Diane Ravitch wisely chose to feature Ken Previti’s blog post on turning children into profit centers.
Ken, Illinois retiree now living in Florida, is a member of our unofficial Constitution Bloggers Association.
Once people realize that their own children are being experimented upon and used for profits, the greed grab will end. The testing craze, the corporate education reform industry, the for-profit and non-profit charter industry, the online educational programing business, etc. will dwindle and either die out or become minuscule.
The profit margins are estimated, the marketing planned, and the technologies used to lure parents into believing that purchasable technology and the education of their children are one and the same thing – all of these and more are planned with little or no long term proof or assurances that children will benefit as little human beings. Create a brand. Do market research. Sell-Sell-Sell. Use fear marketing or exclusive-limited-edition appeal – whatever. Sell-Sell-Sell. (Edu-Brands: InBloom. Pearson, KIIP, Broad, White Hat, Uno, K12 Inc., etc.)
Advertise a lottery with only a “few lucky winners” with fancy electronic devices and infotainment that will dazzle everyone. Sell it as Superman and more! Present “reform” on every talk show and news hour segment between the weather and the Kardashians.
How much in potential profit is at stake? $$$$$$$$$$$$ Billions. Federal and state tax “incentives” guarantee that these testing/textbook/online-programming corporations will double their money within a few years. Guaranteed. (See HERE.)
Democracy is being sold one school at a time. (Wholesale numbers and prices are available in Chicago and Philadelphia. Suburban and rural communities are piecemeal.)
Read the entire post here.
Fred Klonsky 
are there any of the chicago charter schools that are considered successful from educational standpoint?
You can look it up yourself–Google “Ratings Illinois Charter Schools.” Everything was listed in Great Schools. I would question, though, some of the ISAT results as stated. But–it’s worth a look.
“Once people realize that their own children are being experimented upon and used for profits, the greed grab will end. The testing craze….”
I wish I could be that optimistic. The testing craze has been going strong for several decades, and I don’t see any indication that parents are wising up. Today’s parents are still just as proud of their little Johnny’s test scores as my parents were of mine. I’ve been reading STANDARDIZED MINDS by Peter Sacks, which was published in 1999. If I hadn’t read the publication date, I would swear it was published yesterday. Nothing has changed in 14 years.
Today, the first of the 50 schools slated for closure will close doors. School communities are not textbooks or technology, they are people. This is truly a sad day for Chicago and for families, mostly living/existing in our most disenfranchised communities. 20 years ago, never could I have imagined the crisis situation we find ourselves in today.
Yet only about 100 people showed up for the toilet paper protest last night. Where’s the outrage?
I think there is fair outrage but like myself some are suffering whiplash at the constant barrage of policy and edicts. There are so many fronts! Advocacy comes at the luxury of time and ability. Why I am so grateful to organizations like Raise Your Hand who in many cases advocate for community and parents that are trying to keep the lights on (literally). Not suggesting no action is excusable, just trying to empathize with my parents/community who were successful in staving off a turnaround of my school.