“ I am an Ariel Student. That means that I AM THE BEST. The way that I show that I am the best is through: Good schoolwork, good behavior, good manners, and by being a good friend. That’s what it takes to be an Ariel Student.”
I left medicine so I could teach public high school.
Arne Duncan left professional basketball so that he could run the Ariel Education Initiative, the philanthropy efforts of a private corporation founded by John. W. Rogers, Jr., that makes money by manipulating money.
Mr. Rogers got stock certificates for Christmas and birthdays. He went to school at the same school as Arne, University of Chicago Lab School. He founded Ariel Investments at age 26.
Ms. Jewel Lafontant, a trustee of the Howard University who sat on the Board of Directors for both Mobil and Revlon, was one of the original investors. She had a lot of friends, friends who invested in Ariel.
Ms. Lafontant was John's mother.
John Rogers, Jr., comes from privilege. Arne Duncan comes from privilege. Their educational philosophy reflects this. Kids from privilege do better, on average, than those who do not.
The obvious, data-driven message? We need more rich and powerful (RAP) mothers. To this end, Arne Duncan and John Rogers are expected to announce the RAP Initiative by the end of this month:
Arne:
Sitting in the basement
At my mother's knee
I learned to spell success as
M-O-N-I-E
John:
Start a new fund
Forget equality
Education starts
With mommy's equity.
Arne and John:
Gotta be prepared
For the new century
Education's creed
In a word: usury
If you want to play, kids
And outcompete each other
Forget about the books, and
Get a RAP mother!
The video on the Ariel Education Initiative's home page focuses exclusively on investing in stocks.
Kids with ties and white shirts speak Wallstreetese. Cute!
John Rogers, Jr., image from Life.
Kids with ties and white shirts speak Wallstreetese. Cute!
John Rogers, Jr., image from Life.
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2 comments:
Random responses:
1. Well-mannered people rarely change the world.
2. Am I the only one thinking these initiatives reek of assimilation schools and "white man's burden" crap of the late 1800s?
3. Revlon dumped chemicals in Maryvale (the neighborhood where I teach) leaving huge cancer clusters. Even with a payout, the plaintiffs didn't get enough to pay for their medical bills. Then Revlon sent their factory off to China.
I did not know that about Revlon, but they are following a common pattern of corporate irresponsibility--or maybe not. The only true responsibility of a publicly owned corporation is to maximize profits.
Really. That's the law.
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