The Douglas County School Board is selling our public schools to the highest bidder with money and influence from: the Independence Institute; Americans for Prosperity founded by David and Charles Koch; Rick Hess from the American Enterprise Institute; Robert Bennet founder of K12 — the nation’s largest online education company; American Phoenix Foundation; the State Policy Network; Texas-based C3 Solutions; DC-London; and other well-funded corporate entities.
The Board is in the process of privatizing Douglas County public schools. Conservative Douglas County was perfect for the taking. They use the union and teachers as their scapegoats. They starve public schools while funding more charters and pushing a voucher system where taxpayer money flows into private and religious schools.
Slick privatization schemes are rolling over our pubic commons including: public schools and universities; prison systems; water supplies; pension funds; infrastructure and transportation systems; veteran healthcare; postal services; seed supplies; public works and municipalities. And this is only the beginning.
Investors, private equity firms and multi-national corporations see enormous profit in public education. And the Douglas County School Board proudly professes to seeing our children as customers and to turning our schools into consumer products. They are outsourcing public education into private coffers.
Privatization is on its way to a school district near you. This should concern anyone who understands the fundamental connection between public education for all and a healthy democracy. This is serious business.
Diane and Jim Schrack
Douglas County Green Party
