Subscribe to Breaking NewsRuby-Sachs: Arne Duncan, Gay Schools and Privatization
Arne Duncan has, in some ways, done more for the LGBT community than most in Chicago. I have previously stated my support for the LGBT school in Chicago which Duncan backed and pushed to establish. But I’m not sure I’m happy about the Duncan pick.
Arne Duncan was on the news this morning arguing for a decrease in bureaucracy in the education department and I understand that everyone one loves to hate bureaucracy.
But we have to ask ourselves what this decrease in government staff really means. Duncan has apparently been involved in a massive privatization of Chicago’s Public School system. Charter schools are publicly funded but run by private contractors. That means that, not only are taxpayers paying for building costs, teachers’ salaries and student supplies, they are also paying for a contractor to make a profit from providing education services.
As well, those making the education decisions for these students of “private” public schools are accountable to their own finances as well as the well-being of children.
No one can argue for the efficiency of government, but after the disaster that has become the privatization of the military, perhaps we should think long and hard about keeping certain essential public services in the hands of elected officials accountable to that public.
Anytime we, as citizens, are expected to pay taxes to pay for services so that more taxes can be paid to also provide a profit for a private company, we should all go “Hunh?”
Once again, just like revenue for private industry, if tax money was actually spent lawfully and didn’t go to line the pockets of those administrating the funds, then everything would be fine.
The problem is not how much people are paying, nor how much revenue there is or is generated.
The problem is those administering those funds are rich, greedy soul-less criminals which, if the people would DEMAND prosecution, restitution–not to the government, but to those that actually lost the money–and incarceration, would be run out of these offices.
BUT, as long as OTHER rich, greedy soul-less bastards run the agencies/institutions which are supposed to enforce laws already on the books WON’T, because there’s no personal profit in it–private and public sector both-
things are going to go just the way they’re going now.
Face it folks. As long as we continue to expect greedy rich people to police greedy rich people, the ONLY people getting screwed are the ones that provide the revenue for the raiding. Whether through taxation or premiums or payments.
It’s gonna be us.
Get used to it.
Because, when these rich greedy bastards are ever pinned down by anyone demanding answers, we’ve all heard the response…from the two highest offices in this country.
Cheney: So?
Bush: So what?
So…either we figure out a way to fix this oligarchal system of rich greedy bastards covering for and enabling other rich greedy bastards, or we’ll just keep going on the way we are now.
Anybody got any ideas?
Not to mention the negative effects that privatization would have on teacher’s wages and the labor movement. Why is the answer in America now so centered on outsourcing (privatization), rather than improving what we already have in place
I am a transsexual woman who actually prefers private schools to public schools.
I have had nothing but arrogance dealing with the Washington State bearucracy in every aspect of my life. My local community college is the same.
I do not get this from the private career colleges in my area.
The problem with public schools is that students have a right to an education even if they harasss LGBT students. The most a school can do is expelling a harrassing student. All this does is transfer that stufent to another school where they can harrass a new batch of LGBT students. I do not see this as solving any problems.
The same goes with staff including teachers. Since staff is unionized they have a right to a long drawn out hearing process with union paid for attorneys to represent them. They get to continue working through the course of this process.
They also have political clout to influence who the hearing officials are as well. This is the educational equivalent to the “Blue Wall of Silence”
In private schools,students and staff are there at will. harrassing students can be expelled without cause as can harrassing staff due to the “at will” nature of the employment contracts.
A business that is trying to make a profit will not tolerate the needless risk of losing money from a lawsuit that such students and staff would expose the company to.
The #1 organization that impacts public schools and private is the Teachers Union. I don’t recall voting for it and its not accountable to anyone saves its members.
There is absolutely no reason that vouchers should not be provided to parents. Parents should decide which schools that their children go to.
I can not believe that people would abuse their children and force them to go to a government school.
Well, this is what you get for electing another spineless centrist.