From Network for Public Education BIG Outside Money is flowing into school board races nationwide Here at NPE weve been hearing from supporters across the nation that Big Outside Money is changing the face of school board elections from Indiana to California; from Minneapolis to Denver. We have followed up on your tips, and sure enough big money corporate education individuals and their labyrinth of affiliated super PACs are throwing the significant weight of their wallets behind corporate-minded school board candidates, with spending in multiple races at record levels. In Denver, Colorado Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) has spent over $200,000 supporting two candidates, and opposing two others, for the State Board of Education. DFER is a political action committee favoring charter schools, merit-pay tied to test scores, high-stakes testing, school choice (including vouchers and tuition tax credits in some cases), and alternative teacher preparation programs. Jen Walmer, the Executive Director for DFER in Colorado, and the registered agent for the DFER super PAC Raising Colorado said, We have seen the importance of board of education races. The amount of money they have poured into the race is a clear indicator of exactly how important this race is to DFER. Raising Colorado spending amounts dwarf the funds raised by the candidates themselves. Candidate Laura Boggs, who is being opposed by DFER, summed it up well when she said, Coloradans are getting used to groups from New York and D.C. trying to influence our elections. Clearly there is a fight for control of public education. In Minnesota, 50CAN affiliate MinnCAN is wrecking havoc in the Minneapolis school board race. In 2012, the combined total spending for all school board candidates in Minneapolis was $67,000. Fast forward to 2014, and the candidates and Big Outside Money have raised over $460,000. Michael Bloomberg, ex NYC mayor and charter champion is playing a big roll with a donation of $100,000 and Arthur Rock, a San Francisco venture capitalist and TFA Board member made a $90,000 contribution. Parents in Minneapolis are speaking out about the influx of outside money, and even protesting outside a recent candidates forum. Minneapolis dad Greg Abbott said, I think its really an attack on the very idea of public education. State Rep. Jim Davnie, who is also a parent in the district, echoed this sentiment. Davnie said, This outside money isnt about kids and parents and schools in Minneapolis, its about some political agenda. Political agendas seem to abound in 2014 school board races, and Indianapolis is no exception. The cash-heavy, anti-teacher, anti-union, anti-public school organization Stand for Children Indiana is spending untold sums of money in the Indianapolis Public School Board (IPSB) race. Executive Director Justin Ohlemiller refused to reveal how much they have spent, claiming they are exempt from public disclosure of their campaign spending. Contributors to the race include Emma Bloomberg, Michael Bloombergs daughter and Stand for Childrens Board Chair, and Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandburg, who is also an investor in the controversial national charter chain Rocketship Education. IPSB President Annie Roof, who is running for re-election, lamented, The problem with big money is those voices are the ones that tend to be heard the most. Roof has said she wants to reclaim the label reformer and said it should mean advocating for students over any other interest. Out of state corporate education supporters are pouring money into an Austin, Texas district race for School Board in support of a little-known candidate who is a founding administrator of a KIPP charter school in Austin and is a Teach for America alum. Contributors include Leadership for Educational Equity, the Teach for America political arm; Campbell Brown; Bradley Tusk, Michael Bloombergs former campaign manger; Geoff Ralston, a founder in the Imagine K-12 charter schools in California and other founders and board members of charter schools from around the country. Big Moneys voice is also being heard in places like Richmond, California where the California Charter Schools Associations PAC has spent over $200,000 in the West Contra Costa school board election. Also playing a huge role are Stephen and Susan Chamberlin, a retired real estate developer and his wife, who have created a pro-charter school PAC called Education Matters. The PAC has spent over $100,000 in the West Contra Costa race. Opposition is emerging in this race as well, and a group of 28 parents from the West Contra Costa Unified School District wrote a letter called Our Schools Are Not For Sale. These stories are not happening in isolation, there is a pattern and strategy snaking across the US. The good news is that in each of these stories there is pushback from candidates, parents and teachers who see what it happening. They understand that Big Outside Money is coming to town with its own agenda, and that the agenda is not in the best interest of children. The Network for Public Education sends our thanks to each and every person across the country that is standing up and speaking out. NPE will continue to work to amplify the voices of those that stand to protect our public schools. We will shine a bright light on the role of Big Outside Money in education elections around the country. As NPE President Diane Ravitch says, We are many, and they are few. They have money, but we have the people. And WE WILL WIN. Is Big Outside Money playing an oversized role in your local election? Let us know, so we can help tell your story. If youre looking for the PRO public education candidates in these races, heres where your vote should go: Richmond, CA Madeline Kronenberg madelineforschoolboard/ Denver, CO Laura Boggs electlauraboggs/ Minneapolis, MN Rebecca Gagnon voterebeccagagnon/ Ira Jourdain irajourdain.org/ Austin, TX Ted Gordon gordonforaisd/ Indianapolis, IN Annie Roof Annie-Roof-IPS-School-Board/facebook
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 11:30:07 +0000