As Obama Seeks More Money for Charter Schools, Questions Raised over Billions Already Spent

[Cheese Sandwich]

In the clip you will hear Netflix CEO and charter school investor Reed Hastings explain: The problem with schools is democratically elected school boards.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Lisa I want to play for you a comment by Reed Hastings, who is the CEO of Netflix. He is a supporter and an investor in the Rocket Ship Education Charter Schools Network. Last year, at a meeting of the California Charter Schools Association, he called for the abolition of local school boards. His speech was posted on YouTube. The audio is not great, but if you listen carefully, you can hear his words.

REED HASTINGS: And so the fundamental problem with school districts is not their fault. The fundamental problem is they don’t get to control their boards. And the importance of the charter school movement is to evolve America from a system where governance is constantly changing and you can’t do long-term planning, to a system of large nonprofits. Now, if we go to the general public and we say, here is an argument why you should get rid of school boards, of course no one is going to go for that. School boards have been an iconic part of America for 200 years. And so what we have to do is to work with school districts to grow steadily. And the work ahead is really hard, because we’re at 8% of students in California. Whereas in New Orleans, they’re at 90%. So we have a lot of catch-up to do.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: That was Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix and a big supporter and investor in the charter school industry, last year at a meeting of the California Charter Schools Association. Lisa Graves, your reaction and also this whole issue of the long-term goal of eliminating any kind of democratic process for parents and communities in their school boards.

LISA GRAVES: Well if you listen closely to what he said, what he said was we need to abolish the school districts — we need to abolish the school boards, basically. School boards are really the only way that we have democratic-controlled, direct democracy, over our schools. For ordinary public schools, if they have want to build a new gym, a new stadium, they have to go to taxpayers to get permission to expand the school system, to get taxes to expand. And also, people can elect who is on that school board. What we see through charters and the American Legislative Exchange Council’s agenda is an effort to circumvent local democratic control. To basically remove control of these schools, these charter schools, these often for-profit enterprises that are related to them. And that’s part of the design of them.

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/5/8/as_obama_admin_seeks_more_funding

[midnight]

1. kick

[think]

2. Pushing for funds for the ALEC school model. And no accountibility. What next?

[MrMickeysMom]

4. I'll bet what is next is the kind of education only those fascists could want...

… permanently dumbed down generations of citizens who, for the lack of critical thinking skills or funding formulas set forward for a decent public education, accept their fate in life to never question.

How can any Democrat perpetuate this state of fascism?

This is something Obama didn't mind being round heeled about. What utter ignorance. His cabinet pick of Arne Duncan sure showed us that. Now Obama wants more money funneled into this disaster?

[SoapBox]

7. ^^^ This! Big time! ^^^

[appalachiablue]

3. K & R. Excellent article. Non educator corporatists in charge of education policy like Netflix

and others.

[Enthusiast]

5. Mr. Obama, charter schools suck.

And you know it.

[BrotherIvan]

8. plus a mazillion!!!

Well he's got to pay all those campaign contributions back. They're not a gift, they're a loan.

[Pauldg47]

6. I'm a sub teacher....

...and retired. I can tell you this. I've subbed both sides (public & charters) I love Obama, but he is very naive about charter schools. Charter schools are a mess....they are in a chaotic state....their lunch programs are awful. They are for sure only in for the profit. Also, you should see how many full time subs they hire at terrible wages...it's disgusting.

[appalachiablue]

16. Appreciate your comments, heard conditions are horrible in some schools.

What a colossal mistake, all for profit, deregulation and union busting.
Welcome to DU-

[markpkessinger]

9. Obama speaks out of both sides of his mouth on this issue . . .

. . . just as he does concerning trade. Disgusting.

[Enthusiast]

11. He has betrayed our interest on a whole host of issues. We are not supposed to notice.

I have to say, it was one well constructed ruse.

[DhhD]

10. Extremist Texas Legislature Moving to a Voucher System removing accountable education to a de-

regulated system of theft and unaccountability. This bi-annual session ends last of May, 2015.

[paleotn]

12. Barrack, that's change I DON'T believe in.

....another sellout to the money interests. I guess it really is campaign cash payback time.

[whereisjustice]

13. This is what happens when Bill Gates and Arne Duncan decide to transfer wealth from non-rich

to Wall Street CEOs. The magic of the market at work.

[mother earth]

14. The two most important things we need to keep having conversations about are ALEC & Citizens United.

Keep bringing home the facts, the results and consequences of which people need to understand. Our system has been purposefully hijacked. We won't have control over any of these issues if we live in ignorance of them or cheerlead candidates that CHOOSE to ignore them. These things are undermining any and all of the good of decades, a dismantling of structure.

Next time you look to wealthy benefactors and their charity, remember wonderful things result from governance that honors human rights and empowers people. When we look to politicians and where their efforts have been tells us what their words simply cannot and do not. Money is a tool that's being used craftily to disempower, sometimes in the guise of charity, & certainly through political manipulation.

Exploitation to win profits tells you everything you need to know. What do we empower? Do those we empower align with our values?

K & R! & TY for a much needed understanding.

[appalachiablue]

15. K & R a Zillion! Thanks for this excellent OP on the tragedy of privatization of our public schools

for profit by corporatists, bankers, hedge funders and few educators at the expense of children, families, teachers, educators, schools, unions, communities and our country. By the likes of Bill Gates, Arne Duncan, Rahm Emmanuel, Eric Schmidt, Michelle Rhee and other buy-partisan boosters.

Many, many thanks to Lisa Graves for her and her organization's wonderful work on this travesty. I enjoy and appreciate Lisa's outstanding reports on Thom Hartmann's programs and on "Democracy Now!".