About Cashing in on Kids
We believe the American public school system should serve all students and prepare them to be good, productive citizens. Our public schools are the essential foundation of a functioning democracy and a healthy economy and require public control and vigilance to protect the common good and advance our broad public interests.
Parents, teachers, students and taxpayers should have a strong voice in how we run our schools and educate our nation’s children. Our tax dollars belong in our classrooms and provide resources that teachers, students and communities need to create a healthy, vibrant and secure nation.
Cashing in on Kids conducts research and public education programs designed to help ensure that public schools put the students’ interest above corporate interests that are increasingly taking control of public education policy and institutions. Six critical elements are necessary to meet this goal: transparency, accountability, quality, oversight, equity and public control. This website includes examples of charter schools, many of them run by for-profit companies, that lack these critical elements and, as a result, do a poor job of serving students and taxpayers. We highlight the problems with these charter schools because we believe policymakers must ensure that these principles guide all public education decisions and must also provide rigorous oversight of for-profit and non-profit charter schools. Cashing in on Kids isn’t only about highlighting problems – we also will include examples of thoughtful education policies, good practices and effective schools.
In the Public Interest
In the Public Interest is a comprehensive resource center on privatization and responsible contracting. It is committed to equipping citizens, public officials, advocacy groups and researchers with the information, ideas and other resources they need to ensure that public contracts with private entities are transparent, fair, well-managed and effectively monitored, and that those contracts meet the long-term needs of communities.
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, was founded in 1916 and today represents 1.5 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide. The AFT is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities.
Contact
Donald Cohen
In the Public Interest
1825 K Street, Suite 210
Washington, DC 20006
202-429-5091