Bloomberg’s 12-Step Method to Close Down Public Schools

[teacher gal]

From The Indypendent:

There is a method to his madness. Bloomberg and his Chancellor Joel Klein have initiated shut down or initiated the closing of more than 100 public schools, many of which have deep roots in their communities. No two situations are exactly alike. Nonetheless, here is a handy template to go by if you are a mayor who is eager to break up large public schools and hand over their buildings to privately run charter school operations, but don’t want to leave your fingerprints at the scene of the crime.

I'm not sure of the copyright rules for The Indypendent so please go this URL to read the 12-step method: http://www.indypendent.org/2010/01/29/bloombergs-12-step-method/

[teacher gal]

1. A rec!!

Thank you!

As Monty Neill of FairTest has said, "Having these steps spelled out concisely could help
activists, parents, teachers, students, communities counter the schemes."

Please know that those of us resisting the reforms being imposed on our schools by the corporate/politicos do not deny that our schools need reform. But it is no accident that the reforms being imposed serve to undermine rather than strengthen and improve public education.

Imagine what public schools (which rightfully belong to the people) COULD be.

[teacher gal]

2. I sure hope

people will support this thread and inform themselves of what is happening.

[teacher gal]

4. Tooting my own horn

again. Bumping my own thread. I know, shameless.

[abelenkpe]

3. k & r

[teacher gal]

5. Thank you for the recs people. n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. k & r

[teacher gal]

7. I get a few recs and I get downright greedy! n/t

[teacher gal]

8. another kick before i leave for a bit

Thank you again for supporting this thread.

[teacher gal]

9. I'm back

slightly embarrassed but persistent.

[Yurovsky]

10. Wow, that's disturbing...

so I guess unless you're filthy rich you won't be able to get an education in NYC before long...

[teacher gal]

11. I fear that if our country continues on this

privatization trajectory for 10-15 years, we will have almost total apartheid schooling, with only scraps left for the underclasses.

[Artie Bucco]

12. New York City

Purging out minorities to turn the city into a playground of yuppies and hipsters.

[teacher gal]

13. One of the things that is hardest to take

for me personally is that even progressive, mainstream journalists whom I have deep respect for on most issues (like Bob Herbert and Jonathan Alter) are swallowing the "failing public schools", "failing teachers" national narrative uncritically. Roger Ebert hoped on board the teacher-bashing bandwagon a few days ago as well. Celebrities are recruited to advance the "cause".

Either public education is totally ignored (as by Keith Obermann and Rachel Maddow) or it is replete with omissions, disinformration and distortion.

[Vidar]

14. K&R.

[teacher gal]

15. Gee.....

17 recs for this thread. That's a lot for me, ha! Watch out, I may get over confident.

[teacher gal]

16. What does it take to get some flames?

he he