Re: [oaklandteachers] Schwarzenegger, O'Connell announce punitive measures, more privatization

[Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>]

Interesting that two of the stars in Randy Wards reconstitution crown 
are on this List of Infamy: Compton and Oakland.
Susan

On Wednesday, February 27, 2008, at 06:35 PM, Jack Gerson wrote:

> Governor Schwarzenegger and State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack 
> O'Connell held a joint press conference today to announce punitive 
> measures against 97 California school districts that are out of 
> compliance with NCLB testing requirements (i.e., student scores on 
> high stakes tests are too low). Although Schwarzenegger and O'Connell 
> are spinning this as providing an additional $45 million to help those 
> districts, it's the same kind of "help" we've become all too familiar 
> with. Once more, NCLB strictures is used as an excuse for punishing 
> schools and introducing more privatization.
>
> For example, according to  ABC Channel 10 News (Sacramento/Stockton):
>
> "Gov. Schwarzenegger said the help may come in more tutoring, homework 
> assistance, in finding ways to have more students take standardized 
> tests. He said the changes may involve replacing public schools with 
> charter schools and changing administrators."
>
>
> So here's Schwarzenegger, who is crusading to cut state funding for 
> public education by $5 billion suddenly finding that he has some spare 
> cash to give his friends in the tutoring, technology, and charter 
> schools businesses.
>
> And here's O'Connell, who only Friday held his own press conference 
> in  Oakland to denounce Schwarzenegger's cuts and bemoan how 
> California schools already suffer from severe underfunding. Yet he 
> doesn't miss a beat in supporting punitive measures against these 
> severely underfunded districts and schools when they don't meet the 
> unrealistic and harmful NCLB testing targets that he enthusiastically 
> supports and promotes.
>
> For the ABC Channel 10 story, go to 
> http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=38908
>
> For Schwarzenegger's press release (and a streaming video of the 
> Schwarzenegger O'Connell press conference), go to 
> http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/8883/
>
> Jack
Vote in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll
http://www.usalone.com/blogvoices.php?Cheney%20Impeachment%3F
Add this text to your own email and blog signatures!