There’s both a “direct” influence from the billionaires themselves and an equally, and more insidious and “indirect” effect that has grown using the language of “reform” that’s too often found in the board, and administrative meeting rooms of public schools.
This language and “attitude” too often blocks or “silences” honest “critique” with respect to the vision, mission and goals of public schools and their relationship to the larger society.
The direct financial assistance of mega foundations to influence state charter school associations for example, such as here in CA, has effectively silenced even the most ardent supporters of minority rights and public schools when it comes to examining the role of using tax dollars for privatized educational schemes.
The question that comes to mind is do civil rights advocates believe that they have been bamboozled? I recently asked a Broad collaborator if she was interested in taking the blue pill or the red pill. A summary of our Facebook conversation follows. She asked to by anonymous because she related:
For many years, I have actually not talked publicly about my work in education because I want to write about it instead. I want to contextualize my experience and share it when I’m ready. I’m not quite ready right now.
After promising her that I would post her comments anonymously and not put her on blast, she agreed that I could publish her comments so that folks could see her reasons for collaborating with Broad and corroborating the “reformers” narrative. Without further ado:
- FaceBook Friend: Clearly, there is vast disagreement in our community about this. I have worked closely with the Eli Broad Foundation and Bill Gates Foundation and led efforts for educational justice in low-income communities of color in Los Angeles to make sure that our kids have a fighting chance. As a Latina who survived public schools in LA, I know first hand how the policies and the key stakeholders have put their interests before the interests of our children and our families. We can’t be blinded by this type of rhetoric and assume that the systems that allow our kids to fail for GENERATIONS, the same systems that blame our kids and their parents- are going to be the same systems that are going to fight for educational equity and reform. Those systems need to be challenged and held accountable. When people who have the means do it, it becomes a corporate take-over. If I had the money they do, I would do the same damn thing. We must hold all of these systems accountable. And I know that there are 18 high schools in Los Angeles, funded by these funders, that I helped open that are proving that children of color, who live in poverty, are NOT the problem with public schools. This rhetoric has to be checked… and is checked by hundreds of children who I have seen graduate prepared for college, from East LA, Watts, South Central and other Black and Brown communities because Eli Broad and BIll Gates shared our vision of educational justice for all. And the parents spoke… they have enrolled in the better public school choice. And I would do the same damn thing, again and again.
Julian Vasquez Heilig Speaking of status quo in school reform… Check out:
- Facebook Friend: I know Broad. For me its not theoretical, its practical. And I have seen his investments in our communities- I HAVE HELPED SHAPE THOSE investments. I don’t care what others define his as.. neoliberal, liberal, republican, democrat, post… whatever. Are kids in Watts learning and being prepared for college? Is there a college-prep curriculum policy in LAUSD now- even though UTLA opposed providing college access to all students? Yes Is there an elevated Discussion about school reform in LA because of the resources they have invested? Yes. Its practical for me. Its not theoretical. Public School Choice is incredibly important for poor people. Middle Class and Upper class families have choice: its called Private schools.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHEoAII9304
- Facebook Friend: Okay. lol
- Facebook Friend: I don’t see this as a corporate takeover. Its stakeholders who are not bought and paid for by traditional educational stakeholders- influencing change, increasing accountability and transparency, using their money to support parent choice for poor and middle income families, and its about creating competition.
- Facebook Friend: Hundreds of students who I have worked with and are now in college would very easily articulate what the schools have meant in practical terms for their lives. The educational establishment disregards these investments and relegates them as “corporate” This rhetoric has gone unchecked by our community for far too long.
You can’t talk about solving the [education] problem of [students of color] without talking about billions of dollars. You can’t talk about ending the slums without first saying profit must be taken out of slums. You’re really tampering and getting on dangerous ground because you are messing with folk then. You are messing with captains of industry…. Now this means that we are treading in difficult water, because it really means that we are saying that something is wrong… There must be a better distribution of wealth [for schools]
For those of you that remember this scene from The Matrix… my message today to the “reformers”:
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Twitter: @ProfessorJVH
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Are you noticing a Laurence Fishburne theme here?
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