9486 in the collection
Crony Capitalism in Education
Take another look at that slimy AFT letter to the New York Times in the context of Substance editor George Schmidt's analysis.
by George Schmidt
Arne Duncan's career has been in crony capitalism, Chicago style. Since he
was appointed "CEO" of Chicago's public schools by Mayor Richard M. Daley in
July 2001, he has been responsible for the greatest expansion of patronage hiring
(generally, but not exclusively, at the central and "area" offices, but often
as well in the schools) on the CPS payroll since the Great Depression (when
the school system was controlled by politicians, leading to its near-demise in
1945). Duncan has also presided over more "no bid" contracts from contractors
(for everything from buildings and computer hardward and software to charter
schools) in the history of the City of Chicago abd its public schools.
Finally, and equally important, Arne Duncan has closed "failing schools"
(dubiously defined by low test scores for one or two years, often because of
special circumstances at the schools) in Chicago's African American community.
Since Duncan became CEO, he has eliminated 2,000 black teachers from
Chicago's teaching force, undoing decades of desegregation and affirmative action in
the name of "school reform."
Last year (2007-2008) Duncan began a program he called "Turnaround" (based on
the corporate models) that was actually reconstitution. He fired most of the
teachers and principals in six public schools (four elementary schools; two
high schools). At each of those six schools, the majority of the teachers and
principals were black.
Were Arne Duncan living and working in Mississippi in 1952, it would be easy
for the USA to see what he is and has been up to in the service of corporate
Chicago. Because he plays ball not only with Barack Obama but with Richard M.
Daley and corporate Chicago, Chicago's white blindspot has ignored the fact
that Duncan has gotten rid of more African American educators than most
Mississippi and other southern governments during those dark days just before Brown v.
Board of Education in 1954.
The reason why the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) can promote Duncan's
candidacy is that seven years of turmoil within Chicago's union has left the
union badly split (and weakened). Arne Duncan does not have the support of
Chicago's teachers. He has the support of the president of the Chicago Teachers
Union, Marilyn Stewart, who is in the midst of a purge of her own staff and
elected administration. Stewart, a lame duck officer with no more chance of
re-election than George W. Bush, is viewed by the majority of Chicago Teachers
Union members as a traitor to her union and the teaching profession.
— George N. Schmidt
Substance
2008-12-14
http://www.substancenews.net
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
Pages: 380
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