Wednesday, March 7, 2012

"Legacy Schools" - Orwellian Neo-con Privatization Formula


As part of a budget process in the City of Chicago, schools in poor neighbourhoods are funded without an appreciation that they need a 'leg up' to prosper (funding for social workers, nurses, food programs - all working together to counter balance social problems caused by unemployment, low wages, health and mental problems associated with low income communities).

Under funding the schools causes them to 'fail' (a metric from Bush II's 'No child Left Behind' federal funding formula) - and then they are closed and school districts amalgamated - and then the remaining over crowed schools are privatized. All unionized staff including Principals, Teachers, Administration, Janitors) are fired and a private education company takes over the management of the school, hiring all non-union staff.

This is the neo-con template for privatizing the public school system.

This is functioning right now in Chicago, and it's success there (but not with out a growing public out cry) and is spreading to New York and other cities.

Expect it here in Canada - soon.

The Real News Network has a piece on this - and Democracy Now did a whole show on it.

The Real News Network - "Despite public outcry, Chicago approves closure of 17 schools"


Democracy Now - "Occupy Education: Teachers, Students Resist School Closings, Privatizations, Layoffs and Rankings"





Understand the template, share, discuss with your neighbours, your elected representatives - and learn how we can fight it when it comes here to Canada.



mh

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