Charter Schools: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Profits for Corporate School "Reformers"

ROCKETSHIP TO PROFITS Silicon Valley breeds corporate reformers with national reach By David Bacon Rethinking Schools, Fall 2014 http://www.rethinkingschools.org/restrict.asp?path=archive/29_01/29_01_bacon.shtml Nearly every metropolitan area these days has its own wealthy promoters of education reform. Little Rock has the Waltons, Seattle has Bill and Melinda Gates, Newark has Mark Zuckerberg, and Buffalo has John Oishei, who made his millions selling windshield wipers. Few areas, however, have as concentrated and active a group of wealthy reformers as California's Silicon Valley. One of the country's fastest-growing charter school operators, Rocketship Education, started here. A big reason for its stellar ascent is the support it gets from high tech's deep pockets, and the political influence that money can buy. Rocketship currently operates nine schools in San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley. It opened its first school in Milwaukee last year and one in Nashville, Tennessee, this fall. Its first two schools in Washington, D.C., where almost half the students already attend charters, open next year. Rocketship plans include running eight schools in Milwaukee, in Nashville, and in D.C. in the near future.

Corporations make record profits

Published on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 by Firedoglake.com

Corporations Show Largest Profits in History Amidst Jobs Crisis

by David Dayen

According to revised statistics, the US economy grew at a faster rate than first expected, up to 2.5%. Earlier growth in Q3 2010 was estimated at 2%. But the entire problem with looking at this topline number is reflected in these three paragraphs:

But the most recent increase in GDP still isn’t strong enough to make a dent in the country’s high unemployment rate, stuck at 9.6% in recent months. Analysts say GDP growth of at least 3% is needed to bring down the jobless figure, but many don’t expect the economy to perform that well in the fourth quarter or early next year.

That’s right. Despite record unemployment, and no hope for reductions clearly in sight, corporations have experienced all-time record profits , the highest since the Commerce Department started tracking the figure 60 years ago. They’ve learned to produce as many or more goods without workers.