on Democracy Now: Chicago elected school boards replaced with appointed CEOs & bankers?

When Arne Duncan was running Chicago schools, this is one of the ''reforms'' he initiated that resulted in LESS democracy, and of course the explosion of charter schools.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want my kids education in the hands of those who outsourced my job, stole my pension, used my mortgage like casino chips, and when they lost their bet, and threatened to tank the whole economy unless we gave them a check as big as the cost of the whole Iraq War with no questions asked (at least Bush actually gave us a war for that money).

With these Ken Lays and Gordon Geckos in charge of education, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that a quarter of the kids were sent to clean Walmart, a quarter to pick berries, a quarter sold as sex slaves to Saudi princes, and a quarter only existed on paper.

School boards can do some really stupid things, but this is the only solution that is actually worse.

If you have any doubt that it's a bad idea, I was reading a Newsweek article the other day that said the one area where Republican ideologues have no problem with Obama is what he is doing with K-12 education. If he is applying their medicine to the wound, the limb will eventually have to be amputated.

When President Obama’s Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, was the head of Chicago’s Public Schools, his office kept a list of powerful, well-connected people who asked for help getting certain children into the city’s best public schools. The list—long kept confidential—was disclosed this week by the Chicago Tribune. We speak with the Chicago Tribune reporter who broke the story and with two Chicago organizers about Duncan and his aggressive plan to expand charter schools.

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/3/26/a_look_at_arne_duncans_vip

Maybe democracy is just overrated.

duncan is a fucking joke. Is there any reliable information as to WHY Obama picked him?

Local Control
Parental Choice
Accountability

Let's destroy local schools and get rid of democratically elected boards and replace them with outsiders who lack any background in education and refuse to answer to the local people thus throwing accountability out the window.

What a brilliant idea.

We need a movement to speak as one voice. I for one am SERIOUSLY considering not voting for Obama next time if he still has Arne Duncan in his cabinet.

If duncan is still here, I (my vote) am not.

I doubt the corporatists would let it go even if he left. There is too much money to be made by destroying public schools the way they were organized in the past. Not to mention that fact that the rhetoric sounds great, it blames the teachers and does not involve any effort on the part of parents or students.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

And not let the door hit him on the way out.

I guess as low as you have to be to raid Medicare and Social Security. Rah rah rah. :(

for exposure.

Thanks.

my post wasn't even the main topic, they just mentioned it in passing. The main point was Duncan keeping a list of people to ask favors for.

a list was kept of people who ASKED to have "special consideration" for their kids' admission.

Which is done ALL the time for all types of schools. I had to "appeal" the decision to deny my daughter into a local magnet school. I appealed, it was denied. I appealed again - the guy said, you're not going to let this drop, are you? I said, no. I'll be here every day and move it up the food chain. He shrugged and said, "okay".

And I'm not a politican, a CEO, or a banker. Just a mom. . . every parent has the right to appeal a decision.

no one believes your schtick.

Just sayin'.

That should strike terror in the hearts of everyone on DU. If this were Bush doing this there would be hours of outrage.

it takes a while to realize something's still not right.