“Education Reform by WalMart” isn’t going to win any awards for marketing slogans so instead the Waltons weaponize their philanthropic dollars by underwriting fronts like Massachusetts Parents United, Educators for Excellence, and Democrats for Education Reform Massachusetts. Here are the latest dollar figures.
How about $500,000 to Massachusetts Parents United? Remember their creation story, where a few moms get together over a library table and decide to start a grass roots movement of parents? Apparently the library was in Arkansas. More on MPU soon.
Also in Massachusetts the Waltons gave $164,625 to the Pioneer Institute “To support grantee’s initiative to advance a portfolio of high-quality school options” viz., charters. Given that Pioneer takes in roughly $2 million per year in grants and contributions, that Walton donation covers some ground. It puts the WalMart heirs among the highest level of givers, along with David Koch and a few others.
The Waltons have also been giving to Latinos for Education since 2016, a total of about $684,000 and $267,000 of that in 2018. This group’s leadership is out of Teach for America, and the Waltons are the biggest funders of TFA. The foundation gave $150,000 to Latina Circle in 2018. The Walton’s strategy has turned toward LatinX.
Then there are multi-state organizations operating in Massachusetts. One such organization is Education Reform Now, Inc. which provides funds for Democrats for Education Reform Massachusetts. The Waltons underwrite about thirty percent of Education Reform Now Inc. (which has also drawn from other extremist billionaire “Democrats”, including Rupert Murdoch). So if you are following DFER’s #LawrenceBoston campaign, the Waltons are behind that.
Add in Educators for Excellence for a shade under $1.5 million in 2018. E4E is another offshoot begun by TFA alumni with an aim to draw off teachers from the unions. It’s big with the Strategic Grant Partners crowd (more on them soon too).
Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education got $150,000. The Massachusetts Charter Public Schools Association got $874,500.
Remember the Massachusetts Educational Equity Partnership (MEEP), touted by Walton Family Foundation’s Mark Sternberg?
When you see MEEP, think WEEP.
MassParents, Educators for Excellence, and Democrats for Education Reform are political organizations acting as interest groups. But for whom? It’s important that they be accurately identified. If we see that the teachers unions or the Massachusetts Association of School Committees or Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents are advocating for something, it’s fairly easy to infer their interests. But the Waltons hide behind Excellent Great Parents Families for Education masks, and the true interest is rarely identified to voters, parents, and students. It’s keeping us in the dark, which is the point of dark money.
Money never sleeps. Follow the money.
“Business leaders and foundations created with corporate wealth have, through tax-deductible charitable giving, pursued the age-old battle against workers organizing—in yet another stark example of the increasing weaponization of philanthropy for policy combat.” –David Callahan.
[Full disclosure: as an educator in the UMass system, I am a union member. I write about dark money (and other things)].
Worth mentioning that Amanda Fernandez, CEO of Latins for Education, is a member of the state board of education. She replaced Roland “Two-Tier”Fryer. That gives the board three Walmart or TFA affiliates: Fernández; Martin West, editor of Education Next; Margaret McKenna who led the Walmart Foundation from 2007 – 2011, and of course Jim Peyser, Pioneer’s Executive Director for seven years.
So in a state wher more than 90% of kids attend public schools, MA BESE is focused on the wrong sector.