Gates Foundation Supports Apartheid in Jamaica

....buzzards are us

The Gates Foundation and New Visions are certainly consistent. Like buzzards looking for entrails, they track large schools in trouble – trouble, by the way exacerbated by Tweed – and here conspiracy theorists and have a ball. After all, one of the basics of the phony ed reform movement is to close "failing" schools. But they don't talk about the no longer so secret part of the plan – close 'em to make room for the boutique schools that will serve a mere fraction of the population, and with kids that are not exactly the same.

Jamaica High School in Queens is a beautiful building that is way too nice for the kids who go there. Teachers knew they were in trouble when the buzzards showed up to measure the room while they are teaching. "Where are the outlets in here" the buzzards ask? "We have to put in new wiring for new computers." Only the best for the Gates kids. An application process for the kids. And lower class sizes. And non of those pesky ELA or special ed kids too. "These kids coming in do NOT look like our current kids," says a teacher.

They are calling it cultural apartheid.

Tonight, the parents, students and teachers at Jamaica are coming to the Panel for Educational Policy meeting at Frank Sinatra HS. They even got a bus. They will hold a demonstration outside before the meeting and then go in to speak to people with deaf ears – other than Manhattan borough rep Patrick Sullivan. (I will support MB Pres. Scott Stringer for any office he runs for because he had the guts to appoint Patrick.) Some ambitious reporter is missing a great story by not doing a profile of Patrick who has been the lone consistent voice on the PEP representing parents. (Oh, and QB Pres Helen Marshall has still NOT appointed anyone to the PEP.)