Ever stacking the deck in favor of charter schools, the Florida
department of education appointed Adam Emerson, former director of parental choice for the
Fordham Institute, new director of charter schools.
Some might
be thinking what’s wrong with that; shouldn’t we have an expert on charter
schools running the program?
The
problem is the charter industry in Florida is seriously out of control. Putting
Emerson in charge is like putting a wolf in charge of the hen house and if you
want an example for how well that works out look at Indiana and Tony Bennett. These
guys are incapable of making decisions based on what’s best for children and
answer solely to the privatization agenda.
Shouldn’t
we have somebody who is at least neutral who is going to look at the landscape
and be introspective? My problem with
charter schools isn’t the concept and I readily admit there are several good
ones. The problem is 250 plus charter schools have failed in Florida, hundreds
of millions of dollars wasted, siphoned out of public schools that could have
put that money to good use and tens of thousands of children have had their
educations disrupted at best and shortchanged at worse. The problem is what’s
best for our kids is way down the list and what’s best for people’s bank
accounts isn’t.
John East
another shill for the charter industry wrote in Redefined Ed, Having worked
with Adam, I profess no objectivity here. I do know him as earnest
and measured, the husband of a public school teacher, a believer in the public
good and a sap for educational turnaround stories. He joins some
talented and conscientious people in the choice office, and we wish him well.
John East
by the way after accepting his 30 pieces of silver is the director of policy
and public affairs for Step Up For Students, and undoubtedly uses tax payer
money to lobby for more taxpayer money. His organization routinely sentences
kids to substandard education all in the name of choice.
Color me
skeptical when one wolf vouches for another.
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