|
|
|
Why The Daily News is so wrong about Philly schools
An editorial chides activists who "scare private money away from public schools" by asking too many questions.
Why The Daily News is so wrong about Philly schools
Follow on Twitter @DanielDenvir
I greatly admire Philadelphia Daily News editorial writer Sandy Shea, read her pieces every weekday morning, and generally agree with them. But I believe Shea is profoundly wrong in her defense of the William Penn Foundation's funnelling of millions of dollars to pay for the Boston Consulting Group's proposal to radically restructure Philly public schools.
Friday's Daily News editorial criticizes groups that filed an ethics complaint against BCG and William Penn last week that accuses them of violating the new city lobbying code, telling the misfits to not "scare private money away from public schools" by asking too many questions. I disagree. Citizens, journalists very much included, should always ask tough, skeptical questions about how powerful private interests exercise influence over our government.
Here are some quotes from the editorial, followed by questions I think Shea was remiss in not asking:
"Additional work after that initial phase was paid for by William Penn and other donors; the money came through United Way, but the contract was not directly with the district. The groups filing the complaint are crying foul, saying that BCG had access to the district and was lobbying for, among other things, charter-school expansion, school closings, and [the privatization of] transportation and maintenance services. They claim that BCG is a narrow private interest with a specific agenda.
"The problem with that claim is that those issues are what the district, under Chief Recovery Officer Tom Knudsen, directed BCG to work on. Subsequently, the district failed to act on some of the BCG recommendations."
This is not accurate:
1) The Notebook obtained "memoranda of understanding between William Penn and the United Way [which] make clear that [recently resigned William Penn president Jeremy] Nowak has had final responsibility for approving BCG’s work and authorizing payment." In addition, City Paper uncovered that Nowak had met with School Reform Commission chairman Pedro Ramos and pro-charter advocates to discuss the plan and develop a public relations strategy to defend it.
2) Who are these "other donors"? The Daily News fails to ask that question. This omission is convenient, because such an examination would prove fatal to the nothing-to-see-behind-the-curtain argument.
As I wrote last week, "a large sum was donated by board members of the Philadelphia School Partnership, an increasingly influential pro-charter school organization with close ties to the school-voucher movement that received a $15 million grant from William Penn. Real estate developer Michael O’Neill contributed $100,000, according to The Notebook. In a July investigation, City Paper reported that an undisclosed amount was donated by Janine Yass, wife of conservative Bala Cynwyd hedge-fund manager Jeffrey Yass, among the state’s most high-profile voucher supporters.
How can Shea contend that it's "naive and self-defeating" to question whether Jeffrey Yass, who serves on the board not only of the Philadelphia School Partnership but also of the libertarian Cato Institute, and who has spent millions to support pro-voucher candidates in Pennsylvania, might have some political-ideological agenda at stake in his payments to BCG?
And many donors have not even been revealed: a big point of this ethics complaint is that if the parties had followed the lobbying code, these largely secret donors would have had to identify themselves.
"BCG is a consulting firm that claims expertise in a range of industries, from technology and environment to retail and automotive, as well as education. They don't operate schools, like Edison. It's hard to guess what exactly they might be lobbying for, besides more consulting contracts."
BCG has not only expertise but a strong philosophical hostility to public education. BCG, as I wrote in The Atlantic, "has a track record of similar proposals and alumni that work at major corporate-education reform and charter school organizations." They count Bush Education Secretary and high-stakes testing advocate Margaret Spellings as a senior advisor.
"The complaint is potentially damaging if it chills the willingness of donors to give money to the district. Although it didn't stop the Gates Foundation from announcing a $2.5 million grant to the school district this week. Will Gates now be subject to scrutiny, accused of having an agenda of installing Windows into every classroom computer?"
Wow. Gates should certainly be subject to scrutiny. This contention is wrong and borders on lacking candor with the reader: Gates' heavy support for corporate-model school reform has been the subject of extensive debate nationwide. To pretend that there is no such debate, and that corporate philanthropy is automatically good and disinterested, is wrongheaded (see Got Dough? How Billionaires Rule Our Schools).
The Daily News does criticize "the lawmakers in Harrisburg who have systemically starved public education of funding, and have directed a major charter-school expansion without paying close attention to the often-damaging consequences."
But the editorial misses that there is a relationship between declining public funding of public education on the one hand (hello, Gov. Tom Corbett), and the fact that many of Corbett's allies are instrumental in pushing this radical school district overhaul and profiting from privatization and charterization statewide on the other (see Corbett's aggressive charter school push could cost taxpayers money — and oversight).
Take GOP heavyweight Chris Bravacos, who I also discussed last week: "The Notebook reported that William Penn had paid two communications firms, Sage Communications and the Bravo Group, $160,000 to promote the Blueprint. Bravo is run by Philadelphia School Partnership board member and top Republican lobbyist Chris Bravacos. Because of the BCG contract's opaque funding structure, it is unknown whether Bravacos, who also serves as an intermediary for corporate donations to voucher-like tax credits, contributed money, or if an entity with ties to Bravacos did."
It's also important to remind readers of the obvious but critical point that three out of five members of the School Reform Commission are appointed by the governor. This is the critical Shock Doctrine angle: the same state government that took over the School District a decade ago with promises to save it is now dismantling said School District (see Who's Killing Philly Public Schools?).
"We think the idea that corporate and private interests are stepping up to public education with checkbooks is a development that should be encouraged. Of course, that comes with caveats. But the idea that behind every checkbook is a nefarious agenda is both naïve and self-defeating."
What's naive is the idea that checks written by "corporate and private interests" don't come with strings attached.
It's one thing to thoughtfully disagree after examining the evidence. What's frustrating about the editorial is that it neglects to take up any of the central points of contention. The three people I saw promoting the editorial on Twitter -- Philadelphia School Partnership's Mike Wang and Kristen Forbriger, and Jonathan Cetel, who runs 50CAN, a group tied to PSP that advocates for school vouchers -- didn't mind. Readers should.
Daniel, its really a hilarious form of gonzo journalism when you have to cite yourself as authority for the truth of a fact. "as i wrote in the Atlantic", "as the City paper uncovered". There is no evidence, zero, zip, nada that PSD and Knudsen didnt direct BCG's work. While you suspect he didnt, you utterly fail to rebut factually his simple direct declarative sentences that he directed and guided their work, not WPF, Yass, O'Neill or anyone else. As a result you are left to your shrill and hysterical clamor of "conspiracy" for which Sandy Shea rightly calls you out and dismisses you.— kornbread- kornbread:
So you think billionaires and millionaires just give money altruistically and don't call the shots? It's obvious you've never met a rich person.— Phil Perspective - kornbread: Your love of anonymity is not entirely courageous.— Daniel Denvir
- And to be clear: I cite The Notebook for obtaining "memoranda of understanding between William Penn and the United Way [which] make clear that [recently resigned William Penn president Jeremy] Nowak has had final responsibility for approving BCG’s work and authorizing payment."— Daniel Denvir
- Daniel: Your disdain of objectivity is embarrassing.— kornbread
- Daniel: Thanks for demonstrating what quality journalism should look like...balanced writing, fact checking, multiple citations. Many of our mainstream media outlets rely too much on opinion rather than investigation.— DV8
- Daniel, thanks for this well written response to the very strange Daily News editorial. It's strange to me when commenters who likely did not read the complaint and seem to have little knowledge of the facts of the complaint suddenly want to weigh in as "experts" (looking at you "kornbread"). In fact, there is no evidence that PSD and Knudsen DID direct the work. William Penn contracted with BCG. William Penn solicited the donors for the contract. William Penn then oversaw disbursement of payments to Boston Consulting Group. The general standard is "he who pays the piper calls the tune."
It's also worth noting how clearly the District has begun distancing itself from BCG. For example, during the City Council hearings, Supt. Hite and SRC Chair Pedro Ramos said BCG only provided them with a report whose recommendations they were free to reject. One would think that if BCG actually worked on behalf of the District that the results would be such that the District felt the course of work they supposedly directed served their needs, no?
In either case, the Daily News editorial demonstrated a striking lack of understanding about lobbying. Lobbying is not philanthropy and most people know the difference. Thanks for articulating the facts of our complaint so clearly Daniel.— Helen Gym - Whatever happened to "School Choice"? If parents don't want this, THAT is their choice and Corporate Education Companies should respect this or at least listen to them. WHY are businessmen ramming this down our throats? It's THEIR choice to make money from those they know do not have the power to decline and ignore those of us who do. — wiltech
- My response to Ms. Gym has been censured and not posted by City Paper. it would seem that they want her posting to be the last public comment on the Gym/Denvir advocacy campaign against BCG. that decision speaks volumes about their confidence in their "facts" and their "reporting".— kornbread
- the daily news may not understand lobbying, but it is dan and helen who don't understand reality. the district is experiencing fiscal woes and are required to get outside funders if it is to reshape itself into a functional entity. ms. gym gores as far as chastising kornbread for not knowing what he's talking about. i want to know how she has so much time to devote to this issue. is she a full-time employee of some unnamed organization? is she well-off and just a big-hearted citizen? in the name of full disclosure, it's time for her to come clean. she often questions, or more rightly assigns, the motivation of others. here's her chance to give an open accounting of her motives.— reformer
- 1) My stuff is pretty open and out there Mr/Ms "reformer". I'm a former newspaper reporter, former school teacher, was the first editor of the Notebook, did curriculum studies, founded a charter school in Chinatown, founded a parent organizing group of like minded parents and am on the board of a national teaching journal and link education to both my personal, professional and academic life. Pretty much everything I do in education has been to better understand this complex behemoth from multiple angles and through different lenses. 2) I've always put my motives out there. I come with a clear parent agenda of wanting a quality school system for my kids and for my city. Now how about you showing some decency and using your name before questioning who I am or trying to school me on the "realities" of educational systems. — Helen Gym
- 3) As I said above, unless you read the complaint and Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia's legal analysis, I don't think you know what you're talking about. You have an opinion to which you're entitled. We made a legal argument to the Board of Ethics based on research and study. The District experiencing fiscal woes does not have anything to do with lobbying rules being bent to evade public transparency. — Helen Gym
- School Choice was about parents who were trapped in failing public schools to have the choice for a better education for their children.
Now that parents have experienced the "choice" for the past ten years or more, and have seen what it means for children who do not fit public charter school programs, they do not want public education ended, but want public schools to remain open... school "choice" is being rammed down their throats whether they want it or not. Now Parents United for Public Education are wrong because their choice was not Corporate Charters.— wiltech - your complaint is a legal opinion. it is not fact. That is for a court to decide. frankly, i'm not a fan of "public interest" law groups who often fill the courts with frivolous legal motions. but let's not change the subject: who pays for helen gym's activism? if you are able to do it without a job, i respect citizen activism. my suspicion is that your being funded and guided by the pft. you're no different than those you criticize who are paid advocates for the other side. if i'm wrong, please correct me. i'm ready to apologize. if you are, it's ok too. that is called a job and everybody needs to work. just be honest about it.— reformer
- ActiVman
- adventures
- Arts
- Ask A Man-About-Town
- Award Tour
- Awards
- Bad Idea Factory
- Beer
- Below the Curve
- Bikes
- Booze
- Brian Hickey
- BRT
- Budget
- Budget Fuss
- Business
- Casinos
- City Council
- City Hall
- CouncilMANIC
- CP Abroad
- CP in the Community
- Criminal Justice System
- Day Tripper
- Death and Taxes
- Delaware River
- Design
- DROP
- Drugs
- Dubious Distinction
- Elections
- End of Days
- Environment
- Fashion
- Film Fest
- Financial Meltdown
- FrackTrack
- Free Library
- Gambling
- Gay Stuff
- Get Lit
- Greenstorming
- guns
- Hall Monitor
- Health
- Health Care
- Hello, Kitty
- Holidays
- Ice Cubes
- Iggles
- Immigration
- In Memoriam
- Labor
- Lawsuits
- Letters
- LGBTQ
- Maps
- Marcellus Shale
- Media
- MMA
- Mummers
- Music
- MUST READ
- Mysterious Mysteries
- Nation
- News
- Non Sequitur
- Opinion
- PA politics 2010
- Parking Wars
- Parks and Recreation
- People Send Us This Stuff
- Philadelphia Police
- Philadelphia Union
- Philaphemera
- Philly From Scratch
- philly madness
- Photos
- Poverty
- PPA
- President Obama
- Print Edition
- Prisons
- Protest
- Readers Write
- Real Estate
- Rock Bottom
- Schools
- Science
- Screwing Philly
- SEPTA
- snow
- So Lush
- Soccer
- Sporting Life
- Sports Complex
- State Politicians
- State Politics
- Street Art
- Strike
- Stuff We Like
- Taxes
- Taxi Drivers
- Tech Fetish
- television
- The Budget Crisis
- The City Paper
- The CLOG
- The Human Condition
- The Mayor
- The Phightin Phils
- The World
- Things that make you go hm
- Tinfoil Hats Off
- Under the Table
- Under the Tables
- Urban Development
- Urban Planning
- urban wildlife
- Video Poker
- We Call Shenanigans
- Weather
- Web Junk
- Weekend Omnibus
- White House
- What We've Found
- Women's Issues
- Flyered Up!
- How 'Bout That Weather?
- it's always sunny in philadelphia
- Stu!
- Shopping
- get out
- 10-track mind
- ArtsFlash
- Bloggity
- Bruce Being Bruce
- Colleges
- Comedy
- Gigantic Surprises
- Hello Canary
- Hello Puppy
- errata
- get lost
- Inside The Fishbowl
- Library Closings
- Local Support
- Movies
- Murder
- Night Moves
- Recycling
- radio
- Scientology
- Sex
- Sixers
- Skeeze Police
- State Politicians Screwing Philly
- That's a cool stencil!
- Theater
- Things We See
- This Week
- This Week in Oates
- University City
- WIN
- What we don't heart
- trailer!
- what we heart
- Feeling Guilty
- Askadelphia.
- Broke in Philly
- Contest
- Dance
- Dear Paper Doll
- Do A Good Thing
- Education
- Film Fest Schism
- G20-20 Vision
- Goodbye
- Gossip
- Great American Heroes
- PATCO
- Pearl Jam Week
- Puppy
- Stars of the Photostream
- sustainability
- Lower Merion Webcam-Gate
- The Cycle
- Equality Forum
- Bureaucrat of the Week
- Animals
- ElectionEar
- Photostream
