Michelle Rhee's group headed to Burbank to buy off the school board race there.

[madfloridian]

That's amazing how that group is zeroing in on California schools this year. They just finished giving the Los Angeles school district $250,000.

Michelle Rhee group $250,000, Bloomberg one million to local school board race in L.A.

A group led by former District of Columbia schools chancellor Michelle Rhee donated $250,000 Wednesday to contests for seats on the Los Angeles Board of Education, adding further political fuel to a battle over the direction of reform efforts in the nation's second-largest school system.

Rhee's donation follows a $1-million contribution to the same candidates made by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg last week.The independent campaign, with resources of more than $3 million for the March 5 election, is being managed by the Coalition for School Reform, which is closely allied with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Rhee's donation matches that of philanthropist Eli Broad and media executive A. Jerrold Perenchio. Another large recent contribution, $100,000, has come from philanthropist Casey Wasserman, who has funded positions on Supt. John Deasy's executive staff.

So now they are on their way to Burbank. The two candidate recipients of the donations by Students First appear to be confused by it all.

http://articles.burbankleader.com/2013-02-22/news/tn-blr-0223-super-pac-puts-down-money-in-burbank-school-board-race_1_burbank-school-board-studentsfirst-charlene-tabet/2">Super PAC puts down money in Burbank school board race

StudentsFirst — led by former District of Columbia schools chancellor Michelle Rhee — spent $6,675 each on campaign mailers and other promotional materials for Burbank school board candidates David Dobson and Charlene Tabet, according to reports filed with the city clerk. The expenditures were made through the group's super PAC, Parents and Teachers for Putting StudentsFirst.

...StudentsFirst spokeswoman Jessica Hsiang Ng said in an email that the group seeks to enact “student-focused reforms” and “reform-minded individuals,” and that Dobson and Tabet “will be important partners in our ongoing push to ensure that every student attains a great school and is taught by a great teacher.”

...That a well-known super PAC would get involved in Burbank, where public schools perform above state benchmarks, perplexed even Tabet and Dobson, who said they were unaware the support was coming.

...Dobson had also recently answered a questionnaire for StudentsFirst, but was unaware of the super PAC's support until he received the mailer at his home.

I guess they will know what's going on when the group pressures them to support their favorite....parent trigger laws. And merit pay.

Oh, I am sure before it's over they will figure it out.

Crossposted at DU3

[Enthusiast]

1. It's a black operation

long planned to undermine conventional education and organized labor. Clever name, "Students First". They always use a misleading name, like Freedom Works and the Heritage Foundation. They have a lot of money to throw around.

[formercia]

2. They're good with coming up with warm and fuzzy names

That's one thing that gives them away.

Conditioning the proles.