Keep schools public

Questions: Do you want public schools being run by corporations? Do you want children’s educational interests decided by people whose primary goal is to maximize profits? Do you realize that this outcome is possible, even probable?

Left unaltered, the No Child Left Behind Act will mandate the takeover of virtually every school in America in 2014. Most will become for-profit charter or simply for-profit schools. Our once public schools will no longer be accountable to the public. And with Congress virtually paralyzed, it seems unlikely that they will alter the provisions of NCLB that mandate this outcome.

Also, this year the Washington Legislature tried to establish charter schools in Washington. Supporters refused to let the issue go directly to the voters, admitting they’d probably lose. Pesky voters.

Who wants for-profit schools? Well, there’s discredited businessman Rupert Murdoch. His News Corp. company was recently caught hacking into the voice mail of a 13-year-old murder victim’s family, acquiring sleazy details to enhance the sales of his shabby newspapers. Already a player in the New York public schools, Murdoch sees a $500 billion (market) in the U.S. alone.

To trust our children’s education to a profitable bottom line is insane.

Andy James

Colville