I suspected that this might happen. But now it’s confirmed.
The gang of billionaires who have managed to amass their wealth through monopolistic, anti-union business practices intend to be in charge of DC public schools in an even more obtrusive manner.
They are threatening to withdraw the funds that they are promising to DCPS for the purpose of paying for the raises in the proposed agreement, IF Rhee leaves or is pushed out.
It’s not enough for them to fund charter schools and to flat-out refuse to fund ANY innovative proposal in any regular DC public school. They are not satisfied with promoting union-busters like Michelle Rhee. It’s not enough for them to narrow the focus of public schools to mere preparation for standardized tests. They don’t want to merely undermine local democratic control of the schools by having the Mayor run the schools.
No, that’s not enough. They want to dictate whom we can elect as Mayor.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at Bill Turque’s column today at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/27/AR2010042702791.html .
“Private foundations pledging $64.5 million for raises and bonuses in the District’s proposed contract with the Washington Teachers’ Union have attached a series of conditions to the grants, including the right to reconsider their support if there is a change in the leadership of the D.C. school system.”
These conditions – which I suspected – “has never been publicly discussed” until now. You don’t have to read too hard between the lines to see that they are threatening to withhold the promised “raises” and “bonuses” if Rhee and/or Fenty leave. And the language of the contract makes it clear that if the District decides it doesn’t have the money, then the best the teachers can do is to try to sue. (And given how utterly obtuse and confusing ANY data is regarding the DC budget or DCPS budget – where tens of millions of dollars can be made to disappear or reappear in a single day – it won’t be hard for the leadership to declare or manufacture a financial crisis.)
I salute Bill Turque for digging and finding this letter. I didn’t see it in my print version of the WaPo this morning; did anybody else see it?
I am now utterly convinced that this contract is poison. It needs to be rejected by Gandhi, by the City Council, and by the teachers. Forget these billionaires and their venomous foundations. But TAX them. Remember the good old days under Republican president Eisenhower when the maximum tax rate was 92%? Let’s bring them back! That way, we can return control of schools to local entities, pay off the national debt, and improve the amount of democracy in our country.
I expect it will be in the print version of the Post tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I also expect that Turque will tell us HOW he came by those letters from the funders. Any good investigative reporter would do that and there’s no mention of it in his initial report.
Not like him.
Weird
WTOP News is reporting that sources in Fenty’s office are saying that Gandhi won’t certify.
http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1944395
There are interesting tidbits in the letter the Post put up:
eg, the foundations are working off the draft contract of Feb 5th.
Has anyone seen it?
They mention increasing test scores, but as we saw with the Baltimore Miracle and Shaw Redemption, Miss Rhee will lie.
And to me, I belatedly realized this:
Why would Rhee , who is supposedly in it for the kids, let the foundations tied their money to her.
She should have been, NO, NO, I’ve reorganized DCPS so that if I was to leave “reforms” would continue.
But she didn’t.
That speaks miles about her.
This recent revelation makes it clear that the machinations of the Fenty/Rhee regime are undermining public trust in the government of the District of Columbia. The City Council comes across as weak and indecisive. Vince Gray must oppose this private/public deal if it means Rhee retains some “right” to continue as the Chancellor. If he does not, his chances of becoming mayor will be seriously diminished. It’s time for some real leadership or put in another way —some real b_lls.
I appreciate Bill Turque shedding much needed daylight on this very questionable business. I see no reason why the children of DC should be guinea pigs for a group of profiteering reactionaries.