1st "Parent Trigger" school begins. Parents get power to hire, fire, and pick the charter company.

[madfloridian]

That is a lot of power, to be able to decide the curriculum, judge which teachers and principals to keep, which to fire.

This is apparently the first school in which the "parent trigger" has gone into effect. But there will be more because of the famous actors and actresses and singers and such who are on board with Walmart's new movie "Won't Back Down".

#Walmart sponsors "Teachers Rock" to push the "Won't Back Down" movie. #CBS to feature it. Buying #education? http://www.marketwatch.com/story/teachers-rock-presented-by-walmart-wont-back-down-a-special-event-concert-to-benefit-teachers-education-at-nokia-theatre-la-live-august-14-at-730-pm-2012-07-24

Stars like Maggie Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Carrie Underwood, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Garner, Matthew Morrison, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Usher, Maroon 5's Adam Levine and James Valentine, and more are pushing this new "parent empowerment". That's the term they prefer rather than "trigger." Do they really understand the full implications?

I doubt it.

From Desert Trails Elementary in Adelanto district.

'Parent trigger' rules enacted at first school

A group of Adelanto parents is the first in the nation allowed to take over a failing campus under new "parent trigger" rules that grant them wide-ranging authority to fix low-achieving schools.

A San Bernardino County judge ordered this week administrators in Adelanto Elementary School District to accept a petition signed by a majority of parents at Desert Trails Elementary,

That's a whole lot of power. And here's the best part for the education "reformers". This is a quick way to get more charter schools. They have it all figured out.

Administrators for the San Bernardino campus, about 70 miles north of Orange County, initially rejected a petition submitted by parents earlier this year to convert the campus to a charter because they claimed several parents had rescinded their signatures.

Superior Court Judge Steve Malone rejected the claim and upheld the petition. He ordered the district to accept the petition filed by the Desert Trails Parents Union within 30 days and to immediately seek proposals from charter school operators to take over Desert Trails Elementary.

The charter school management companies are gleeful because this means they get more public schools in their hot little hands more quickly.

[madfloridian]

1. I intend to keep track of the standardized test scores of Desert Trails.

[No Elephants]

2. The only time Democrats and Republicans seem to agree anymore is when it helps

grifting profitmongers and hurts the 99%.

I still can't get over Caroline Kennedy. If her mom and Dad would have been okay with charter schools, I cann't imagine Uncle Bobby would have.

Then again, maybe I am only assuming.

[madfloridian]

3. Won't Back Down and Teachers Rock still getting huge media. Teachers....not so much.

Since there is no one taking up for them except a few bloggers and twitterers. :(