"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Friday, September 16, 2011

An open letter to Michael Moore from Sharon Higgins

Sharon Higgins is a founding member of Parents Across America and is also the author of three major blogs dedicated to both authentic reform and to exposing the criminal masterminds behind the corporate take over of public education. Her indispensable blogs include: The Broad Report, Charter School Scandals, and The Perimeter Primate. Her impeccable research has yielded invaluable information for activists and public education advocates. Whether you need information on a Broadyte recently infecting your school district, the name of one of the charter school executives who embezzled a half a million dollars, or want to read up on the Gulen Movement's insidious control of much of the charter school industry, Higgins has it covered. In An open letter to Michael Moore from Sharon Higgins she makes an appeal to Michael Moore to take up the cause of defending public education from the philanthrocapitalist vultures and their vile hangers on.


Michael MooreDear Mr. Moore,

I am one of the people who will have the opportunity to see you at your UC Berkeley book event this Saturday night. It's going to be great to hear you speak!

Yesterday, as I listed to your interview on NPR's Talk of the Nation, I was happy to hear how you have considered doing a documentary about the American school system. I'd like to add my voice to the chorus of people who make that request of you everyday.

It's clear that you are aware of some of the devastating issues facing public education, such as the demoralization of teachers. I was impressed that you knew how Finland's success is the result of great policy decisions made years ago (the type of decisions the country continues to ignore). I was very gratified to hear that you did not like Waiting for Superman.

I believe that you are going to get more and more requests to make a documentary about public education. A lot of public school supporters are extremely upset at how public education is being forced to go down the wrong road. We want the truth to be exposed, and will keep turning to you for help.

That alarming truth is that our nation's public education system is in the process of being dismantled and privatized in the name of "education reform." The strategies being used are right out of the disaster capitalism playbook, with both Republicans and Democrats in support of the plan (including President Obama's administration). A wrong-headed, glorified "business model of education" has been shoved down our throats but it's not working. The school reform we've now been subjected to for years is failing!

Opportunists and predators ("edupreneurs") are having a feeding frenzy on the stream of public school funding. School districts spend millions on consultants and useless programs, and then whittle away at teachers, librarians, and electives for kids. Privately-run, publicly-funded, inadequately-monitored charter schools get preferential treatment and the myth of their superiority is constantly parroted. [continues...]

Read the entire story here.

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