Monthly Archives: November 2012

US take over of British schools

Following my earlier blog on forced academies in Birmingham, our friend the DFE hit man, Rob Briscoe has gone a stage further. He has suggested that we invite K12 to give us a presentation as a prospective sponsor. A quick check on the internet: who are they? Nothing came up.
K12 is a US based company labouring to get US schools under its auspices. If they’ve been recommended by Mr Briscoe then they must surely have something substantial to offer? Rick Hatcher kindly sent me this:
Profiles of For-Profit and Nonprofit Education Management Organizations: Thirteenth Annual Report – 2010-2011
Gary Miron, Jessica Urschel, Mayra A. Yat Aguilar, Breanna Dailey
January 6, 2012

K12 Inc. runs 49 for-profit state schools in the US.
‘The largest net increase in schools managed was K12 Inc., which experienced an
increase of 14 schools between 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. A medium for-profit
EMO profiled in last year’s report, KC Distance Learning, was acquired by K12 Inc.,
the nation’s largest for-profit EMO in terms of enrollment.
In last year’s Profiles, the total enrollment of K12’s 24 schools exceeded that of any
other for-profit EMO. This year, after the acquisition of KC Distance Learning,
K12’s total enrollment for its 49 schools (65,396) far exceeds any other EMO.’
26 out of 49 K12 schools didn’t meet AYP. AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) provides a crude indicator of the extent to which schools are meeting state standards.
This is a very interesting article about the politics of K12:
http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/EPSL-0404-117-EPRU.pdf

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Today is election day featuring US style democracy

Polling day in the U.S. Two candidates too close to call which goes for their policies too. This is unsurprising since it’s not the voters who call the shots, but the huge economic and hence political might of the big corporations who fund the big two names. As far as most are concerned they are the only ones running.
Russia Today took the step of producing hustings for some of the others raising issues not covered elsewhere. I note that the Green Party Candidate has been roughed up by the authorities for espousing off message sentiments which don’t accord with corporate wishes. As we have seen the 99% of the country feel they’re unrepresented but the corporate agents use unrestrained force to break up protest.
Again Russia Today reports on chaos in Florida before voting begins. Early voters are caught in never ending queues and end up giving up.