[lbo-talk] Recipe for "privatizing" schools

[shrill.polemic]

On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 8:59 AM, Wojtek S <wsoko52 at gmail.com> wrote:
> For that reason, I am really "on the fence" on this issue.  On the one hand,
> I think that the  one-size-fits-all philosophy behind public education
> sucks, and charter schools do offer an antidote to it.  Otoh, I do support
> teachers and thier unions, and I think charter schools would be very
> detrimental to both.
>
> Wojtek
>

In Chicago, charter schools represent another successful effort by the
Daley administration to privatize public resources and bust a strong
union.

On an optimistic note, 3 Chicago charter schools were recently
organized although not by the Chicago Teachers Union -

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/district-299/2009/10/catastrophe-or-opportunity-chicagos-first-unionized-charter-school-contract.html

The claims that charter schools offer a better education is
questionable to say the least.  In Illinois, the easiest way to boost
test scores at a charter school is to simply kick out the kids that
aren't testing well.

shrill