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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The always insightful and very valuable dialog between
Diane Ravitch and Deb Meier continues. Their latest exchange was prompted by a
New York Times article on how very wealthy hedge fund types are pouring money
into charter schools. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>You can read their exchange here <A
href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/">http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/</A>
- Diane's is the most recent, so hers is at the top; Deb initiated this
point, so is below, but below that is an exchange on Race to the
Top.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Just a couple extracts:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>from Diane:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Today, with the proliferation of charter schools, we may be seeing a
resurgence of the historic pattern as public schools are privatized and taken
over by very rich men (and women) who see themselves as saviors of the children
of the poor. Naturally, you find this a repellent portrait because it undermines
the democratic foundations of public education. It means that our society will
increasingly rely on the good will of wealthy patrons to educate children of
color. It means that education is seen as a private charity rather than as a
public responsibility. Let's hope that the new owners who have taken over these
schools are able to sustain their interest. After all, having 500 children in
your care is not the same as having a stable of polo ponies or a vineyard in
Napa Valley. If the children don't produce results that make the sponsors proud,
they may pick a different hobby.<BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>and from Deb:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>The oddest thing, as you note, Diane, is that New York City's mayor himself
takes credit for the charters, but not blame for the public schools he directly
controls. He's a fanatic for test scores, but the NAEP scores (the only
psychometrically reliable tests NYC students take—in 4th and 8th grades) show no
improvement since 2003 in math or reading. [snip]</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>While K-12 education was made universal because it seemed important that
every single potential citizen be well-educated if democracy was to flourish, we
have substituted the idea of democracy with the idea of the "marketplace." The
less regulated, the better—ditto for charters. "Good" charter states are those
considered by their allies to be those that are least regulated. Does it sound
familiar? (Actually, there is relatively little interest in charters outside of
urban poor neighborhoods—by voters or hedge-funders.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Monty</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Monty Neill, Ed.D.<BR>Interim Executive
Director<BR>FairTest<BR>15 Court Sq., Ste. 820<BR>Boston, MA
02108<BR>857-350-8207 x 101<BR>fax 857-350-8209<BR><A
href="mailto:monty@fairtest.org">monty@fairtest.org</A><BR><A
href="http://www.fairtest.org">www.fairtest.org</A><BR>Donate: <A
href="https://secure.entango.com/donate/MnrXjT8MQqk">https://secure.entango.com/donate/MnrXjT8MQqk</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>