The far-right funders who brought us the anti-public-education, anti-teacher, anti-union movie “Waiting for ‘Superman’ ” are back with another fake story claiming to be “inspired by actual events.” This time they hired big-name actors:  Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Holly Hunter. The movie is purportedly based on the Parent Trigger, a hot fad among education reformers that was created by and for forces whose goal is to divert public money into private pockets, attempting to masquerade as a tool for … →

UPDATE: The forces that were trying to charterize the school as described below have dropped the proposal. Note from Parents Across America founding member Caroline Grannan in San Francisco: Lagunitas, Calif., is a tree-shaded, rustic community in West Marin County on a road that winds from the suburbs north of San Francisco westward to the rugged coast. And now Lagunitas has joined a list of communities of all kinds and sizes split apart by battles over charter schools. Parents are … →

If you want to send your own message to Obama about class size, you can do it via his  campaign website. Dear President Obama: Yesterday, Mitt Romney went to visit a charter school in Philadelphia and got real push back from teachers when he said class size doesn’t matter.  A video of their remarks is below.  As a principal of a charter school pointed out, “There was a study done by the University of Tennessee, a definitive study about class … →

If you want to send your own message to Obama about class size, you can do it via his  campaign website. Dear President Obama: Yesterday, Mitt Romney went to visit a charter school in Philadelphia and got real push back from teachers when he said class size doesn’t matter.  A video of their remarks is below.  As a principal of a charter school pointed out, “There was a study done by the University of Tennessee, a definitive study about class … →

Republican members of the North Carolina Senate recently introduced an education bill that bears the distinctive stamp of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). PAA affiliate MecklenburgACTS has taken a leading role in publicizing the origins and the implications of the bill, as in this story broadcast by Charlotte’s NPR affiliate, WFAE. In it, PAA co-founder Pamela Grundy says of the bill: “It’s not tailored to North Carolina, it doesn’t arise out of the concerns of North Carolinians. In fact, I … →

Philadelphia parents, students and activists protest the radical restructuring and privatization of their public schools. Helen Gym, Parents Across America member, points out how  these proposals are an example of the “shock doctrine” — using the fiscal crisis as an excuse to hand over public goods to private hands, for their own financial gain.

Philadelphia parents, students and activists protest the radical restructuring and privatization of their public schools. Helen Gym, Parents Across America member, points out how  these proposals are an example of the “shock doctrine” — using the fiscal crisis as an excuse to hand over public goods to private hands, for their own financial gain.