StickWithANose

Is it surprising that on the same day that the Obama administration announces the guidelines for its $4.5 billion gift to the for-profit education sector that the Gates, Dell, and Walton foundations made a $9.4 million donation to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers? Schools Matter:

NACSA overseas about half of the nation’s charter schools, but also act as one of the de facto PRs/lobbying/training arm of the corporate charter school movement: giving advice to states and education departments on charter oversight, regulations, and authorizations all while taking money from the for-profit education sector and a right-wing, union-bashing foundation looking to push more competition in public education…

Just like the Wall Street banking giants and their army of well-funded lobbyists, the major bankrollers of the corporate charter school movement and their for-profit leeches know that it always helps to buy off the governing bodies when implementing reforms.

Reading over the resume of the chairman of the NACSA, Greg Richmond, is like reading about Sherman’s march to the sea. This fella has left a path of destruction behind him from Illinois to Florida to New York, but he’s beside the point. With all the other troubles plaguing the country, I realize that subjects like education policy aren’t sexy and don’t garner a lot of attention, but what we are witnessing here is a relatively small group of wealthy individuals driving government policy for their own benefit. There is only one way this can end.

To put it more succinctly in my native vernacular: The hogs are linin’ up to feed at the trough.