David Sirota: Our Gilded Age Education System

[marmar]

from In These Times:



Our Gilded Age Education System
The main lesson from the ongoing education debate has little to do with schools and everything to do with money.

BY David Sirota


Paradoxes come in all different forms, but here's one that perfectly fits this Gilded Age: the most significant lesson from the ongoing debate about American education has little to do with schools and everything to do with money. This lesson comes from a series of recent scandals that expose the financial motives of the leaders of the so-called education “reform” movement—the one that is trying to privatize public schools.

The first set of scandals engulfed Tony Bennett, the former Indiana school superintendent and much-vaunted poster boy for the privatization push. After voters in that state threw him out of office, he was quickly given a job as the education chief in Florida. At the same time, his wife not-so-coincidentally landed a gig with the Florida-based Charter Schools USA—a for-profit company that not only has an obvious interest in Bennett privatizing Florida schools, but that also was previously awarded lucrative contracts by Bennett in Indiana.

Grotesque as it is to shroud such self-enriching graft in the veneer of helping children, the self-dealing controversy wasn't Bennett's most revealing scandal. That distinction goes to recent news that Bennett changed the grades of privately run charter schools on behalf of his financial backers. Indeed, as the Associated Press reported, “When it appeared an Indianapolis charter school run by a prominent Republican donor might receive a poor grade, Bennett's education team frantically overhauled his signature 'A-F' school grading system to improve the school's marks.” Yet, the Associated Press also reported that just a year before, Bennett “declined to give two Indianapolis public schools (the) same flexibility.”

In response, the American Federation of Teachers is asking Indiana to release emails between Bennett and the education foundation run by former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.)—another prominent face of the “reform” movement. The union is requesting this correspondence because of another scandal—this one publicized by the Washington Post. ............................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://inthesetimes.com/article/15471/a_civics_lesson_from_americas_education_debate/

[xchrom]

1. du rec.

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. Sirota writes exceptionally well on this topic.

But there's so much good stuff coming out lately ( People are WRITING it; the question is, "Is anyone READING it?&quot that it's hard to keep up.

So K and R and I'll catch up later.

[Igel]

4. Don't confuse the motive for reforms with the motive of those benefitting.

Because the reforms aren't working, even reformers like Ravitch have jumped ship. She's found little to be for that most would like; her diatribes contra the current system of reforms are notorious.

Most of the reformers benefit little from the reforms (students also benefit little). They're well-intentioned fools with delusions of sadism.

Most of the people we like to call "reformers"--those making money--just look at what the reformers and those politicians who've drunk the reformist kool-aid want and slap together some product to sell. Once they have a product, sure, they advertise it. But it starts out as a response to a demand, only later morphing into a demand for a response.

The problem has had many fixes over the years and you know what? It's pretty much unchanged. 60 years of work, politicking, increasing expenditures, improved training, rigor, testing ... Not much change.

Some might just say we're barking up the wrong tree. Some just want the barking to stop. I'd like us to find the right tree, and then if it's worth barking up perhaps bark then. Otherwise, no.

[Starry Messenger]

3. k&r