A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen FordClick the flash player below to listen to or the mic to download the MP3
“Rev. Al” is a traveling pal with the abominable Newt Gingrich on Education Secretary Arne Duncan's $4.3 billion charter school and high stakes test booster tour. First stop, Philadelphia, where the tightly choreographed Listening and Learning Tour shut out unvetted teachers, student leaders and community activists. Learning in America is becoming a businessman's game.
The Sharpton/Gingrich Traveling Salt-and-Pepper Educational Minstrel Show
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
“The administration and Newt Gingrich have found common ground in their mutual antagonism to unionized teachers.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton has debased and discredited himself by teaming up with arch right-wing clown and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s traveling propaganda show. The mere fact that Gingrich, the deep-fried Georgia reactionary and race-baiter, signed up as a performer on Secretary Duncan's Listening and Learning Tour should loom like a curse over President Obama’s grand plans for America’s schools. Earlier this year, Gingrich described the educational component of Obama’s economic stimulus package as “anti-Christian” because, he said, it barred churches from using public schools for meetings on Sunday. Gingrich wants prayer back in the classroom, and “multiculturalism” to be replaced by patriotism in the public schools, whatever that means. But for all his troglodyte views, Gingrich likes the Obama education plan. The administration and Newt Gingrich have found common ground in their mutual antagonism to unionized teachers.
Al Sharpton is the darker ingredient in this salt-n-pepper vaudeville presentation. By all accounts, he said nothing beyond banalities in Philadelphia, the first stop on the Tour. Sharpton and Gingrich are symbolic bookmarks, stereotypes in contrast, whose purpose is to give the impression that all reasonable people, Left and Right, should unite behind the administration's high stakes testing, union busting, charter school boosting program. Secretary Duncan has $4.3 billion for distribution to states that dramatically increase the number of charter schools and link teacher's professional futures to student test scores. Those states that fail to join the charter school parade won't get any of Duncan's multi-billion dollar slush fund.
“Obama’s so-called reforms are actually formulated in 'close partnership with business interests.'”
Philadelphia was an appropriate jumping off point for the Sharpton/Gingrich/Duncan show, since 46 of its public schools are already run largely by private organizations and for-profit companies.
Teachers, students and community activists in Philadelphia found it very difficult to access the tour. Most events were tightly choreographed and invitation-only.
The city's Teacher Action Group has lots of ideas for school reform, that would include parents and students, as well as teachers and administrators, in decision-making on “budgeting, hiring, school culture, curriculum, academic vision” – the entire educational experience. But those aren’t the kind of people or ideas Secretary Duncan and his boss, President Obama, want to hear. As one Philadelphia teacher put it, Obama’s so-called reforms are actually formulated in “close partnership with business interests, owners of education and charter management organizations” and “stockholders in the testing industry.”
The real shame of Al Sharpton is not so much in his clowning around with Newt Gingrich, giving the impression that the old racist scoundrel is good company and a fit role model for children of any race. The real problem is, Sharpton has signed on to corporate education, which is far more dangerous to ideals of community control than any union could ever be. Sharpton is shuckin' and jivin' with the enemy – and presumably, getting paid. For Black Agenda Radio,
I'm Glen Ford. On the web, go to www.BlackAgendaReport.com.
BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
Comments
Two clowns
Why are we suprised that Shapton is on tour with Newt. Shapton has been pimping out Black issues for money and fame as long as we can all remember. Al has done nothing for blacks but make us looking like a bunch of spoiled crybabies who cry racism at every opportunity. That sets our cause back 50 years and keeps our people dependant on the "race card". It's time we do ourselves a favor and distance ourselves from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and start standing on our own 2 feet. We have opportunities now. Crying racial "wolf" is doing more damage then it's worth. Racism will continue as long as we keep blaming whites for all our problems. Whitey ain't our problem now...it's us.
WHITE NATIONALISM
"Whitey" is funding the charter school, astroturf campaign.
Former FBI snitch sells out again
If this Ass-Clown (Rev. Al) were semi-serious he would at least whip up some racism charges to coerce billionaires and corporations into endowing HBCUs, at a minimum. State budgets nationwide are about to take a huge hit as the "Stimulus Bubble" starts to burst. In Iowa they are considering a "surcharge" this Spring for students in the three State universities. If this Ass-Clown were semi-serious he would recognize that secondary (or primary for that matter) educational opportunities for minorities are descreasing in troubling numbers given that the Wall St./Bankster/Subprime Crisis has destroyed billions if not trillions in Black Wealth, not to mention the unemployment rate increases. Did the Ass-Clown notice the 50K plus folks in Detroit who lined up for housing and heating assistance last week? I don't suppose he and Jesse will ride to the rescue of the dispossessed in Detroit? Shame on the Ass-Clown perpetrating as a man of God, as he neglects Jesus's gospel/mission for pieces of gold and a young piece of ass now and then. Be sure, the media created and sustain both Ass-Clowns, just ask the Today Show and GMA. They just finished a riveting piece on another Ass-Clown/distraction, Rush Limbaugh. Throw black folks a rich bigot (Limbaugh, Imus) and a noose, and an "n" word or two, and they'll grumble to high heaven, might even threaten to boycott or protest, but attack some real substantive shit on the sly and it's all good. How sad for the masses as the Oligarachs and their puppeteer Ass-Clowns dazzle you (us) with bullshit. The Gingriches, Sharptons and Limbaughs don't exist w/o mainstream media enabling and mental sloth. Haven't we figured that out by now. The GOP Ass-Clowns polling numbers are horrific, but given our mainstream media, you'd think it was the Russians vs. the US instead of the Russians vs. Georgia. http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/will-media-ever-report-how-low-poil... "Mitch McConnell is polling at an 18% approval rating. That's eighteen percent. John Boehner is polling at 12% approval rating. Just think about that one. And it doesn't take much to make him cry. Mitch and Boehner are viewed less favorably than Dick Cheney was during the dark days of the Bush administration. Why don't we hear about that on teevee? The overall approval ratings of Congressional Republicans is 17% as a party! The Dems are taking their lumps over this chaotic time, but nowhere near the kinds of wounds the GOP are suffering. The media make it appear that all these teabaggers are rallying around the RNC and the country just loves the Beltway elites' favorite party, but that's not true at all." Let's see if we hear any of this on the Sunday talk Shows. But I won't hold my breath. Tag"
The MSM, Ass-Clown galore.