He’s back…

Notice how the tone of the campaign is rapidly changing? Yesterday’s NYT editorial explains why we’re back on the “Low Road Express.”

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Look who’s endorsing McCain’s education plan

Surprise, surprise! It’s the WSJ. But Phillisa Cramer, posting on her new Gotham Schools blog can't help buy be surprised by one part of their endorsement:

I was surprised to see that its editorial suggested that McCain cite Edison schools’ performance in Philadelphia as an example of a successful privately-run alternative to public schools — because no one, not even Edison’s leaders, disputes the company’s failure.

Can muscle philanthropy be “democratized?”

In chapter 4 of our book, we describe the role of the new muscle philanthropists. Now, Christine Ahn, senior fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and member of NCRP's board, calls on social- justice activists to engage the foundations more than we are doing now. But her exposes can’t make the big top-down muscle foundations very happy.

So let’s think about the super-rich and the tax benefits they get. In 2006, Warren Buffet donated $30 million to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Three trustees—Bill, Melinda and Mr. Buffett—along with Bill Senior and now the new President of the Foundation—will decide how to allocate $3 billion-plus that the foundation is required to payout each year (Plus because Buffet mandated that his funds be spent down). Mr. Buffet gets huge tax write-offs, the Gates Foundation a huge infusion, and the public? We get to see how the Gates Foundation will invest in solving social problems.

Well worth the read.

1,000 educators in Ky.—GONE!

The state of Kentucky, which only a decade ago was on the cutting edge of school reform, is now on a race to the bottom with budget cuts now pushing nearly 1,000 teachers and staff out of their jobs.

In Pulaski County, the budget crunch will mean larger class sizes. Somerset Independent Schools, which has 1,460 students in three schools, cut 16 teachers and district staff. As a result, the average class size will increase from 20 to 28 students, said Superintendent Teresa Wallace.

So much for reform.