The Shock Doctrine
Disaster Capitalism in Action: education
Chileans Protest Government Attempts to Further Privatize Education
Reuters, Reuters, July 8, 2008
"Teachers and students want President Michelle Bachelet to withdraw an education bill from Congress under which an education superintendent would regulate government funds for public schools. Protesters say the bill does not address concerns that Chile's education system is being privatized, and they believe that the education of poorer students will suffer at ill-funded state schools as a result of the measure....
"In June, thousands of teachers and students protested against the bill, which has been passed by the lower house of congress. The senate has yet to vote on it. The bill would replace a law in place since the end of Augusto Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship."
See Upside Down World for more analysis on the education bill and the protests.
Pennsylvania Retakes Control of 6 Privatized Schools in Philadelphia
Keith B. Richburg, Washington Post, June 29, 2008
"Six years ago, the Philadelphia School District embarked on what was considered the country's boldest education privatization experiment, putting 38 schools under private management to see if the free market could educate children more efficiently than the government. If it worked, the plan seemed likely to become a model for other struggling urban school districts, such as Washington's, suffering from a lack of funding, decaying buildings and abysmal student test scores.
"This month, the experiment suffered a severe setback, as the state commission overseeing Philadelphia's schools voted to take back control of six of the privatized schools, while warning 20 others that they had a year to show progress or they, too, would revert to district control."
Homeland Security Programs in U.S. High Schools
Mimi Hall, USA Today, December 10, 2007
"Developed in response to the working-class area's expanding job market, the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Program at Joppatowne High School is becoming a model for the nation....Some other high schools offer homeland security classes, but Joppatowne is the first to offer a full-scale program that's directly tied to area businesses. It's also a statement on the times: in a post-9/11 world, the future job market is going to be filled with prospective candidates for homeland security jobs, so why not be prepared....
"They're also a link to big business. Big government contractors such as Battelle and SAIC are working with the program, offering internships and the use of equipment and staff."
