Up to 250 public schools in CA will apparently be turned over to outside bidders, 12 right away, more to come later. More on that below.
But first here are the words of one teacher in the Los Angeles Public school system. It involves how groups are formed by corporations, called "grassroots" groups, but in effect may be astroturf. In this case it involves Green Dot charter schools.
LAUSD, Green Dot, and the voice of a public school teacher.First from the blogger:
The corporate charter school movement is getting ready to rear it's ugliest face as LAUSD prepares to action off 250 schools (with part of this process headed by former Broad Resident Parker Hudnut). Media outlets in LA have frozen out the voice of teachers, painted union members as totally crazy, and refused to take any kind of critical look at this rapid expansion of charter schools despite a growing body of evidence that should give us reason to pause.
The story of Green Dot story is much, much deeper and disturbing than mainstream media outlets let on. In the article below, Emerson Middle School teacher Carolyn Jacobson highlights some of the more questionable aspects of the Green Dot narrative constructed by PR whizzes, corporate honchos, and philanthrocapitalists backing the expansion of charters.
The teacher's words on the topic are also at the link:
"Westwood's Emerson Middle School, where I teach, is the target of a hostile takeover by the most powerful charter school corporation in Los Angeles. We were singled out because Emerson is the neighborhood school for one of the charter revolution leaders, Ben Austin. He is a paid consultant for Green Dot as well as a city official with strong ties to the mayor. It's no coincidence that he is also an organizer of the most vocal parent group advocating privatization of our schools."
Be sure to read all of her words. The article goes deep into the purposes of privatization. I never thought I would hear the words "hostile takeover" used about public schools. I never thought it would happen.
Here is more about that Parents Revolution that she mentions, organized by Green Dot charter schools.
Parents Revolution and Green DotOne place to start looking at the tremendous growth of these seemingly grass-root groups of parents is in the city of Los Angeles where not only 250 schools have been given the bums rush out of the corridors of public management, but they are due to be thrown into the laps of non-profit outfits like Green Dot Public Schools or Alliance Public Schools, to name just a few. It is truly astounding, for in the case of the non-profit school systems that are emerging, these non-profit EMO’s are bent on creating a new, national retail chain of charter schools with outlets in as many states and school districts they can possibly get their hands on and
their tactics are not unlike the ‘grass-root’ town hall health care meetings.Take the group "Parents Union". Steve Barr, the originator of Green Dot Public Schools, a non-profit EMO out of LA, started Parent Union in Los Angeles a few years ago. According to a document put out by Green Dot in 2008 entitled, Green Dot Public Schools & Los Angeles Parents Union the company said they realized the urban school failure and:
Green Dot responded to this grassroots demand for change by saying, in effect, it’s not that you want a charter school per se, you simply want – and deserve – a high-quality school for the young people in your neighborhoods. Recognizing the need for parents to organize and work collectively to demand high-quality education,
Green Dot formed the Los Angeles Parents Union (lapu), a citywide grassroots organization of parents that pushes educators, administrators, and public officials to improve their schools (Green Dot Public Schools & Los Angeles Parents Union, 2008
Green Dot info in pdf format Sounding like the "grassroots" tea parties to me. Corporations organizing groups to push for a mission. It may not be the same at all...just seems that way.
More information about the public schools being available to outside bidders. It seems such an odd thing to have happen. It appears to be like disaster capitalism, taking advantage of hard times to take over and privatize. But then that is just my opinion.
Public schools to be available to outside bidders. Up to 250 Los Angeles public schools may be soon available to outside bidders. There are 12 in the original group, more to come.
"Garfield High, which became nationally known as the real-life setting for the film “Stand and Deliver,” will be among the first group of local schools eligible for takeover because of persistent academic failure, a high-level district source has told The Times.
Garfield’s selection means that the nation’s second-largest school system will invite bidders — from inside and outside of the district — to run the East Los Angeles campus of 4,600 students. This “request-for-proposal” process could apply to more than 250 schools under a Board of Education resolution passed last month, but the initial set of schools will number 12, sources said. Included are Jefferson High in Central-Alameda, Lincoln High in Lincoln Heights, Burbank Middle School in Highland Park and Maywood Academy High in the southeast L.A. County city of Maywood.
UPDATED: In addition to the schools named above, the following schools also are on the list: Gardena High in Gardena, San Pedro High in San Pedro, San Fernando Middle School, Carver Middle School in South Park, Griffith Joyner Elementary in Watts, Hillcrest Elementary in Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw, Hyde Park Elementary in Hyde Park.
These public schools are being released "from public governance." It appears Green Dot charter schools have organized teachers and parents already.
And then there is the "Parent University", another laboratory experiment launched by Green Dot. According to Green Dot:
lapu developed an innovative program called “ Parent University ” in which parents gain skills to communicate with teachers and administrators to advocate for their children and use organizing tools such as primers on graduation requirements and school-quality scores, among other supports. The effectiveness of Parent University and the sheer number of parents attending serve as examples of the changing face of human capital in Los Angeles education reform, as parents gain both expertise and a voice to push for positive changes for their children and their communities (ibid).
Green Dot’s organizing efforts make them now poised to seize some of the 250 charter schools that LA has released from public governance. Why did Barr start Parents Union? Simple: to organize parents and teachers so they would rebel against their under-serving public schools and throw their lot in with Green Dot. Parents UniversityIt's easier to organize when you have corporate big money behind you...much easier than it is to do so as public school parents and teachers. There is no money behind you, there is no media presenting your cause. Little of the information about these issues of hostile takeovers of schools by outside bidders is available on the mainstream news. Most of it is from bloggers, and there is indeed very litte of that.
We used to talk here about the goal of the Bush administration. It was relatively easy to define. Break the back of any government programs by cutting taxes, dismantle public schools by first destroying their reputation, then cutting their funding. Reagan did the first...he effectively smeared public schools. The Bush administration, and this administration are continuing the process by demanding more charter schools. And it becomes a cycle of losing.
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