Posted in Education, Notable Quotables, Public Records, Transparency on February 28, 2013| 3 Comments »
“The website we inherited was a mess. We cleaned it up.”
—State Education Superintendent John White, in explaining that the Department of Education’s website was changed as a result of complaints “from parents and teachers.”
“…the Department is not in possession of any public records responsive to your request.”
—Department of Education response to request from LouisianaVoice for copies of complaints “from parents and teachers” about the former DOE website design.
Posted in ALEC, American Legislative Exchange Council, BESE, Contract, Contracts, Education, Governor's Office, House, Senate, Legislature, Legislators, Notable Quotables, OGB, Office of Group Benefits, Privatization, Public Records, Teague on February 22, 2013| 6 Comments »
“I have prepared a bill calling for a constitutional amendment making the Louisiana Superintendent of Education elected and not appointed. It will be difficult to pass, but the people should decide who their superintendent is—not the Governor.”
—State Sen. Bob Kostelka (R-Monroe), in an email Thursday to LouisianaVoice as a result of LouisianaVoice story about plan to provide personal student information to a computer bank controlled by News Corp., owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Posted in BESE, Education, Notable Quotables, Public Records, Transparency on February 19, 2013| 6 Comments »
“If you are available for dinner on Wednesday night, I would love to take you and discuss Broad (presumably the Broad Superintendents Academy—from which John White received his training/qualifications to run Louisiana’s public school system), school reform and other issues but no pressure on that. I know how precious an evening with family, time at the gym or just a little down time can be to recharge your batteries.”
—Sept. 9, 2011, email from Peter Gorman, senior vice president of News Corporation’s (Fox Network) new education division (Wireless Generation)—included in 119 pages of communications provided by the Department of Education pursuant to LouisianaVoice public records request.
“Dude—you are my recharger! Dinner it is, of course. Then let’s visit some schools Thursday. I’m really looking forward to it.”
—White’s email response to Gorman three minutes later. (Considerably faster, it should be noted, than the 28 days it took him to respond to LouisianaVoice’s requests for public records. Apparently we just don’t have what it takes to recharge him.)
Posted in ATC, Courts, Ethics, Governor's Office, Judges, Notable Quotables, Uncategorized on February 11, 2013| 5 Comments »
“It is well settled that an employee of a public entity may not be discharged for exercising his constitutionally protected rights to free of expression…”
“The law has recognized that there are some types of speech, which by their very nature, address matters of public concern. For instance, the disclosure of misbehavior by public officials ia a matter of public concern and is therefore entitled to constitutional protection.”
—Excerpts from the Jan. 25 ruling by the First Circuit Court of Appeal that overturned a decision by 19th Judicial District Court Judge William Morvant in which Morvant had ruled in favor of ATC Commissioner Troy Hebert whose attorney, E. Wade Shows, argued that State Alcohol and Tobacco Control agent Randall Kling had no right of action in his claim of retaliatory firing against ATC Commissioner Hebert because, according to state arguments, Kling’s complaints did not involve “matters of public concern” and that his complaints about Hebert’s questionable actions were “in his role as an employee and not as a concerned citizen.”
Posted in ALEC, American Legislative Exchange Council, BESE, Charters, Education, Lobbyist, Notable Quotables, Privatization, Public Records, Transparency, Vouchers on January 30, 2013| 8 Comments »
“When it comes to K through 12 education, we see a $500 billion sector in the U.S.”
—Fox Network magnate Rupert Murdoch, commenting in 2010 on the enormous business opportunity in public education awaiting corporate America. http://www.inthepublicinterest.org/blog/jeb-bushs-education-nonprofit-really-about-corporate-profits?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+itpi-blog+%28ITPI+Commentary+Feed%29
“Testing companies and for-profit online schools see education as big business.” said “For-profit companies are hiding behind FEE and other business lobby organizations they fund to write laws and promote policies that enrich the companies.”
—Donald Cohen, chairperson for In the Public Interest, commenting on coordinated efforts by corporations, the Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE) and ALEC to pass legislation favorable to corporate investors in public education. http://www.inthepublicinterest.org/node/2747
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