ICYMI: Would-be school reformer not well received
05/05/2014

 

It may have sounded like a good idea at the time. Host a public forum on Gary school “reform” and try to sell the attendees on your brand of school privatization-namely how your company will gladly take over their schools.

 

However, it sounds like things didn’t go so well for Reid Litwack who organized the forum.

 

Things went particularly bad when he countered opposition to his ideas of school privatization by saying he could just “buy” his own school board who would support his agenda.

 

The Post Tribune covered the event:

 

An Indianapolis businessman, bent on bringing his brand of reform to the Gary Community School Corp., failed to impress a crowd of educators, school board members, union officials and parents on Thursday night.

 

In a public forum, Reid Litwack laid out his framework for change, based on a KIPP charter school model, to an overflow crowd at Ivy Tech Community College.

 

The evening went south quickly when Litwack said he would spend $15,000 to back candidates for the three school board seats up for election in November. He said he could also raise another $15,000, if needed.

 

Litwack’s ideas rankled most of the audience that included three state lawmakers, five school board members, union officials and schools Supt. Cheryl Pruitt.

 

“I’m appalled that you would come into this room and this community on the backs of our children to make some money. Are you aware the KIPP school here closed?” Pruitt said of the failed charter school that closed last year.

 

The full article can be read here.