Posts tagged ‘privatization’

K12 Inc., A Wall-Street Traded Charter Corporation Out To Strip Illinois Taxpayers of Money

by , posted on Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 at 9:03 pm

K12 Incorporated, a for-profit charter business has a track record of poor academic performance, misleading investors, and deliberately telling teachers to “delete bad grades.” Now, as many Illinois school districts are struggling with shrinking budgets, K12 Inc wants to milk our schools of $8,000 – $11,000 per pupil with a new, “virtual charter school.” In my first piece on this subject, I listed the public hearings for all 18 schools that K12 Virtual Learning Solutions is targeting in the Chicago Suburbs.

K12 Inc. has a Record of Poor Academic Performance and Deletes Grades to Boost Scores.

When I learned that K12 Inc was trying to get their hand in the pocket books of Aurora taxpayers, I started researching the company. One story by investigative reporter, Phil Williams, with Tennessee Channel 5 News exposes an e-mail from the Tennessee Virtual Academy’s vice principal to middle school teachers titled, “important.” The e-mail reads:

“After … looking at so many failing grades, we need to make some changes before the holidays,” the email begins.

Among the changes: Each teacher “needs to take out the October and September progress [reports]; delete it so that all that is showing is November progress.”

“Does it talk about we need to make changes in curriculum? Does it talk about we need to make changes in our teaching strategy? No,” Rep. Johnson observed. “Those changes we need to make are deleting grades from the computer system.”

(more…)

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Big London Protests Against Austerity

by , posted on Wednesday, October 24th, 2012 at 3:39 pm

from The Real News Network

Protest brings tens of thousands into the streets, but are such mobilizations enough to stop the cuts?

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Greek Society Unravels Under Austerity Measures

by , posted on Wednesday, October 24th, 2012 at 3:22 pm

from The Real News Network

Costas Lapavitsas: Merkel’s visit to Greece shows Eurozone leadership don’t want to push Greece out, but situation is explosive as people are furious at austerity measures

Most Greeks Look to Left for Solutions, but Far Right Gaining Strength

Costas Lapavitsas Pt.2: Left party Syriza leads polls but conditions for fascism also developing as crisis deepens

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Chicago Teachers Union Votes to End Historic Strike

by , posted on Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 at 7:37 am

from The Real News Network

Chicago teachers say fight to defend public education ongoing.

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CTU: The TRUTH in Black & White

by , posted on Saturday, September 15th, 2012 at 11:02 am

from the Chicago Teachers Union

Chicago Public Schools teachers and parents, current students and recent graduates, and CTU organizers talk about education in Chicago.

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Chicago Teachers Strike Enters Fourth Day

by , posted on Thursday, September 13th, 2012 at 9:06 am

from The Real News Network

Labor unions back striking teachers, while Democrats remain silent.

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Chicago Teacher”s Strike – Education is now get-rich-quick scheme for corporate CEOs!

by , posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2012 at 10:10 am

from The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann (RT)

Gloria Steinem joins Thom Hartmann. The nation’s third largest school district is without teachers today. After contract negotiations fell through over the weekend, the Chicago Teachers Union declared a strike and walked off the job this morning. This is the first time Chicago teachers have gone on strike in 25 years. Altogether 29,000 teachers and school workers are joining in on the strike to demand better pay, working conditions, and stop the march toward privatization of the city’s schools. At the heart of the strike are several issues: One is a four-percent pay increase teachers were promised last year — but was cancelled by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Instead, the mayor is asking teachers to work a longer school day. Also, teachers are asking for a state limit on classroom sizes — a law that’s in place in 32 other states, but not in Illinois. Plus, teachers are trying to reverse the Mayor’s plans to slash public education funding and use that money to create 250 non-union, for-profit charter schools. Chicago has now become ground-zero in the battle over how we as a nation will educate our children. Will we embrace the public school system that Thomas Jefferson and Horace Mann worked so hard to create — and support teachers who perform one of the most important jobs in our society? Or, will we hand off educating our kids to the money-changers and corporate CEOs who see education as a get-rich-quick scheme? Keep an eye on the Windy City.

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Tens of Thousands Rally to Support Striking Chicago Teachers

by , posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2012 at 9:36 am

from The Real News Network

Historic Chicago teachers strike enters second day

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Thousands Rally in Chicago Teacher’s Strike Against Corporate-Backed Education Reform

by , posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2012 at 9:30 am

from Democracy Now!

School is out in Chicago for a second day as public school teachers continue their first strike in 25 years. Almost 30,000 teachers and their support staff have walked out over reforms sought by the city’s powerful Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, who is President Obama’s former chief of staff. On Monday, tens of thousands teachers, parents and students marched in the streets of President Obama’s adopted hometown. We go to Chicago to speak with Democracy Now! correspondent Jaisal Noor.

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UNO Charter School Profiteer Juan Rangel Wants to Bust Chicago Teachers Union

by , posted on Tuesday, September 4th, 2012 at 2:00 pm

from the Chicago Teachers Union

Why does Rangel want to starve neighborhood schools to feed his UNO charters?

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