We have allowed ed reformers to say weird untrue things about teachers and students.

[Doctor_J]

5. Right wingers lie constantly, about every issue, and get away with it.

As for the current situation, the appointment of Arne Duncan was clue #1, and his declaration that it was OK for RI to fire all of the teachers was clue #2 that he was part of the "kill public schools" movement. His first CoS is now the mayor of Chicago and is trying to do away with the CPS. Then of course there is Race To The Bottom, another of his pet initiatives.

I am pretty sure at this point that Obama was put in the White House to enact far right corporatist policies that no Republican would have gotten away with. There is the education profitization that you mention, and Heritage Care which is now here to stay, saddling us with the worst, most expensive health care in the world, forever. That's two huge pots of money that he's handed to the 1% during his term. I believe that once the Repukes take the senate in November, he will use that as an excuse to give the hyper-rich the third big pie - Social Security. And the rest of the DC Dems who matter (not Sanders and Warren and Brown, but Reid and Pelosi and so forth) won't say a word about it.