Michelle Rhee's "StudentsFirst" backs candidates who CUT education funding

[yurbud]

You know someone is the product of a conservative think tank and a corporate shill when they call their astroturf group "StudentsFirst" then use it to back candidates who support cutting education spending.

Michelle Rhee, darling of the media and the public face of corporate centric education reform, also backed the opponent of a former teacher of the year because that teacher vowed to fight for real public education and against the privatization agenda.

It goes on to say that one privatized online charter is doing worse than public schools under threat of closure (the for profit charter gets no such threat of course).

This is one issue where we must pry Democratic politicians away from the corporate teat and make it more painful to latch back on than to stay away.

Michelle Rhee is endorsing and funding rightwing candidates across the nation, showering cash on those who are opposed to teachers' rights and unions and support privatization of public education.

In Ohio, she is using her StudentsFirst millions--collected from anonymous billionaires, millionaires and corporations--to support opponents of public education.

An Ohio blogger writes:

Now, here in Ohio, Michelle Rhee’s true colors simply cannot be ignored. Rhee has chosen to fund multiple candidates in Ohio who are running for the Ohio House this year, citing their individual votes to support the Kasich budget that cut public education funding by $1.8 billion as a reason for StudentsFirst’s support. Let me restate that: StudentsFirst supports these candidates because they supported Kasich’s budget that cut $1.8 billion from school funding.
PlunderBund (http://s.tt/1rpCF)

Of all her endorsements in Ohio, the most disgusting is that Rhee is supporting a candidate with no education experience running against Maureen Reedy, an experienced and admired teacher. The two are candidates for an open seat in the 29th district.

http://wp.me/p2odLa-2N6

[rjlobo422]

1. Michele Rhee is a corporate shill indeed....

The words "Michele Rhee" and "Students first" made me choke on my godamm coffee when I read this post this am. It's time that we expose this self righteous brat for exactly who she is, a shallow, self serving, friend of corporate education and an enemy to students, teachers and parents. Those of us us in the education field have seen Ms. Rhee's handiwork for a while now....slashing budgets, firing teachers and principals, promoting one size fits all reforms. She is a one trick pony and her shit is very tired. This woman is not the least bit interested in helping teachers or kids. She is interested in creating a Republican backed corporate educational empire to replace the public school system that the GOP has worked tirelessly for the last twenty five years to destroy. Yes, the media has to start looking into Michele Rhee more deeply to expose the greed and politics that are driving her self styled brand of "educational reform."

[yurbud]

2. "self-styled" is giving her too much credit. She is a sock puppet for the right

[jsr]

3. Rhee is an opportunistic corporate lapdog and a publicity whore.

[We People]

4. She's a particular type of vulture capitalist

Extracting governmental funds and property for privatized gain. She and cronies have used propaganda (including anti-teacher campaigns) to get away with it.

When I think of the corporate theft of our public school system, I see her face.

[blkmusclmachine]

5. The WH supports Rhee's work.

And Jeb Bush, too.

[yurbud]

6. would your corporate party with or without religious nuts?

There's a little more difference than that.

A little.

[n2doc]

7. Students first-we'll come for the rest of you later n/t

[yurbud]

8. like "to serve man"