UK GUARDIAN: The corporate takeover of American schools

[yurbud]

While I am gratified that press outside the US is able to clearly see and name the corruption and other problems in America when our mainstream press chooses to remain silent or reprint press releases, I am also a little embarrassed and ashamed that outsiders can see our dysfunction and those in Washington don't give a shit.

As long as there are bribes to collect in the form of campaign contributions now and jobs as lobbyists, CEO's, and board members when they leave office, they are happy, even if it means commodifying our kids like so many barrels of oil or sides of beef.

Maybe this is an issue where progressives in Congress can get tough with Obama, block bad policy, and help him get his head out of the DLC/conservative ass.

The corporate takeover of American schools

The trend for appointing CEOs to the top jobs is symptomatic of a declining commitment to public education and social justice


Joel Klein, former chief of New York schools, now of New Corp
Joel Klein, the outgoing chancellor of New York schools. He is
joining News Corp as a vice-president and adviser to Rupert Murdoch;
his successor, Cathie Black, is chair of Hearst Magazines.
Photograph: Lisa Carpenter for the Guardian

The top positions in state education across the US – for example, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, recent chancellors Joel Klein (New York) and Michelle Rhee (Washington, DC), and incoming Chancellor Cathleen P Black (New York) – reflect a trust in CEO-style leadership for education management and reform. Along with these new leaders in education, billionaire entrepreneurs have also assumed roles as education saviours: Bill and Melinda Gates, and Geoffrey Canada.

Gates, Canada, Duncan, Klein and Rhee have capitalised on their positions in education to rise to the status of celebrities, as well – praised in the misleading documentary feature Waiting for Superman, on Oprah, and even on Bill Maher's Real Time.

What do all these professional managers and entrepreneurs have in common?

Little or no experience or expertise in education. (Instead, they have degrees in government and law, along with nontraditional entries into education and strong ties to alternative certification, such as Teach for America). Further, they all represent and promote a cultural faith in the power of leadership above the importance of experience or expertise...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/nov/15/education-schools

[molly77]

1. Hitler did a lot of privatization of things like railroads.

Gave the businesses to his cronies. It would be interesting to see who is getting charter school money. New Orleans went totally to charter after Katrina. In Arizona the prisons are privatized and the immingrants thrown in them are kept up with taxes. Electrcity..the National Grid is owned by a
British corporation. 40 million dollars charged to New England rate payers for power never produced. Supreme Court ruled in utilities favor of course.

[yurbud]

2. a real estate developer is big behind the charter push here so

naturally, the charters lease or buy space at way over market value from their patron.