See the followiomng interestiong piece from AlterNet, “How Wall Street Power Brokers Are Designing the Future of Public Education as a Money-Making Machine”

 
Why are Wall Street types investing in local school board elections? Just follow the money…
“Given that Arthur Rock has a net worth of $1 billion, lives in California and spends his time heaping money on tech startups (with the mantra, “Get in, get out,” as his guide), a local school board race in Atlanta, Ga. seems an unlikely candidate for his attention. 

“Yet there is his name, on the campaign finance disclosure reports of four candidates-two of whom were elected in November, and two who won a runoff on December 3-for the board of Atlanta Public Schools. On each report, two columns over from his name, the sum of $2,500 is listed, the maximum allowable amount.

“The APS race was a pivotal one for Atlanta, a city still dealing with the fallout of a cheating scandal that thrust its public school system into the national limelight. Only two incumbents were re-elected to the nine-seat board.

“The biggest question facing the board of newcomers is to what degree they will embrace charter schools…”

Read the rest of the article.