Charter schools are a ‘gravy train,’ say researchers

[Mika]

1. Guess who got the ball rolling on charters?

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/hillary-clinton-charter-schools-education-215661

When Bill Clinton took office in 1993, there was a lone charter school in Minnesota, according to advocates. He helped create a grant program that provides seed money to open charters, providing hundreds of millions of dollars over the years and paving the way for thousands to open. As first lady, Hillary Clinton publicly applauded the program.

“The president believes, as I do, that charter schools are a way of bringing teachers and parents and communities together — instead of other efforts — like vouchers — which separate people out — siphon off much needed resources; and weakening the school systems that desperately need to be strengthened,” Hillary Clinton said at a 1998 White House meeting.

In 2011, Bill Clinton was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.