Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Pro-charter school organization attempts public school takeovers in Los Angeles

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Friday, February 15, 2013

Pro-charter school organization attempts public school takeovers in Los Angeles

Click here to access article by Dan Conway and Itza Cantu from World Socialist Web Site.

The authors report on the latest aggressive attacks on public education with the collusion of government with private interests and what it potentially means for public control.

Many private charter organizations enjoy intimate ties with the state of California. For example, Ben Austin, the head of both Parent Revolution and Green Dot schools—one of the largest charter operators in the state—was until recently the state’s Secretary of Education. Prior to holding this position, Austin was coordinator for the Democratic National Convention and deputy mayor of Los Angeles.

The current mayor of Los Angeles, Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa, operates his own organization of charter schools.