“Silent” protestors with their mouths taped
shut confronted Sacramento Mayor
Kevin Johnson and corporate education proponent Michelle Rhee as they entered
a carefully promoted and
controlled discussion about
education issues at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, 828 I St, in Sacramento
on Wednesday, January 25.
Demonstrators held a news briefing with local media
outlets. The Sacramento Bee did
not cover the demonstration. This
protests occurs as Wall Street corporations and foundations are funding not only
the privatization of education.
The protestors set up a ‘gauntlet” of protestors with their mouths taped
shut –something Rhee admitted to doing to her noisy students when she was a
teacher. She later said some of the students were hurt when they removed the
tape.
The “Town Hall” organized by Rhee and Johnson
gained positive press coverage on local news channels. They covered Rhee’s views and the
advocacy group without describing her connections to right wing groups.
Why do many
reporters not report on the realities of the corporate sponsorship of one group of “school reformers”?
They too often rely upon
the wisdom of selected “spokespersons” such as Michelle Rhee. The media has been sold a
framework of a corporate view of
accountability. Corporate sponsored networks and think tanks such as the the
Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the Broad Foundation, the Bradley Foundation, the Pacific Research Institute, and the Olin Foundation provide
“experts” prepared to give an opinion on short notice to meet a reporters
deadline. Most reporters assume
that these notables are telling the truth when in fact they are promoting a
particular viewpoint. Who do they
not talk with? They fail to
interview experienced teachers and professionals who have worked for decades to
improve the quality of inner city schools.
There were teachers in the protest that could
have been interviewed. “Rhee,
disgraced former-chancellor of the Washington D.C. public schools and wife of
Johnson, is the standard-bearer of corporate privateers, raising millions of
dollars through her organization, StudentsFirst, from the likes of the Koch
Bros and Rupert Murdoch to advance an agenda of union-busting, school vouchers
and public school give-aways to private interests,” according to Kate Lenox, an
organizer for the protest.
“The national headquarters of StudentsFirst happens
to be located right here in Sacramento and will soon formally open its offices
downtown on K Street above the Rite Aid store,” Lenox explained.
The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education,
along with Occupy and Sacramento teachers participated in the protest. Teacher Lori Jablonski explained, “Diane Ravitch’s important visit to Sacramento on Friday, Jan.
20, left the 3000 people in attendance with a clear message of what those
of us who care deeply about public education must do to stand up to and reject
the privatization of our schools and the treatment of our children as
commodities whose value is measured by “bubble tests.” Michelle Rhee, is the standard-bearer of the
privateers. “
See
the post below on Selling Out our Schools on corporate funding of the pro
charter anti teacher efforts of leading legislative advocates including
ALEC. “Selling Schools Out” , by Lee Fang. http://www.theinvestigativefund.org/investigations/corporateaccountability/1580/
For more information, contact Kate Lenox,
916-201-0225, or Cres Vellucci, 916-996-9170. Report assembled with contributions from writer Dan Bacher.
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