Thursday, April 19, 2012

The South rises again in charter schools

THEN, in Virginia
Two years before a federal court set a final desegregation deadline for fall 1959, local newspaper publisher J. Barrye Wall shared white county leaders’ strategy of resistance with Congressman Watkins Abbitt: “We are working [on] a scheme in which we will abandon public schools, sell the buildings to our corporation, reopen as privately operated schools with tuition grants from [Virginia] and P.E. county as the basic financial program,” he wrote. “Those wishing to go to integrated schools can take their tuition grants and operate their own schools. To hell with 'em.” 
from,
Why the Racist History of the Charter School Movement Is Never Discussed

Touted as the cure for what ails public education, charter schools have historical roots that are rarely discussed. by Christopher Bonastia

NOW, in New York
"Citizens of the World Charter Schools” has explicitly targeted a predominantly white and affluent public, in their effort to attract a majority white student body. By manipulating our demographic data to include Hasidic Jews (whose children do not attend public schools) and childless independent adults to create an inflated discrepancy between the total white population of 55% versus the 8% white students in our elementary schools, they attempt to justify their intended 55% white student body as a ‘mere reflection of the general population’.
from,
Calling All Williamsburg / Greenpoint Parents Andcommunity Members!!
Defend Our Public Schools From Profit-Driven Segregation


Monday, April 9, 2012

LAUSD Redistricting

It's one thing to reduce the number of LAUSD local districts from 8 to 4+1 (1 being the a-morphous virtual district reserved for charter schools).

It's another thing to carve up the board districts to shut out the one non-corporate voice on the board of education - Bennett Kayser.

See Wednesday's LA Times blog about the City Council's first look at the proposed redistricting:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/city-council-takes-first-look-at-proposed-school-board-districts.html

Maria Brenes, "local voter, homeowner and mother," strongly supports the new redistricting. But Brenes is married to Luis Sanchez - the mayor's pick or District 5, and chief of staff to board president Monica Garcia. Sanchez narrowly lost to Kayser in the last election.

Cheryl Ortega, of the Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council, writes, "This is payback for Keyser's winning the board set over Luis Sanchez last year. Sanchez was the mayor's guy and he lost. They have mutilated Dist. 5 (Keyser) by taking out Marshall, new Taylor Yards schools and others in Hollywood, Los Feliz and Atwater in the hopes of preventing Bennett from ever winning again.  I know it's short notice to get people to go somewhere on Monday or Wednesday, but it would help our own communities to stay whole."