The Ultimate Privatizing Prize

March 12, 2007 by lynnell

by Lynnell Mickelsen

Piggy-backing on Susan's post on privatizing.

As if Iraq, Katrina and Walter Reed haven't been enough, just remember that conservatives all over the country still have their eyes on a very big privatization prize----your local public schools.

Never mind that education has never been a real big money-maker as entrepreneur Chris Whittle so unwittingly proved.

His highly-publicized and praised Edison Schools, Inc. once sold at $40 a share. But in less than four years, it tumbled down to a low of 14 cents a share and soon after, the company was bought privately (at $1.75 a share) and stopped releasing public disclosure of its finances. There's more info here.

And never mind that the latest Department of Education study showed that private schools are NOT better at "closing the gap" with poor minority students. In fact, private schools either do the same or worse. The study, sponsored by the U.S Department of education, can't be found on the department's website since it didn't reach the conclusions that the Bushies wanted. But you can read the results for yourself here.

Of course, none of these facts, studies or other "reality based" stuff haven't deterred conservatives. They want to privatize public schools for the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks. Because that's where the money is.

In Minnesota, about half the state's revenue goes into education. Sure, there's always ways to make the system more efficient. But good luck trying to do it on the cheap because by its very nature, education is extremely labor-intensive. Namely because robots and computers really can't teach kids how to read, write and do math. Nor can they supervise lunch and recess. Alas, you need actual human beings to do that and unfortunately, you can't just outsource the kiddos to schools in India where you could pay teachers $5 a day.

Which puts conservatives in the ultimate business nightmare----having to keep jobs right here in the USA. I mean, the horror, the horror! Especially since Americans are so outrageously expensive, what with needing livable wages and health insurance and all.

Anyhow, if you love what FEMA did to New Orleans or what Halliburton private contractors did to Walter Reed and the our military'.well, just imagine what your local Republican version of Halliburton could do for your local public schools.

And then call up your legislators and tell them no way.

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