New Democratic governors show shift on US charter schools

[TexasTowelie]

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was not on the ballot in the Michigan governor's race, but her legacy loomed over the campaign in her home state, which has the country's highest concentration of for-profit charter schools.

Republican Bill Schuette, a DeVos ally and the state's attorney general, ultimately lost to Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat and former state lawmaker who pledged on the campaign trail to "put an end to the DeVos agenda." She has promised to stop new for-profit schools from opening and to demand more accountability from charter schools.

Michigan was one of several key states that elected new governors who are more skeptical of charter schools than their election opponents, and will replace leaders who openly supported the sector that enrolls roughly 3 million students across the U.S. in schools that are publicly funded but privately run.

The states that saw such reversals — including California, Illinois and Michigan — are home to some of the strongest charter school enrollment numbers, and the outcomes suggest the political landscape could be growing more difficult for future expansion, particularly under Democratic leadership. The winners pledged support for traditional public schools while campaigning in the shadow of a teacher protest movement that forced a national conversation about the state of public education.

Read more: https://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/new-democratic-governors-show-shift-on-us-charter-schools/article_f4612e1c-d6a3-5d9c-86c3-7396b79f9bcb.html

[BigmanPigman]

1. GOOD!

My friend and fellow teacher had a brother who taught at one of these and he didn't even have a credential to teach. My friend eventually followed is brother, hoping for a better experience teaching, and after less than 5 years he quit. He was also the most senior teacher there. Not a good experience. I was a union rep for my public school and happened to spot our newish superintendent (a businessman/GOP power player) going into a local restaurant and I overheard him saying, "Charter schools are great and we need more". Meanwhile he made life so miserable that 30% of the teachers retired early that year. He made teaching Hell He fired all support staff by 50% and increased our workload enormously. It has never recovered.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

2. GOPer goal -- destroy education

These parasites want to drain as much as they can from public coffers while destroying public education. That's not hyperbole; it's their stated goal. It yields a smaller government (in practice it simply leaves more room for their chosen pork) and more easily manipulated voters.

[iluvtennis]

3. Yep, destroy public education. The wealthy are going to send their kids to private schools

anyway, the Devos voucher system just gives them a $xxxx dollar kickback. That $xxxx kickback wouldn't even be enough for a deposit for public school kid who wants to go to private school

[SergeStorms]

4. Put more money...

into schools in poor neighborhoods. Where you end up in life most often depends on where you start. Give these poor kids a good education, then watch them take off. End the poverty cycle, and a good place to start is in areas where schools are in such poor condition they can't afford to replace broken windows. If everyone in this country started from the same spot in life, republicans would have to eat every word they've spoken about "low IQ minorities. More money for poor neighborhoods and less money for charter schools.