Parents' blog shows how Eli Broad alumni are changing our schools drastically, shows their failings.

[madfloridian]

Parents are noticing. Not just teachers. Students have also rallied and protested over some of the issues being pushed by the reformers.

Parents, teachers, students....perhaps this administration should take another look at what they have unleashed and enabled in the world they call education "reform."

It's really stunning how much the Eli Broad Foundation and those it sends around the country into education leadership positions are changing the whole face of public education.

Sometimes I wonder if Secretary of Education Arne Duncan really understands how far these guys intend to go in privatizing public education. I am afraid he does know.


Arne Duncan and Eli Broad
Broad Inauguration Party in Washington D.C., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.
(Photo/Stuart Ramson)

Here is a link to the Broad Foundation page of their featured alumni.

Featured Alumni

The Parents Across America blog has a long article about the school leaders trained by the Broad Foundation.

A Parent Guide to the Broad Foundation’s training programs and education policies

The question I ask is why should Eli Broad and Bill Gates have more of a say as to what goes on in my child’s classroom than I do? – Sue Peters, Seattle parent

In recent months, three prominent school district superintendents resigned or were fired, after allegations of mismanagement, autocratic leadership styles, and/or the pursuit of unpopular policies. All three were trained by the Broad Superintendents Academy: Maria Goodloe-Johnson (class of 2003) of the Seattle school district, LaVonne Sheffield (class of 2002) of the Rockford, Illinois school district, and Jean-Claude Brizard (class of 2008) of the Rochester New York school district. Brizard resigned to take the job as CEO of Chicago schools, but his superintendency in Rochester had been mired in controversy. Another Broad-trained Superintendent recently announced his resignation: Tom Brady (class of 2004) of Providence, Rhode Island.

Three more Broad-trainees have been recently placed in new positions of authority: John Deasy (class of 2006), as Superintendent of the Los Angeles United School District, John White (class of 2010), Superintendent of the Recovery School District in New Orleans, and Chris Cerf (class of 2004), New Jersey’s Acting Education Commissioner. Tom Boasberg was appointed Denver’s Superintendent in January 2009, shortly after taking an “Intensive” training at the Broad Academy.

Here is more about the Broad Foundation in comparison with other billionaire groups involved in education now.

The Gates Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Broad Foundation form a powerful triumvirate. The combined net worth of the three families who operate these foundations is $152 billion. By strategically deploying their immense wealth through training school leaders, financing think-tank reports, and supporting “Astro Turf” advocacy groups, these three foundations have been able to steer the direction of education reform over the past decade.

The Broad Foundation is the least wealthy of the three, but has still spent nearly $400 million on its mission of “transforming urban K-12 public education through better governance, management, labor relations and competition.” But what does that actually mean?

Eli Broad has made it clear that he intends to be involved with Michelle Rhee's Students First movement. Two of the main goals listed at the website are placing teachers in schools via Teach for America (TFA) and The New Teacher Project (TNTP). The fact that these "new" teachers are now replacing experienced teachers who were laid off or fired doesn't seem to concern anyone at all.

Her group which benefits from Broad financially also "advocates for the expansion of charters, vouchers, and an end to seniority protections for teachers."

Broad also helped fund the Parent Revolution (formerly the Los Angeles parents union.) This is the group that started the "parent trigger" laws which are growing across the country. They allow 51% of parents in a given school to demand the school be changed to a charter. Needless to say paid recruiters probably had an influence on parents in one case.

The article lists some of the graduates who have been asked to resign as leaders, and some who have been given votes of no-confidence by teachers and/or parents.

Here is the conclusion reached by Parents Across America, one that is shared by many teachers.

Parents Across America considers Broad’s influence to be inherently undemocratic, as it disenfranchises parents and other stakeholders in an effort to privatize our public schools and imposes corporate-style policies without our consent. We strongly oppose allowing our nation’s education policy to be driven by billionaires who have no education expertise, who do not send their own children to public schools, and whose particular biases and policy preferences are damaging our children’s ability to receive a quality education.

All this power in spite of the fact that Eli Broad admits they know nothing about teaching or reading or curriculum.

Eli Broad: “We don’t know anything about how to teach or reading curriculum or any of that."

Broad, a Los Angeles-based billionaire who made his fortune in insurance and real estate, has been at the forefront of the school restructuring movement over the past decade. Using the foundation that bears his name, he has pushed aggressively for schools to be run more like businesses. The Broad (pronounced like “road”) Foundation has seeded charter schools across the country, including in New York. It has also developed a number of programs to train school administrators, including the Broad Superintendent Academy, which instructs business, nonprofit, military, government and education leaders in how to manage urban school districts. A number of top officials at the New York City’s Department of Education have received Broad training. Speaking at the 92nd Street Y in New York City last year, Broad summarized his approach: “We don’t know anything about how to teach or reading curriculum or any of that. But what we do know about is management and governance.”

He should be asked to explain the resignations, firings, and no-confidence votes received by his alumni all too often.

It seems the only accountability is demanded of teachers, and the only blame is put on them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Management and governance my a$$

Children are not widgets.

[madfloridian]

3. And it is not the teachers who are treating them as such....

Guess who it is....the "reformers" who want to run schools like a business and put each child in a box with a label.

:hi:

[TheMadMonk]

8. Of course not. Everyone knows they're "Therbligs". /nt

[madfloridian]

2. Great bunch of founding members of the Parents across America...link.

http://parentsacrossamerica.org/who-we-are/

Some of us who post about what real education looks like quote these people a lot.

Good for them for getting this together.

[madfloridian]

4. Here are some of the chapters and affiliates.

http://parentsacrossamerica.org/affiliates/

Not bad for a group just taking flight. Great bunch.

[madfloridian]

5. Other recent grads, not in education... in military and family services

From page 3 of featured alum:

http://www.broadacademy.org/fellows/index.html?page_filter=0&name_filter&type_filter=0&keyword=&pge=3

Class of 2010
Commissioner
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Class of 2009
Deputy Judge Advocate General
U.S. Air Force

Class of 2010
Chief Executive Officer, Metro Transit System
Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authorit

Class of 2009
Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army's Service Chair and Faculty at the ICAF
U.S. Army, Va.

Class of 2010
Corporate Director of Strategic Planning
Sierra Nevada Corporation, Nev.

[madfloridian]

6. Broad branching out to military and child services.

Interesting.

[JDPriestly]

7. This is a bit off topic, but you may conclude for yourself who Eli Broad really is.

Former KB Home CEO Bruce Karatz sentenced to five years' probation
Penalty in options-backdating case includes eight months of house arrest. Karatz is also ordered to pay a $1-million fine and do 2,000 hours of community service.
November 11, 2010|By Stuart Pfeifer, Los Angeles Times

Bruce Karatz, whose 20-year run as chief executive of home-building giant KB Home was derailed by allegations that he manipulated the value of stock options, was sentenced Wednesday to five years' probation, including eight months of house arrest.

U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II also fined the former executive $1 million and ordered him to perform 2,000 hours of community service. Wright rejected prosecutors' request for a lengthy prison sentence, noting that there was no evidence that the crimes damaged KB Home or its shareholders.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/11/business/la-fi-karatz-sentence-20101111

And prior to Karatz's conviction, guess who testified on his behalf?

. . . .

Riordan was the first of two rich, powerful friends expected to defend Karatz's character as his trial on options-related charges winds down. On Friday, billionaire philanthropist and KB Home co-founder Eli Broad is expected to take the witness stand.

Broad, whose net worth was estimated last month at $5.7 billion by Forbes magazine, led the fundraising for Walt Disney Concert Hall, was founding chairman of the Museum of Contemporary Art and drove efforts to bring the 2000 Democratic National Convention to Los Angeles.

In an interview with The Times shortly after Karatz was indicted, Broad said, "In the 35 years I have known him, I can't think of any instance where he did anything unlawful, unethical or improper, even though he was always aggressively building the company."

The effect of such star-studded testimony remains to be seen. But at least one juror appeared to have been impressed by Riordan. As the former mayor spoke to a Times reporter on the steps outside the courthouse, the juror approached Riordan, extended a hand and said, "I'd like to thank you for your years of service to the city."

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/02/business/la-fi-karatz2-2010apr02

The wealthy do not see financial cheating as anything wrong at all. They just don't get it. They don't value fair play. And when one of them cheats, they rally around against the cheated.

Of course, the experiences of these rich men were positive with their wealthy friend.

We all make mistakes. We all tell white lies. "You look great in that dress." "Don't worry about your weight." "No. I don't mind if you smoke."

But cheating people opposite you in a business deal, an act that we poor folks would condemn, is excusable to wealthy people as long as the cheater is sociably acceptable at parties, supports the right charities and attends the right musical and artistic events dressed in the right clothes.

That's the way the world of the Eli Broads work. They do not live in our world in which being late to work because you are taking care of a sick child can cost you your livelihood or a late paycheck that results in a late mortgage payment can cost you your home.

It isn't especially about Eli Broad. This is the way it works.

Charter schools are just another means to rip off the poor.

[nikto]

9. Awesome insight and clarity, JDPriestly

Very eloquent post!

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. + a gazillion

[WinkyDink]

11. Money always knows. And it's a small world at the top.