Issue #280
Universal (for profit) Pre-K, DFER, and the suits
Red flags began to wave for me when I went to a Seattle City Council meeting in February regarding Universal Pre-Kindergarten. Before the presentation began, in filed a line of men and women in business suits with laptops in hand. It wasn’t surprising to see people in business attire prepared to make a presentation to the Seattle City Council. What was surprising to me were the number of suits in the audience and the size of the audience. Even Council President Tim Burgess remarked at how many people were attending the meeting. I looked around and saw no familiar faces. I didn’t see any educators or concerned parents or community citizens as I had expected to see. No, this was a different crowd, well-heeled and looking very serious, almost business-like. Who were all of these (white) people who were so interested in Universal pre-K for minority children? Dora Taylor, Seattle Education Blog, 6-15-14.