Abusive and Humiliating Educational Policies Targeting Children of the Poor

The most bizarre and humiliating treatment of children is now being routinely practiced in the nation's poorest communities; ranging from the zero tolerance disciplinary practices of some of the nation's best known charter chains; to the virtual elimination of arts sports and recess by schools taken into receivership and/or threatened with closure. If middle class parents want to see what education profiteers have in mind for their children if they are not vigilant, they should look into what is going on in inner city charter schools or schools in cities like Newark or Camden or Detroit which have been taken over by the state. It is unconscionable that the children of the poor have been used as guinea pigs for educational experimentation which takes the joy out of learning and removes creativity and relationship from teaching. Sadly, this grisly process continues unabated even in states like NY where more middle class districts have won some relief through Opting Out.