And I am here to pick it apart!
When I read the things that this woman writes about charter schools, it drives me crazy. Does no one want to challenge her? She is legitimately another level of harassment, intimidation, and bullying. In her mind, she is never wrong about charter schools, and they are all evil while traditional schools should never be questioned and should be praised regardless of their shortcomings.
Basta! Diane. Tired of old white ladies scripting the narrative for black and brown kids.
Here’s what she said:
“I don’t understand why the task force has so many representatives of the charter industry on a committee to study charter law, when only 10 percent of students in California schools are enrolled in charters.”
Here’s what she obviously meant:
We paid a lot of money to elect Tony Thurmond, and he better rethink this committee. How dare he not appoint only teachers to do a “study” on schools that we clearly are trying to destroy and eradicate. Screw the measly 10% of students who are enrolled in charter schools, they aren’t real people anyway. Charter schools are not public schools, everyone knows they are an evil industry, just like tobacco that kills!
Wait! There’s More…
Here’s what she said:
“The charter industry is infamous for protecting its turf and fighting any regulation or accountability.”
Here’s the truth:
The teacher associations are infamous for protecting its turf and fighting any regulation or accountability, including staging a strike to undermine charter public schools.
Then there’s this…
Here’s what she said:
“Under current law, charters are parasites on the districts that are forced to host them, draining away students and resources and leaving “stranded costs” (fixed costs).”
The truth:
Oh, I see. Calling charter schools parasites is ok but what about the obvious equivalency of some traditional public schools, some would say they are the leeches of public education that take your tax dollars as we keep thousands of these persistently low performing schools open when there is no learning happening and then redirecting the blame to charter schools.
And there’s this whopper…
What she said:
“California has had a large number of scandals in the charter sector. The most recent occurred when the CEO of the Celerity Charter chain pled guilty to using the schools’ credit card to charge luxury items, including designer clothing, fancy hotels, haute cuisine and limousine service, as well as to fund her Ohio charter school.”
What is true:
Using the same old tired example of one administrator in a charter school but failing to acknowledge ALL of the thousands of cases in traditional public schools right here in California, where teachers have been allowed to sexually assault, beat, ridicule, bully, etc. the students and parents of their schools…not worth a mention to Diane!
And finally…
What she said:
“If failing charters are allowed to be renewed, again and again, it is a disgrace.”
TRUTH:
When failing traditional schools are allowed to remain open despite years of EPIC FAILING and are persistently low performing, that is the true disgrace.