Arne Duncan hits opposition in Ohio as governor insists on opposing charter expansion,

[Hannah Bell]

On May 1, 2009, Michigan's Board of Education, like boards in most of the other states across the U.S., issued a resolution "recognizing that teachers are vital to the very fabric of our society" and declaring the week of May 4-8 Teacher Appreciation Week.

Three days later, on May 4, President Obama, in what could only have been intended as a face slap to the week's traditional teacher-centered theme, issued a proclamation designating May 3 through May 9, 2009, as National Charter Schools Week. Rather than honor the contributions to our society of American teachers in our 95,000-plus public schools, and teaching as a profession, as has become customary, he chose to salute only the personnel of the 3,500 charter schools that though publicly financed have been allowed to exist like private businesses, independent from and competitive with the public system.

Here are his exact words of selective praise:

"I commend our Nation's successful public charter schools, teachers, and administrators, and I call on States and communities to support public charter schools and the students they serve."

How ironical, then, that in the very state that gave birth to publicly funded private education, Ohio, with the establishment of a pilot program in Cleveland of giving vouchers to parents to use for private schools in 1992—the state that has the greatest number of privately run charter schools, 330—a growing backlash against the privatization concept is being led by none other than the state's governor, Ted Strickland.

http://substancenews.net/articles.php?page=766§ion=Article

[joeybee12]

1. Charter schools do no better than public schools...it's just a scam

for some to make money.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Charter schools = another way for private business to get tax dollars.

[KamaAina]

3. NOLA has so many charters, they send recruiters down to the parking lot at Walmart

they're competing with each other for warm bodies! :eyes: