"Education by Chance" Review of "The Lottery." NYT review points out one-sided view.

[madfloridian]

This is an interesting review of the new documentary put out about how "bad" the school system is. The movie is giving charter operators a big voice.

It pays to have big money behind you when you want to grab public schools. That way you can get them into the private sector without people paying attention to what is going on behind the curtain.

There is another movie on the same topic called The Cartel...and it is mentioned in the review as well.

Education by Chance

With a little tweaking “The Lottery” would fit nicely into the marketing materials for the Harlem Success Academy, a public charter school founded by Eva Moskowitz, a former New York City councilwoman. On one level, this heart-tugging documentary recounts the experiences of four children competing in the academy’s annual intake lottery. On another, it’s a passionate positioning of charter schools as the saviors of public education.

Though infinitely classier — and easier on the eyes — than “Cartel,” the recent documentary exploring public education, this latest charter-school commercial is no less one-sided. Virtually relinquishing the floor to Ms. Moskowitz (who delights in vilifying the “thuggish” tactics of the United Federation of Teachers) and her supporters, the director, Madeleine Sackler, captures a smidgen of naysayers in mostly unflattering lights. Ignoring critical issues like financial transparency, Ms. Sackler sells her viewpoint with four admirable, striving families, each of whose tots could charm the fleas off a junkyard dog.

..."But as an avowed marketing tool for a product that depends on public money and good will, the lottery itself, with its publicly dashed dreams, may have backfired. As we see during a vitriolic public hearing on Ms. Moskowitz’s bid to open a second facility in an unused public school, pitting neighbor against neighbor for the future of their children can be a dangerous strategy.

“I don’t even go to lotteries anymore, because they break my heart,” says Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark.

It is truly pitting neighbor against neighbor, parent against parent, and public schools against privately run schools that take money from the public schools.

It's truly a mess with no end in sight.

Here is more about one of the stars of The Lottery, Eva Moskowitz, the founder of Harlem Success Academy.

Cozy relationships have advantages.


Lombard for News
Success Charter Network founder Eva Moskowitz and NYC Chancellor Joel Klein sharing a laugh during an event.

On Oct. 3, 2008, Eva Moskowitz, a former city councilwoman and head of four charter schools in Harlem, e-mailed schools Chancellor Joel Klein for help. Moskowitz wanted more space to expand her Harlem Success academies and she had two specific public school buildings in mind.

"Those schools are ps194 and ps241," she wrote to Klein. "It would be extremely helpful to move quickly on."

Less than two months later, the Department of Education announced plans to phase out those schools and use the space to expand two Harlem Success academies.

.."The note was among 125 e-mails between Moskowitz and the chancellor the Daily News obtained under a Freedom of Information request.

More on the benefits of access. This connection has hurt the public schools.

The e-mails, obtained by the Daily News under a
Freedom of Information request, provide a glimpse
into the close relationship -- one that would make
most principals green with envy.

They show that in addition to Klein's visits,
Moskowitz:

- Secured the chancellor's help last year in landing
a $1 million donation from a private Los Angeles
foundation.

- Got Klein to intervene on her behalf in clashes
she had with his subordinates.

- Boasted to him of organizing parent "armies" to
advocate for Mayor Bloomberg's educational
policies - and of flooding politicians with
thousands of pro-charter school postcards.

The News requested e-mails pertaining to the efforts
of Harlem Success to get more space in school
buildings. The space issue is contentious in many
city neighborhoods, and Moskowitz may be the
best-known advocate of more public space for
charters.

This is an onslaught in full force against public education. The "reform" movement has big money and power behind it.

The public schools are being defunded to get these new privately run, publicly funded schools to grow in number.

There is no money for the public schools to fight back against these forces for "reform."

[msongs]

1. Obama's historical legacy - the destruction of public schools in favor of corporations? nt

[laughingliberal]

2. I so appreciate your efforts to keep this information out there. Public education is under siege.

Another Reaganesque privatization scheme which will result in the same screwing of the public all the others have resulted in. K&R.

[madfloridian]

3. It truly is under seige.

And no way to fight it effectively.

[laughingliberal]

4. I'm overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness about this. It helps to see a few here still get it. nt

[madfloridian]

5. It seems the Dems pushing this agenda either don't hear us...

or don't want to hear us. Like they live in a bubble filled with just "reformers". When I put that in quotes I mean those who are so willing to let big business have their way.

[laughingliberal]

9. I've been shocked to find so many Democrats...

(not the bought and paid for lawmakers but rank and file members) signing on to this Reagan/Gingrich hit on public education. I'm not sure people even realize how much the philosophies of Reagan permeate our thinking in this country now. People seem to have forgotten it was not always this way.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. One of DU's less than excellent moments

was when this film was the subject of an OP and highly praised.

Still brings puke to my throat. :puke:

[madfloridian]

10. That thread is still going strong.

That review actually refers to "repealing the need for teachers' unions".

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Damn

But speaking of unions, check out the Education forum. I posted a piece from a teacher challenging Randi as president of AFT. :)

[Dinger]

7. K & R (nt)

[live love laugh]

8. I think back to the many Republicons who've advocated private schools and vouchers

for education.

One thing I will say is that no matter how fucking sick and demented they are, they are succeeding on every front. This latest assault on education I was unaware of. It's not the only attack on education since they now sell all school textbooks too.

Their work is done.

They have infiltrated the goverment, stacked the Supreme Court, taken over the media, taken over election authenticity, eliminated unions, eliminated public privacy and freedoms...and ruined several states with more on the way.

What else is there for them to do?

:puke: