Kick-off of Nat'l School Choice Week openly says choice is mostly for kids of color. [View all]

[madfloridian]

I do not think it is a good idea to present choice that way. Many believe the charter schools and voucher programs are working toward resegregation of schools. I have never heard anyone say it so openly. It's about 1:35 into the video.

This also featured the use of the two of the most obvious talking points of the education "reformers":

1. We can no longer have the "status quo". That means no more traditional public schools.

2. No child should be discriminated against on the basis of zip code.

I really do resent statements like that. They imply that public school teachers neglect kids of color. That is simply not true at all.

Jeb Bush did the same thing back when he was governor. His rallies were with minorities, and the stage set made it clear.



This paragraph from that article in 2005 from the Lakeland Ledger was a stand-out.

It was a striking scene Wednesday as a predominantly black crowd outside of the Capitol cheered as white, millionaire politicians promoted the voucher plan as an antidote to class and racial inequalities.

James Carville and Bobby Jindal are featured in the video.

On edit:

There is an article I found at the Florida Independent.

http://floridaindependent.com/65620/video-national-school-choice-week-moves-forward-with-endorsements-from-conservative-groups

The video is from Reason TV. Yes, I realize that is a Libertarian site. There is a lot there about the guy who was on local TVs pushing school choice last week.

Vice president of public affairs for National School Choice Week spokesman Andrew Campanella is the CEO of Campanella Media & Public Affairs and worked for the American Federation for Children, which promotes “school choice” “with a specific focus on advocating for school vouchers and scholarship tax credit programs.” Campanella has earned praise for his work from Florida Secretary of Education Gerard Robinson, former GOP Govs. Jeb Bush and Haley Barbour and current Govs. Butch Otter and Bobby Jindal.

The American Federation for Children is “affiliated with the American Federation for Children PAC, a political committee that supports and opposes state-level candidates for elected office,” and works “to promote the benefits of—and the need for—school choice.”

A November 2011 report published by the National Institute on Money in State Politics shows that American Federation for Children spent $6.3 million on the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Florida elections. The report adds that Federation President Betsy DeVos and her family have “also made significant campaign contributions in Florida, giving $682,750 over the last three cycles, with two-thirds of that given to the Republican Party of Florida.” The DeVos family owns Amway and the NBA’s Orlando Magic.

Our local news ran an interview with Campanella, it did not look like the advertisement that it really was. He got to spout his nonsense unopposed.