Welcome Educators of the World

While this page focuses primarily on California secondary education, and from there, particularly on foriegn language and music education, education and its effects upon culture, community, and life in general are highlighted, and will be expressed and discussed here.

Can of Worms

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF CHARTER SCHOOLS? In my district in Oakland, California, the mayor, his honorable Jerry Brown is all for the idea. But the CTA, the Oakland Education Association (our local union) and the NEA, all have qualms about the issue. The media and public all seem to join into the cry that the above listed unions are against the idea because the proposed charter schools in this district will hire non-union teachers. It's another painting of teachers as money hungry scoundrels who have nothing but our own pocketbooks in mind. Which I guess is understandable since we already make sooo much money.
But I will reproduce here the handout that the above listed unions handed put to us, it's teachers on February 22. While it doesn't address the community based charter schools which perhaps are a step into an important direction, it does talk about the . . .

For Profit Charter Schools

FACT VERSUS FICTION!
FACT

-The Edison Project (a company that is currently proposing two charter schools in Oakland) is run by millionaire Chris Whittle, mastermind of the Channel One network who convinced school districts across the country to bring televised "current-events coverage" and commercials into the classroom.

-Gap Inc. founder Don Fisher has put up at least $2.6 million into the Edison Project. Fisher's family stands to benefit financially . . . . How? . . . His son John owns 4% of the Edison company.

-On April 22, 1998, the self-appontied saviors of American education gathered for dinner at the Fairmont Hotel. The event, titled, "Celebrating Private Initiatives In Education", was the sixth annual "privatization dinner" sponsored by San Francisco's own Pacific Research Institute (PRI), an ultraconservative think tank.

-The host committee for the dinner included anti-affirmative action zealotWard Connerly, ron "English Only" Unz, and San Francisco Chronicle society-page regulars Al and Dede Wilsey. The evening's entertainment was provided by pundit and former Jesse Helms speechwriter George Will.

-PRI is in at the forefront of a growing nationwide movement aimed at turning public schools into Charter Schools run by profit corporations.

FICTION

-The Edison Project has significantly improved test scores.
-The Edison "schools" are not for profit.
-The Edison Project targets minority urban school districts out or its desire to build a better society.
-The Edison Project will refund all the money it receives from the District if it does not improve test scores by a "Mearsurable Standard".

So then, what do you think? E-mail me, or please post your opinion in the guestbook.