THE PLAYERS - ALL TOUTING THEIR OWN AGENDA - FOR PROFIT!

[Diane Kepus]

MICHAEL BENNETT - THE SENATOR

In the federal modification of the No Child Left Behind last year, and the significant changes in regard to education policy, this Colorado Democrat was at the center of it. Bennet, who was Denver's superintendent of schools before being appointed to fill a vacant Senate seat in 2009, beat the odds in November 2010 and won a full term. He's tight with the President and has credibility with moderates in both parties. For these reasons, he'll be a powerful force when the debate on teacher effectiveness and school accountability heats up in Congress.

 

STEVEN BRILL - THE WRITER

Insiders credit Brill's devastating 2009 New Yorker article about New York City's so-called rubber rooms with the district's decision to stop making teachers accused of misconduct sit in empty rooms, twiddling their thumbs for eight hours a day, during the months and often years it takes for their cases to work their way through a byzantine system of hearings. Now the veteran investigative journalist is working on a book about how education reformers have moved from the margins to the mainstream over the past two decades. Brill's new book "Class Warfare: Inside the Fight to Fix America's Schools" is meant to change the way Americans think about school reform and to showcase other rubber-room-esque practices that make no sense, waste a lot of money and he also tackles his zealous case against America's teacher's union.

JEB BUSH - THE ADVISOR (He Thinks)

Since Jeb Bush left the Florida governor's office in 2007, his impact on education has been rippling through the Sunshine State and across the country. He is thought to have compiled an impressive education record in Tallahassee, supporting more school choice (via vouchers, charter schools and online schools) as well as more accountability for schools — and managed to get re-elected anyway.  That helps explain why Republican officeholders want to be affiliated with his brand of reform (many Democrats do too, just in less visible ways), and Bush is happy to oblige. At a recent meeting in Washington, Bush was the main attraction for hundreds of education reformers from across the U.S., and his Foundation for Excellence in Education will continue to advise governors and policymakers on how to push through Florida-style education reform.  His style of reform and the on going love affair between himself and the legislators needs to be watched. He is using his previous position as Governor to implement legislation pertaining to Charter schools, recruiting legislators to lobby for him and the Foundation. There is a good deal of cronyism going on with legislators and/or their families having financial interest in FL. Charter Schools and passing legislation favoring those schools. There is a great deal of influence being placed here. I would like to remind readers, the lack of oversight in the case of Charter Schools and the scandals surrounding the schools is growing at an enormous rate because of tht lack of oversight and shallow legislation pertaining to Charter Schools.   WE SHOULD NOT FORGET - it was his brother to first implemented NCLB, he endorsed it as governor and now wants to say it is a failure in favor of "for-profit" "public-private partnerships" called CHARTER schools. 

DAVID COLEMAN - THE ARCHITECT

David Coleman: The Architect - Coleman may not be the most well-known education player in his family — his mom is president of Bennington College in Vermont — but his quiet work behind the scenes on the proposed Common Core Standards make him among the most influential figures in American education today. A classicist and Rhodes Scholar who now runs his own consulting firm (after founding and selling a successful education data and assessment company), Coleman wants students to learn to think by analyzing what they're reading. Sounds obvious, but it's a radical departure from today's prevailing practices in classrooms. Forty states have agreed to adopt the standards, but key details, including who will govern the Common Core and what tests will be used, still need to be worked out. The whole basis of the CCS is not only radical but set up to further "dumb down" our children. He also is NOT an educator, never has been but does admit to attending PSA43 at one time.
BILL GATES PAID HIM TO WRITE THE CCS-YOU MUST ASK THE QUESTION WHY HE WOULD PAY A NON-EDUCATOR TO  DO SO AND IS HIS NEW JOB AT THE COLLEGE BOARD PART OF HIS PAYMENT SINCE HE IS NOT AN EDUCATOR!

JOHN DEASEY - THE SUPER

As the head of one of the largest school districts in the country, he has his work cut out for him.  He is an experienced education leader and creative reformer who is trying to make a dent in the massive, balkanized LosAngeles school system. His experience includes running other urban school systems as well as time in the foundation world —  all this is expected to help him bring the troubled LosAngeles school system under control. Though smaller than New York City, L.A. is arguably more complicated. The challenges? Tortuous politics across the sprawling system, one of the most hidebound teachers' unions in the country, and a state that is completely broke. He also believes that one size fits all when it comes to testing and fully supports Charter schools - for a profit!

JONAH EDELMAN - THE ACTIVIST

Social activism runs in Edelman's family; his mother Marian Wright founded the Children's Defense Fund, and his father Peter launched his career as a key aide to Robert Kennedy. Edelman's organization, Stand for Children, was founded in 1996 but has emerged as a potent and fast-growing force on education reform in the past few years. Recently, the group pushed through tax increases to improve school funding in Oregon as well as changes in the ways that teachers are evaluated and granted tenure in Colorado. With chapters in seven states and more on the way, not to mention a formidable political fundraising prowess, Stand for Children is delivering results and changing how politicians think about grass-roots education reform. What is lacking here as in other programs is oversight in many, many areas. Legislation in regard to Charter and Virtual Schools and the whole Voucher program is very weak. Stand for Children was formed as a means to funnel money in one group and out another so that the money tracks could not be followed when funding Charter and Virtual schools.

KRISTIN RICHMOND & KRISTEN TOBEY - THE FOOD POLICE

Founders of "The Foodies" They're not the first people to try to improve the quality of school lunches, but the Kristin/Kirsten duo is the first to successfully couple good intentions with a serious and sustainable business model. And 2012 looks to be a banner year for their company, Revolution Foods, which provides healthy (the kids say "NOT") school lunches to low-income students in cities on both coasts. Even in this economy, a company that sits at the intersection of three hot issues — education reform, child nutrition and sustainable and local agriculture — is a good bet. Revolution Foods was also a big winner in the child-nutrition legislation that Congress has passed, which, starting next year, will expand the federal school-lunch program and promote healthy food in schools. Another sign of the company's growing cachet? President Obama has appointed Richmond to his White House Council on Community Solutions, which is tasked with mobilizing local resources to solve social problems. I see Richmond's appointment as a conflict of interest, but that is nothing new.  Why is their focus on low-income school lunches?  TITLE I FUNDS!

DID YOU EVER NOTICE HOW ALL THESE NEW IDEAS - CHARTER SCHOOL, VIRTUAL SCHOOLS - FOOD PROGRAMS - WHATEVER - HEAD TO THE "LOW-INCOME" AREAS? THAT IS DONE FOR 2 REASONS - (1) GOVERNMENT FUNDS FOR THEIR EXPERIMENT AND (2) WHEN I FAILS, "WELL WHAT DID YOU EXPECT, WE WERE IN A LOW-INCOME AREA AFTER ALL."

WENDY KOPP - TEACHER TRAINER

Founder of Teach for America, the once maverick LEFTEST education program that quickly trains young college  to be teachers, and then turns them loose with their indoctrination of global sustainability into the "low-income" schools to  turn her leacherous ways on our children - and gets paid by the government for doing it. LOW INCOME YOU KNOW!  TFA actually places more teachers in U.S. schools but that is because they are paid the lowest wages but they do not stay because of that. Turnover is tremendous!   Works very closely with Jeb Bush, Michelle Rhee, Jonathan Hagel - Pres. Charter Schools USA.

DIANE RAVITCH - THE CONVERT

W hen she was an official in George H.W. Bush's Administration, the education establishment couldn't stand Ravitch, who championed tough accountability measures, national standards and testing, and school vouchers among other controversial reforms. Now that she has changed her tune and repudiated most of today's school-reform agenda, her former critics treat her like a conquering hero. Her appetite for publicity, coupled with her articulate and tireless critiques of just about every aspect of today's reform agenda, means that Ravitch will enjoy a prominent platform again in 2013 as the go-to critic. Aside from improving curriculum, she does not have a reform agenda or alternatives of her own, but so far, her audience is not demanding them. Unfortunately Ms. Ravitch is one of those individuals who goes as the wind blows!

MICHELLE RHEE - THE RADICAL

Love her or hate her, Rhee commands attention.  Rhee, who was the Chancellor of the Washington, D.C. education system stepped down in October 2010 after a tumultuous three-year tenure that contributed to the political problems that cost her boss, Mayor Adrian Fenty, re-election last fall. Rhee raises the tension level in schools by un-apologetically asking uncomfortable questions about today's educational arrangements  which she argues are designed to protect the jobs of teachers and administrators rather than improve student learning. The media relishes her bombastic style, and her new organization, Students First, will rolled out in 2011 promising an even more visible role for her in the national education debate. Rhee's vow: to raise $1 billion to be used to support reformers and political candidates, be they local, state or national, who promise to change the status quo in education.  Though claiming to be a Righty, her staff at Student's First are all very far left individuals. Her relationship with Jeb Bush and Bill Gates Foundations leaves one to wonder what is really happening with all this big money into education. She shows no leaning to the Right and both her current husband (Gov. of TN) and her previous hubby (big time lefty's). Sad but now that she has left D.C. many are questioning the test scores she supplied as fraudulent.

I SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST!

BILL GATES - THE MONEY MAN

Bill Gates has almost single handedly done more damage to the Education system of American than George Soros has to America in general. Gates has poured billions into every leftest, socialist, educational idea out there today and if it wasn't alreasy in the works, he made it up as in the COMMON CORE STANDARDS.  He paid the writers to write that - he paid off ALEC when they were presenting legislation to stop RTTT - he has paid Jeb Bush supporting school superintendents billions to try and pump up their numbers and then when it is time for the results to come out - nothing. He openly supports with his wallet the vaacinating of our children with these live viruses m- he is a eugenist! Although I have never heard anyone call him a Communist - he actions state he is. A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE THINKING THEIR MONEY GIVES THEM THE RIGHT TO RULE OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES - THAT WE CAN BE BOUGHT - AND SOME CAN - OBVIOUSLY!