tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post1830372989710229227..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charters and McCleary: A Round-UpMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-57858490414305345272016-02-26T20:14:52.311-08:002016-02-26T20:14:52.311-08:00Spot on Charlie. I could not have said it half so...Spot on Charlie. I could not have said it half so well! And frankly, I think that is the reason that a lot of charter bills are written so poorly (with respect to implementation) -- things like how to de-convert a conversion charter if the parents or teachers don't like what the conversion wrought; how to "fairly" share or allocated school resources with regular public schools; how to deal with returning money to the state if it has been paid for a student who does not remain in the charter system; how to close poorly performing charters; how to make sure that charters actually serve the number of kids they claim. Really -- none of this matters. Who (of the charter school proponents) really cares if any of the schools work, work well, or even really exist. For the big dollars behind the ed reform movement, THEIR kids will never attend, or never know anyone who attends, any of the charter schools OR the public schools that they destroy. So all that matters is:<br /><br />"1) Keeping the money they have in their own pockets.<br />2) Redirecting public money into their pockets and their friends' pockets."<br /><br />Everything else is (to them) just irrelevant trivia. The system is designed to reduce taxes and (where they MUST be paid) to reallocate public tax dollars to themselves and their friends. The fact that charter schools systems work poorly, are full of fraud and corruption, don't work at all, and remove any semblance of public control over public assets is irrelevant (or in the case of removal of public control over public dollars) is an actual design feature. <br /><br />Maybe we need to stop talking about charter schools (and other ed reform schemes) failing. They are actually succeeding nicely -- if you look at what they are REALLY intended to do (and not the lies they tell people to get them to cooperate).Jannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73618841957921448142016-02-26T06:42:51.932-08:002016-02-26T06:42:51.932-08:00The corporate Education Reform movement is now and...The corporate Education Reform movement is now and has only ever been about two things:<br />1) Keeping the money they have in their own pockets.<br />2) Redirecting public money into their pockets and their friends' pockets.<br /><br />How to keep money in their own pockets? By reducing the taxes needed to support education. Since the bulk of education funds go to pay teacher salaries, most of their reforms are focused on reducing that expense. They are working to do that by:<br />A) Increasing class sizes ("Class size doesn't matter")<br />B) Removing higher salary, senior teachers from the workforce (ending seniority)<br />C) De-professionalizing teaching into a temp job for new college graduates (TFA)<br />D) De-professionalizing teaching through fidelity of implementation requirements<br />E) Automating teaching with videos and computers<br />F) Reducing teacher pay by breaking the unions<br /><br />They are working to redirect public education money into their own pockets or their friends' pockets by:<br />A) Selling educational software<br />B) Selling standardized tests<br />C) Operating publicly funded, privately owned schools for profit<br />D) Operating publicly funded, privately owned schools as non-profits that contract with for profit companies<br /><br />None of these "innovations" serve students; they only serve the interests of the corporate Education Reformers.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48562628487984019082016-02-25T20:13:01.651-08:002016-02-25T20:13:01.651-08:00Thanks, Jan
I guess I wasn't thinking deeply ...Thanks, Jan<br /><br />I guess I wasn't thinking deeply enough about this. There IS always a hidden motive behind what the uber rich do with their money. It is difficult to understand such concepts when one has never walked in their Italian leather handmade shoes.<br /><br /><br />CJWAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-10024222545893139442016-02-25T19:57:32.942-08:002016-02-25T19:57:32.942-08:00Because, what folks like the Ballmers REALLY want ...Because, what folks like the Ballmers REALLY want is:<br /><br />1. To get someone else (the public) to fund what they want, so they can save their money for houses, yachts, sports teams, funding off shore tax havens, buying businesses, etc. and<br /><br />2. To privatize the entire public school system (which they cannot do by just funding 20 or 30 private schools). You have to have a plan that both destroys the public education we have AND uses tax dollars to fund the private, corporatized system you want. Jannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-67991291558996620322016-02-25T19:17:17.033-08:002016-02-25T19:17:17.033-08:00I don't get it. If folks like the Balmers and ...I don't get it. If folks like the Balmers and their ilk want charter schools why don't they just pay for them? In the long run they get what they want and don't have to continue to spend money on all those cheesy television ads.<br /><br />CJWAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85030990290513149102016-02-25T11:41:35.989-08:002016-02-25T11:41:35.989-08:00Po3, if the charter bill were to pass, yes, the ch...Po3, if the charter bill were to pass, yes, the charters would get funding from the Opportunity Fund. However, it is NOT all coming from the Opportunity Fund (if you read closely) AND the Rep would up the amount the Charter Commission would get. <br /><br />The only new K-12 investments appear to be for retaining teachers. I don't think there would be any new money that would go into the classroom.<br /><br />Again, 1,000 students versus 1M students and who is the legislature truly worried about?<br /><br />I can't wait to hear from the Supreme Court.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-28090379419048295422016-02-25T11:08:00.876-08:002016-02-25T11:08:00.876-08:00I am so confused.
Will the Charters get funded a...I am so confused. <br />Will the Charters get funded and public schools will not get funding? <br />Po3noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-77260549072435375792016-02-25T08:51:56.221-08:002016-02-25T08:51:56.221-08:00Well, McCleary for this session has been decided s...Well, McCleary for this session has been decided so there is no quid pro quo left. <br /><br />I think some people got a little full of themselves. What did Kenny Rogers say? "You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table..."<br /><br />Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80318619742839050652016-02-25T07:30:01.511-08:002016-02-25T07:30:01.511-08:00Where have all the grown-ups gone?Where have all the grown-ups gone?Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39744866285781051172016-02-25T06:17:52.222-08:002016-02-25T06:17:52.222-08:00Okay,
So the legislature kicks the can down the r...Okay,<br /><br />So the legislature kicks the can down the road and they'll "Fix" it all "next year".<br /><br />Meanwhile, districts all over the state are being forced to honor the COLA initiative that passed last year--the same initiative that the legislature refused to fund. This is creating multi-million dollar budget deficits in districts all over the state, at a time that the public thinks schools are rolling in the dough because...well...McCleary.<br /><br />I expect the Supreme Court to be unamused.<br /><br />I also expect the Supreme Court to wimp out and not go far enough to actually force change.<br /><br />Meanwhile, kids continue to lose.<br /><br />This whole business is crazy-making!!!!!Fed Upnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-46934728544635596642016-02-25T05:08:38.954-08:002016-02-25T05:08:38.954-08:00here is The Deal. the go along get along political...here is The Deal. the go along get along political cowards of the WEA will do little to nothing to challenge any sitting elected anyone. significant election efforts will jell around saving x, y. or z from trump-0-goths in ... Sept? Oct? <br />ALL of us will barely participate in the Aug 2016 primary. Instead of voting out incumbents, in droves, during the primaries, electeds will get a free pass. WHY should they care about sappy lame lobbying which is just begging, when they get great photo ops standing next to parents, kids and teachers in Oly with their "I Care!" <br /><br />FaceOn. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1118656137626043102016-02-24T21:54:53.916-08:002016-02-24T21:54:53.916-08:00I was told the SB 6194 wasn't looking good in ...<br />I was told the SB 6194 wasn't looking good in the House. <br /><br />SB 6194 has been pulled from the agenda and I hope it doesn't show-up at a later date. I've not forgotten what Chad Magendanz had to say before the session began:<br /><br /><br />"The biggest political obstacle to wrapping up McCleary right now is a charter school fix. If the Speaker won't allow a vote, McCleary doesn't have a chance."<br /><br /><br />http://billsblog-wasa.weebly.com/blog-entries/a-thorn-by-any-other-nameElephant's Memorynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-46545129115712907082016-02-24T21:21:14.933-08:002016-02-24T21:21:14.933-08:00This afternoon Rep. Magendanz pulled 6194 from the...This afternoon Rep. Magendanz pulled 6194 from the Ed Committee Executive Session tomorrow morning. Wonder what the back story is.mollyspringerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16594349809480586362noreply@blogger.com