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JUST SAY NO TO BILLIONAIRES "REIMAGINING" PUBLIC EDUCATION
Why Bill Gates Is Not The Man To Reimagine New York Education
Having boatloads of money does not mean you have the training or experience to determine public education policy. Billionaires should not have more input into public education than educators, parents and taxpayers.
Peter Greene (Curmudgucation) reminds us that Bill Gates is not a friend to public education.
From Peter Greene in Forbes
It literally took less than an hour for the pushback to start. Governor Andrew Cuomo dismissively questioned why school buildings even exist these days, and announced that he was enlisting Bill Gates to help reimagine education in the Empire State. From a dozen different corners, the objections came.
One day later, Cuomo’s Facebook page attempted to soften the announcement. “Teachers are heroes & nothing could ever replace in-person learning,” the post began, before assuring readers that the reimagining would be done “in full partnership with educators and administrators.” That does not appear to have calmed anybody’s fears.
So what’s the concern?
NY: Cuomo Adds Another Billionaire To His Team to “Reimagine” Education Post-Pandemic
From Diane Ravitch
Reporter Rebecca C. Lewis of “City and State” just tweeted this report:
Cuomo has announced the third billionaire to lead state efforts amid the coronavirus crisis: former Google CEO Eric Schmidt will be focused on new technology utilization. He joins Michael Bloomberg, who’s doing contact tracing, and Bill Gates, who’s doing educationNeither Bill Gates nor Eric Schmidt is an educator. They made their fortune selling software. Selling stuff to schools does not make you an education expert.
INDY PARENTS CHOOSE STABILITY
Fall enrollment slows at Indianapolis charter and choice schools amid coronavirus
Or maybe during this time when we crave stability and normalcy, it’s beginning to dawn on families that the consistency, stability, and dependability of a neighborhood public school is a good thing.
From Chalkbeat*
Throughout Indianapolis, where the school system allows parents to choose where their children attend, enrollment for the next academic year is in upheaval as families and schools grapple with the urgent crises caused by the coronavirus.
There were nearly 15% fewer applications for spots through the city’s enrollment portal, Enroll Indy, compared to last year. Parents’ interest in Indianapolis Public Schools pre-kindergarten dipped significantly, with the number of applications falling by over 35%. In total, there were about 8,000 applications to enroll in new schools for the fall through Enroll Indy, which includes most city charter schools and Indianapolis Public Schools choice schools.
At a time when some families are struggling to pay rent or buy food due to the economic fallout from the virus, and officials are still uncertain whether schools will be able to operate normally in the fall, plans for next year are on the back burner. As a result, families eager for stability may avoid transferring even if they are dissatisfied. That means schools that were already struggling to survive could be further weakened by low enrollment.
PA STATE REP CLAIMS TO KNOW MORE THAN MED EXPERTS
Mike Turzai is Willing to Sacrifice Pennsylvania’s Students and Families to the Economy
From Gadfly on the Wall Blog
On Facebook, after a long list of activities that [Turzai] said kids enjoy doing like sports and lab experiments, he said this:
All of those can be done safely, and [kids] are not at risk unless they have an underlying medical issue. The fact of the matter is kids can develop herd immunity, and if you [Rivera] have not yet developed a plan where we can safely educate kids in schools, then you are going to have to rethink education forward…So there you have it, folks.
Turzai wants Pennsylvania to reopen schools on time whether scientists and health experts think it’s safe or not because – Turzai knows best.
Pennsylvania’s village idiot thinks he knows best about schools.
And as usual he’s as wrong as you can get.
TENN STATE SUPREMES SAY "NO" TO VOUCHERS
BREAKING NEWS: Tennessee Judge Declares Voucher Law Unconstitutional
For updated information on this important court decision, see Tennessee: Details About the Ruling Against Vouchers
From Diane Ravitch
@EdLawCenter: Breaking: Judge declares Tennessee voucher law unconstitutional, enjoins State from implementing program @pfpsorg @splcenter
THE ONLY CERTAINTY IS UNCERTAINTY
Returning to school buildings in the fall will be complicated. In some places, it’s far from clear it will happen.
From Chalkbeat*
When school buildings started to close due to the coronavirus, many teachers and parents thought the disruption would last a few weeks. As the school closures extended, many have clung to the idea that if they made it to fall, life would return to normal.
That’s not looking so certain right now.
Teachers unions are warning that sending educators into crowded buildings without widespread testing for coronavirus will amount to an unacceptable risk. Officials in big city districts are finding that some ideas for keeping students further apart, like running extra bus routes and reducing class sizes, could be expensive at a time when budgets are tight. And worries about a second wave of infections have some wondering what once felt far-fetched: Should students just keep staying home?
*Note: Financial sponsors of Chalkbeat include pro-privatization foundations and individuals such as EdChoice, Gates Family Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and others.
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