debt than the housing sector. David Halperin, a senior fellow at Republic Report, discusses the taxpayer-subsidized for-profit college industry and its successful lobbying efforts. California Competes director Robert Shireman works to rein in abuses by for-profit colleges and student loan companies. He led the Obama administration’s efforts to reform student lending. USC researcher, PhD candidate at the Rossier School of Education, and Gates Millennium Scholar Constance Iloh offers a nuanced perspective on the nature of the student presence in the for-profit sector. Her research addresses privatization, access, equity, and the experiences of low-income students and students of color in higher education.

http://hammer.ucla.edu/programs/detail/program_id/2085

Michelle

Forum on for-profit education this Thursday evening at UCLA Hammer Museum

Vergara is a masterstroke in that it hides exploitation of poor families by plutocrats like David F. Welch by speciously blaming teachers

Vergara is a masterstroke in that it hides exploitation of poor families by plutocrats like David F. Welch's by speciously blaming teachers.
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) January 25, 2014

Big Education Ape: Lawsuit wrongly targets teachers: Guest commentary...: Lawsuit wrongly targets teachers: Guest commentary : Lawsuit wrongly targets teachers: Guest commentary On Monday a trial begins in a Los ...

Vergara is a masterstroke in that it hides exploitation of poor families by plutocrats like David F. Welch by speciously blaming teachers

Charlatan John Deasy calls transferring LAUSD's wealth to corporations a "civil rights issue"

Charlatan @drDeasyLAUSD calls transferring #LAUSD wealth to corporations "Civil Rights Issue" http://t.co/k0YkfzlM4S pic.twitter.com/MjmXgymf3G

— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) December 5, 2013

Charlatan John Deasy calls transferring LAUSD's wealth to corporations a "civil rights issue"

Marshall Tuck: despised by community, but always welcome at the Chamber of Commerce

Marshall Tuck: despised by community, but always welcome at the Chamber of Commerce. #LAUSD http://t.co/qwt2MvH4PF pic.twitter.com/q9M6FxZcK8
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) November 14, 2013

Show right-wing business-banker Marshall Tuck and his billionaire backers that Californians want a professional educator, not a venture capitalist, as our State Superintendent of Instruction — support Tom Torlakson!

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Together, we've done a lot for our schools and our kids over the past three years.
Thanks to your support, we've stopped the harmful cuts to our schools. We've focused on higher standards and 21st century skills. We are returning music, drama, art, civics, and STEM to our classrooms. We're restoring preschool and quality early learning programs. We are working to give all students access to technology and a taste of the working world before they graduate.
As a teacher, I am proud of what we have accomplished together for California’s students:

• Graduation rates at an all-time high
• Statewide test scores near their peak
• New, higher standards in place to keep students engaged and in school today -- and prepared to start a career and college tomorrow.

Of course, there’s much more to do. But our hard work for children is paying off with better school accountability and fewer dropouts.
As optimistic as I am about the future, I also need to share with you some news about a challenge to my re-election effort. Strange as it may seem, a well-funded former Wall Street banker is running against me.
My opponent will spend millions of dollars trying to defeat me -- money they know I cannot match as a career educator. I have always relied on the power of people at election time. And in California, we have proven again and again that real people beat big money. Can you donate $19 or more today to help?
There is a new spirit of hope and optimism at California’s schools, but the threat I’m facing is real. Without your help now, all that we’ve worked so hard to achieve could fall by the wayside.
While the election is months away, your early support is critical. Can I count on you to donate $19 or more today to show my opponent -- and his wealthy backers -- that California's schools are not for sale?.
We've accomplished much together. But there's more work to do, which is why I need you to act now.
Thank you for your consideration, and for you dedication to the students of California.

Tom Torlakson

Marshall Tuck: despised by community, but always welcome at the Chamber of Commerce