Ted Mitchell, Leader in Privatization Movement, Confirmed as Undersecretary of Education

[yurbud]

Source: Diane Ravitch

One of the nation's leaders of the privatization movement, Ted Mitchell, has been confirmed by the. u.S. Senate as Undersecretary of Education, the second most powerful job in the U.S. Department of Education.

Mitchell most recently was CEO of the NewSchools Venture Fund, which collects millions from philanthropies and venture funds and invests the money in creating charter chains and for-profit ventures.

Among his many other accomplishments, Mitchell served as chairman of the State Board of Education for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegegger, a time of unprecedented expansion of charter schools and deep budget cuts for both K-12 piblic schools and public higher education.


Read more: http://wp.me/p2odLa-7TI

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Obama and the Senate once again put Wall Street ahead of our kids when it comes to K-12 education policy.

If Democrats stay home in the 2014 election, it will be because of actions like this.

Obama doesn't have to worry about reelection--he should dare to be a Democrat now.

[bowens43]

1. remind me again, why is it we should vote for those who have a 'D' next to tier name.....

[Ed Suspicious]

2. I fucking give up.

[L0oniX]

3. Apparently it wasn't just the professional left that was thrown under the bus...

The record shows aggressive, proactive pursuit of a corporate agenda...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3152360

...in every policy area important to the One Percent.

This list does not show the President trying to enact a more liberal agenda and being obstructed. It shows him working aggressively and proactively, over and over again, to install corporatists into his administration and to enact a corporate agenda.

Corporate and bank-cozy appointments, over and over again, including major appointments like:
A serial defender of corrupt bankers for the SEC; the architect of "Kill Lists" and supporter of torture, drone wars, and telecom immunity for the CIA; and a Monsanto VP who has lied and been involved in extremely disturbing claims regarding food safety for the FDA. An Attorney General who has not prosecuted a single large bank but wages war against medical marijuana users and *for* strip searches and warrantless surveillance of Americans. Tim Geithner. And now Penny Pritzker.
Bailouts and settlements for corrupt banks (with personal pressure from Obama to attorneys general to approve them),
Refusal by Obama's DOJ to prosecute even huge, egregious examples of bank fraud (i.e, HSBC)
signing NDAA to allow indefinite detention,
"Kill lists" and claiming of the right to assassinate even American citizens without trial
Expansion of wars into several new countries
A renewed public advocacy for the concept of preemptive war
Drone campaigns in multiple countries with whom we are not at war
Proliferation of military drones in our skies
Federal targeting of Occupy for surveillance and militarized response to peaceful protesters
Fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for warrantless surveillance
Fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for strip searches for any arrestee
Supporting and signing Internet-censoring and privacy-violating measures like ACTA
Support for corporate groping and naked scanning of Americans seeking to travel
A new, massive spy center for warrantless access to Americans' phone calls, emails, and internet use
Support of legal immunity for telecoms/warrantless wiretapping
Support of legislation to legalize massive surveillance of Americans
Militarized police departments, through federal grants
Marijuana users and medical marijuana clinics under assault,
Skyrocketing of the budget for prisons.
Failing to veto a bipartisan vote in Congress to gut more financial regulations.
Passionate speeches and press conferences promoting austerity for Americans
Bush tax cuts extended for billionaires, them much of it made permanent
Support for the payroll tax holiday, tying SS to the general fund
Support for the vicious chained CPI cut in Social Security and benefits for the disabled
Social security, Medicare, and Medicaid offered up as bargaining chips in budget negotiations, with No mention of cutting corporate welfare or the military budget
Advocacy of multiple new free trade agreements, including The Trans-Pacific, otherwise known as "NAFTA on steroids."
Support of drilling, pipelines, and selling off portions of the Gulf of Mexico
Corporate education policy including high stakes corporate testing and closures of public schools
Entrenchment of exorbitant for-profit health insurance companies into healthcare, through mandate
Legal assault on union rights of hundreds of thousands of federal workers
New policies of targeting children and first responders in drone campaigns,
New policies of awarding medals for remote drone attacks,
Appointment of private prison executive to head the US Marshal's office
Massive escalation of federal contracts for private prisons under US Marshall's Office


Chilling Legal Memo From Obama DOJ Justifies Assassination of US Citizens
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101654954

Study: "Trade" Deal Would Mean a Pay Cut for 90% of U.S. Workers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023661805

Obama Appoints Bain Capital Consultant Jeff Ziets to Top Post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023662209

Obama selects former Monsanto lobbyist to be his TPP chief agriculture negotiator
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023662210

White House: No Subsidies for Union Health Plans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014594512

Wall Street Deregulation Garners Bipartisan Support Despite Devastating JPMorgan Report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/19/wall-street-deregulation-_n_2910168.html

The USDA’s Reckless Plan to Decrease Food Safety
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023670859

This is a complete list of Wall Street CEOs prosecuted for their role in the financial crisis
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3653154

Wall Street will get away with massive wave of criminality of 2008 - Statute of Limitations
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022516719Obama seeks longer PATRIOT Act extension than Republicans (December 2013)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x380450

When it comes to civil liberties, apparently Democrats are just as bad as Republicans.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022101960

NSA's Massive New Spy Center to Track Your Emails, Internet Activity, and Phone Calls
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101620852

Obama Quietly Signs Abusive Spy Bill He Once Vowed to Eliminate
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022104861

Obama repeals Magna Carta, asserting powers our forefathers denied to Kings
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101655620

Obama's Memo on Killing Americans Twists 'Imminent Threat' Like Bush
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101654919

Obama no better than Bush when it comes to security vs. civil liberties.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022355307

Obama Admin Seeks Permission TO LIE In Response To FOI Requests - Even To The COURTS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2185303

NDAA on trial: Obama Administration fights ban on indefinite detention of Americans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101748688

Obama administration complicit with private prison industry: President Obama's IncarcerNation
http://www.nationofchange.org/president-obama-s-incarcernation-1335274655

Obama, Democrats Push to Make Bush Spying Laws Permanent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022084702

NDAA, signed by Obama, is a direct attack against legitimate protest and dissent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022064803

NSA Whistleblower: All Americans under constant surveillance, all info. stored, no matter the post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002193487; http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021935289

Bipartisan Congress Disgracefully Approves the FISA Warrantless Spying Bill for Five More Years
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022087323

While Public & Media Focused on 2nd Amendment, 5th Amendment Quietly Dismantled
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022390581

How the Obama administration justifies extrajudicial killing of Americans,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022318187

Judge Says Under Law Executive Branch Can Commit Acts That Sure Do Seem Unconstitutional
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022122464

Obama Justice Dept. says wiretap lawsuit should not proceed
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014337039

NDAA Lawsuit- Hedges v. Obama, The Last Thin Line of Defense
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022357078

Federal authorities step up efforts to license surveillance drones for law enforcement
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022383596

Big Banks and FBI worked together vs Occupy
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022095056]

FBI Investigated 'Occupy' As Possible 'Domestic Terrorism' Threat, Internal Documents Show
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022061578

FBI Documents Reveal Secret Nationwide Occupy Monitoring (Updated the OP)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022057064

Public Buses Across Country Quietly Adding Microphones to Record Passenger Conversations
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021965291

Street artist behind satirical NYPD 'Drone' posters arrested
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021920967

The Obama DOJ urged the Supreme Court's endorsement of strip searches.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002521527

Obama Administration Fights to Allow Warrantless GPS Tracking
http://sync.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1074474

Anonymous to FBI: hey, dudes, maybe you could take a break from...investigating activists....
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022145621

Half a billion dollars for drones to spy on Americans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021876414

From Bradley Manning to Aaron Swartz -- The Government's Inhumane Persecution of Brave Truth Tellers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022276941

The sight of Army helicopters and the sound of gunfire...on Houston's south side
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022276742

Kiriakou and Stuxnet: the danger of the still-escalating Obama whistleblower war
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022275570

Can the DEA Hide a Surveillance Camera on Your Property?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022237059

Social Media and the Stasi
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021888029

Homeland Security Wants to More Than Double Its Predator Drone Fleet Inside the US, Despite Safety/Privacy Invasions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014312823

CIA Behind Bizarre Censorship Incident At Alleged 9/11 Plotters’ Gitmo Trial
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022280285

“I Am Wearing My Conviction As A Badge Of Honor.”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022275128

Meet the Contractors Turning America's Police Into a Paramilitary Force
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12525281

How Secrecy Corrodes Democracy
http://election.democraticunderground.com/101655009

Obama Quietly Issues Ruling Saying It's Legal For The FBI To Break The Law
http://election.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7545687

US Pulls Plug on Iran Cable News (Press TV)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014394770

DHS Watchdog OKs 'Suspicionless' Seizure of Electronic Devices Along Border
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022339091

The Untouchables: How the Obama administration protected Wall Street from prosecutions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022246632

Obama Orders Pay Raise For Congress
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022095402

Why is Social Security Under Attack from Obama, when it ADDS NOTHING to the deficit???
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022065493

The Untouchables: How the Obama administration protected Wall Street from prosecutions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022246632

Guess what? Chained CPI is the bright idea of Third Way, the (Corporate) Dem "policy shop."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022021626

...Obama explicitly campaigned on opposing Social Security cuts -- and he just endorsed them (AGAIN)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022019860

Obama's Promises on Social Security: His OWN WORDS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022031544

Bernie Sanders: Chained CPI: An Economic and Moral Disaster
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022381690

wall street pulls the strings: social security under attack in february
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022155427

Obama signs bill cutting 2.2 billion from food stamps
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x309

Obama's New Treasury Secretary Pushes Austerity That Spreads Global Misery
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022652850

Obama appointed Alan Simpson & Erskine Bowles to his goddamned catfood commission...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022633714

Why does President Obama keep Appointing Monsanto Shills to Key Gov. Positions?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022592785

Penny Pritzker..The Subprime Queen...Obama's Pick for Dept. of Commerce
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101665148

Obama's Betrayal of Public Education, Arne Duncan and the Corporate Model of Schooling
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x366410

How can we NOT feel betrayed? These are just ONE day's headlines:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x366410

Obama Approves New Cross-Border Pipeline Benefiting Canadian Oil Sand Producers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112758698

Pres. Obama: Why are you pushing the Koch Supported Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023563816

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Global Attack by the One Percent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101634573

TPP: A pact designed to increase the wealth and power of crony capitalists
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023936342

The Obama administration's legal battle against whistleblowers, federal unions.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022672473

Obama’s Escalating War on Freedom of the Press
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023312251

Why Is President Obama Keeping a Journalist in Prison in Yemen?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023300531

Former Top NSA Official: “We Are Now In A Police State”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024197266

Obama administration asserts that NSA spying cannot be challenged in court
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023296209

The Obama administration is aggressively growing private prisons
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2670142

When you hear "Third Way", think INVESTMENT BANKERS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024127432

The Rightwing Koch Brothers fund the DLC -- article from '06
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414

You do know how the DLC/Third Way was formed? (corporate money, corporate infiltration)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024150961

Third Way VP indicates they fear Elizabeth Warren's influence on the party.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024168867

Majority of Third Way support from Wall Street
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024164622

The Democratic Party's deceitful game
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3928692

[upaloopa]

5. Who pays you to post that list?

Nice that you won't discourage most of us and those you do discourage wouldn't contribute much anyway.

[djean111]

9. Oh, making long lists is only to be done by Obama supporters? Do you think all of those Sensible

lists and links are done for free?

[truebrit71]

18. Just the Pro-fessional ones...

[L0oniX]

36. +1

[yurbud]

11. Do you mean we won't contribute much to corporate Democratic candidates?

You're right.

I prefer progressive Dems.

[L0oniX]

31. That list represents many DU members. Yeah the truth is discouraging.

You are welcome to stay where you may already be ...under a rock.

[Phlem]

40. OMFG

-p

[DeSwiss]

58. Don't like facts, eh?

- I'm not surprised in the least. That's how we got here.

''You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.'' ~Morpheus

[Le Taz Hot]

61. Oh, the irony!

Here, allow me,

[L0oniX]

37. I don't think I am welcome in the BOG but...

if they want to kick me off the board ...that list has a lot of links to others they may also wish to kick off the board.

[24601]

51. I think we are making progress letting people tell the truth, even when it's an ugly truth. We

aren't there yet but we are making progress. There is still tension with members representing diverse views across the democratic spectrum - even with those holding diverse views across the smaller progressive democratic spectrum.

Successful politicians, including President Obama, are pragmatic and compromise. Yeah, some get mad when their #1 issue gets put aside because it's the President's # 23. Sometimes they post the literary equivalent of stomping off mad and point out that the failure of their #1 issue keeps people from the polls.

No doubt about it, some don't vote and the reasons vary from person to person.

It's my judgment that we are diminished when we can't have candid (issue, not personal attack) exchanges without someone rushing to label another as the DU bogeyman - a freeper troll. Perhaps more of us need to hear or read the old Will Rogers quote: "I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat."

Indeed, we have lost and will lose elections - with the Senate in play this year - when our internal infighting drowns out the debate between Republicans and Democrats. When we drive our own away because they have an issue important to them and we don't approve, we shouldn't act surprised when the election returns don't break our way.

[blackspade]

34. A damning list of accomplishments....

I'd forgotten a few of those.

[Michigan Alum]

59. Holy Cow!

I had no idea about much of this stuff. I have been hiding a my head in the sand because I'm so tired of it all.

All I can say is that there were a lot of people who just became so enamored of him, assuming that because he had spoken out against the war and maybe because he was black that he would be more for minorities and lower income people. It reminded me much of the fervor directed towards Howard Dean because he also spoke out against the war.

It is easy to speak out when one does not have to vote for or against the war.

Be careful when building someone up to be perfect. And look at their records. Obama had been shown to be a moderate who was always compromising with the opposition in his past as a student organizer. He pissed off a lot of people in his organization by ending up siding with the opposition, compromising to a huge extent.

[Nihil]

62. Kick of thanks! (n/t)

[upaloopa]

4. If Democrats stay home it's because they don't really give a shit

about what happens.
You need to take responsibility. Obama is not on the ballot this year. There are other races that you can do something about. The other side is not going to stay home. They don't give up because things don't always go the way they want. If you don't vote you make it that much easier that other things won't go the way you want.

[yurbud]

6. I didn't say I was going to stay home. These actions will demoralize a key constituency

teachers and those of us who would like to send our kids to public schools.

[Phlem]

42. On who's Empirical Evidence does this

"If Democrats stay home it's because they don't really give a shit about what happens." remotely suggest is reality?

I, for one consider any corporate influenza on our politics as the worst type of cancer. I know because my job got shipped off shore along with the rest of my colleagues, and have had a drastic change in my life. I see this also happening to my friends and family.

What about the "Moving Forwards" meme instead of prosecuting anyone from the last administration?

That's just 2 off the top of my head. I love the ACA but in the end I still need a livable paying job. A job that uses the skills I put myself through school for. Jobs that help graduates pay off they're freaking College loans.

I think my wife and child would agree.

-p

[L0oniX]

65. No ...we do give a shit and that's why we won't vote for a fucking corporatist.

[broadcaster75201]

7. Obama is a Conservative DISASTER

He is George Bush's 3rd and 4th term. He is a Conservative. We had the chance to deal a fatal blow to conservatism and what does this nitwit do? He either leaves in power, or fills the Government with ... conservatives.

What an absolute nightmare these 6 years have been. And you can shove the "he couldn't get anything done because of the TeaBags" argument. He could have fought. He surrendered.

I still vote because the Liberal whiners in 2010 gave us the Teabags when they stayed home. However, I have been voting since the 60s and the utter disaster of the Obama Admin and Presidency is stunning. Thank god for term limits.

[MynameisBlarney]

13. You went full Derp.

You never go full derp.

[Enthusiast]

15. Liberal whiners stayed home in 2010?

Better get your facts straight. New guy, huh? Trying to sow a bit of derision?

[GOPee]

47. I have a low post count, but have been a reader for years.

However this bashing of our President crosses all segments of this site. I fear for this November, not because of the wave of bad Economic and Healthcare news but apathy among what should/must, be the faithful.

I can't for the life of me, understand what possibly could be the necessity to post this nonsense, without realizing that it adds to the discouragement already within the ranks. This is DU, for heaven sakes, if not here, where can we find the most staunchest of the left. That said I do understand when we are faced with disappointment with the failure of this Administration to deliver what he said, but losing the Senate, and more in the House won't help any of that.

OK beat me up for my low count..

[Enthusiast]

48. When you characterize much needed criticism as whining you alienate me right off.

Appointing right wingers to key positions should piss off Democrats, all Democrats. And the President should hear about it from all of us.

If we all stood up and told the President that we will not accept righties in key positions maybe he would back down on his controversial appointments.

If the President would adopt a more liberal stance maybe that would bolster November turnout. Hippie punching doesn't seem to work as evidenced by the results off 2010.

[GOPee]

56. I fail to see a title after your name.

Who exactly do you think you are to be the determining factor on who you consider to pass a magical test for acceptance on the Liberal plantation.. I suggest you run and win a high enough position to dictate my future. Fair enough?

[Enthusiast]

60. No, it's not fair in the least. You are waging an obfuscation racket.

Democrats don't need a title. That's the other side. And we would like to keep it that way.

[yurbud]

23. He had a lot of political capital coming in the door and gave half of it away to the GOP

on the stimulus and kept going.

[blackspade]

35. Liberal whiners?

That tired meme...again?

[Blue Owl]

8. The Undertaker of Education, more like...

[yurbud]

10. or executioner and grave robber

[MynameisBlarney]

12. You have got to be fucking kidding me.

Why the hell are they letting these anti-American fascists into govt.?

[corkhead]

17. They are being hired by the oligarchs to drown it in a bathtub

[Enthusiast]

14. Way to suppress the vote for 2014! Thanks, Mr. President.

[QC]

16. I feel so hopeful! n/t

[truebrit71]

19. Yay Change!

[QC]

20. Hopetastic! n/t

[GoneFishin]

21. W.T.F? Tell me how the Republicans made him do it.

[yurbud]

22. by existing. As long as there's one Republican left anywhere, he must be placated

[blackspade]

26. Not surprised

The corporate gravy train rolls on.
Unfortunately it's the 99% who are in the cattle cars headed straight to serfdom.

[Lars39]

27. Why the fuck can he not ever seem to appoint a Democrat?

Shit's getting past old.

[warrant46]

63. Robert Gates a prime example

Who later bites the hand that feeds him

[FiveGoodMen]

28. "he should dare to be a Democrat now"

You're assuming he ever wanted to be a Democrat.

(As opposed to playing one on television)

[yurbud]

53. aint that the truth

[pscot]

29. WTF

Maybe he's looking ahead to building his post-presidential fortune. His kids have never attended public school, have they? Nor did he.

[kath]

30. Another great move by the Trojan Horse in the White House

SOOOOOOOOO frickin' sick of this shit. Over and over and over again...

[madfloridian]

32. This admin has never made a single positive move toward public school teachers.

It's alarming.

[Ash_F]

33. Laser beam like focus on destroying our future. /nt

[clg311]

38. Makes me glad I voted for Jill Stein. NT

[Freddie Stubbs]

39. Thanks a lot Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders!

[yurbud]

45. did they vote for him?

[JackRiddler]

50. Voice vote.

Called "unanimous," who knows who was in the chamber.

[yurbud]

70. that gives a lot of people cover

[Freddie Stubbs]

69. The nomination was approved unanimously

[Doctor_J]

57. that gives the BOG some cover

"well, bernie and Liz voted for this douche bag. So you liberals shut up"

[lark]

41. Appalling

and despicable.

[sakabatou]

43. Ugh...

[Jefferson23]

44. It's getting much harder to be hopeful: The Senate unanimously confirmed Mitchell.

That is a very ugly state.

snip* How the Department of Education moves forward in 2014 with its own set of regulations on for-profit colleges—an industry criticized for burdening a generation with a lifetime of debt—is yet to be determined. Currently, lobbyists for the largest for-profit colleges, including Apollo (University of Phoenix), Education Management Corporation (The Art Institutes), Kaplan, ITT Tech, Career Education Corporation and Corinthian Colleges, are lobbying aggressively to make sure that the rules will not curb the $38 billion in taxpayer money now enjoyed by the industry. The campaign extends to think tanks, politicians and other sources of influence in Washington.

In a presentation posted online by WhiteBoard Advisors, a DC consulting firm that is owned by Grayling, a lobbying corporation that represents for-profit colleges, posed a number of questions to education experts about what Mitchell’s nomination means for gainful employment regulations.

One slide is titled, “Insider Insights: What, if anything, does Mitchell’s selection mean for the gainful employment regulation process?” Many responses are ambiguous, even dismissive if Mitchell can play a role. “Nothing, that’s controlled by James Kvaal, period. That Ted doesn’t think for‐profit providers should be summarily executed means he’s not going to be included in conversations,” reads one anonymous insider’s view.

Others are more optimistic that he will weaken regulations on the for-profit college industry: “Hopefully he will moderate it and be more supportive of private providers.” Some education privatization supporters have been even more candid. Rick Hess, an outspoken supporter of privatization at the American Enterprise Institute, tweeted: “Ted Mitchell appt as ED Under Sec is bad news for gainful employment fanatics.”

Update: After publication of this blog post, Mitchell e-mailed a statement noting that he could not comment on gainful employment regulations because he is in the "midst of a confirmation process." He added that he is on "an informal advisory Board for Salmon" and that Pearson sponsored a summit for his organization in May.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/177675/ted-mitchell-education-dept-nominee-has-strong-ties-pearson-privatization-movement

[PSPS]

46. Thanks a pant load, Obummer.

[JackRiddler]

49. "Obama doesn't have to worry about reelection"

Well, sadly, I guess that means you're seeing the real him now, in all things, unfiltered.

Look on the bright side. While he's got the usual interventionist-imperialist foreign policy, the other guys would have almost certainly started more and bigger wars! So far, anyway.

[yurbud]

54. bigger than Russia?

[1000words]

52. Thank you, sir ... May I have another?!!

[DeSwiss]

55. If we're ever going to go ''Full Fascist'' we have to......

...do the things that'll get us there.

- This is one of them.

“Since mankind's dawn, a handful of oppressors have accepted the responsibility over our lives that we should have accepted for ourselves. By doing so, they took our power. By doing nothing, we gave it away. We've seen where their way leads, through camps and wars, towards the slaughterhouse.” ~V for Vendetta

K&R

[greatlaurel]

64. The Democratic Party had better wake up about attacking public education

The lesson from the 2010 Ohio Governor's race should have hit home to the national party. Ted Strickland started implementing the awful Race to the Top agenda after Obama won in 2008. Eric Fingerhut, who Strickland appointed to run the Ohio Board of Regents, had implemented dozens of really bad ideas. Educators, at all levels including the post secondary institutions, abandoned the Democratic Party in 2010. This lead to the loss of the Governor's office and the loss of control of the Ohio House of Representatives, leading to the fascist nightmare we Buckeyes are living in now.

The Democratic Party has allowed itself to be seduced by the dollars from the corporations who want to take over public education at all levels. Some people in the party have used the excuse of racism as a reason to demolish public education. Unfortunately, the charter school privatization has lead to greater racial segregation and far worse outcomes for minority students. Without any public accountability, the charter/private schools are rapidly resegregating while providing horrible substandard educations to poor and minority students while wealthy white suburban schools prosper. It is like we are back to the civil rights battles over public education of the 1950's and 1960's. Oh yeah, the school privatization idea is straight from the South when school desegregation began in the first place.

If we fail to study history, we are doomed to repeat it.

What a mess.

[yurbud]

66. Do educators have ANY friends in the senate?

[greatlaurel]

68. Sherrod Brown and Al Franken may be the only friends public education have in the Senate.

I have not heard Brown say anything that indicates he is in favor of privatizing public education. Franken's record on public education is very good so far. Unfortunately, Elizabeth Warren has come out in favor of vouchers, which is very disappointing. Hillary Clinton voted no on vouchers when she was in the Senate. She also made statements opposing high stakes testing. She has supported charter schools, but the statements I have read are that the charter schools she spoke in favor of were locally owned and operated type schools, not the corporate profit model. She stated that NCLB needed overhauled.

I am interested to see what Clinton says about public education if she runs for president. If she sides with public educators, she will have a massive following. Educators and parents who are paying attention are desperate for someone to make come out in favor of public education and to stop the abusive profiteering off of little kids.

[yurbud]

71. unfortunately, what she says matters less than what she did as Senator

and who she accepts money from when she announces she's running.

[yurbud]

67. drop your senators a line to let them know you disagree with this appt & policy LINK

I would contact Bernie and Warren as well even if they're not my senators.

Just say, something simple like,

I was disappointed to see that you voted to confirm Ted Mitchell as Undersecretary of Education. His resume makes it likely that he will continue the corrupt policy of privatizing K-12 education.

Please reconsider letting hedge fund managers and billionaires' foundations dictate our public education policy since they are far more likely interested in their profits than whether our kids get a good education.

You would not send your own children to the kind of schools they are making ours into.

Put education policy back in the hands of teachers and scholars of education before Wall Street ruins our children's future as they have so many other things in recent years through unrestrained greed.

Get their contact info here
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

I like to use Faxzero, a free fax service, just because it generates a piece of paper someone has to physically handle and look at.