Monday, June 16, 2014

What People Are Saying about Hoosier School Heist after the Dance Circus

By Doug Martin

As I come off of my buzz from speaking to over 700 people as Dance Circus Ringmaster for the Nancy Sauer School of Theatrical Dancing's 60th Anniversary performances in Indiana (check out a few photos here: it was a great way to get the word out about corporate ed. reform to parents) and prepare for my talk at the IUPUI-Indiana Urban Schools Association's summer conference this week, I want to give readers an overview of my book Hoosier School Heist and what people have been saying about the book.  So, here it is, below this lovely pic of me with the circus dancers who recently danced at an Indiana Fever game and were highlighted in the Associated Press:



From the book’s press release:

Doug Martin’s Hoosier School Heist: How Corporations and Theocrats Stole Democracy From Public Education is out!  While mentioning Philly, Chicago, DC, New Orleans, Boston, and other cities across America, the book focuses on the assault on Indiana public schools and gives the dirt on the billionaires, theocrats, and corporations who are really calling the shots from behind the scenes: Jeb Bush, ALEC, the Waltons of Walmart, Bill Gates, Eli Lilly, Overstock.com, the Bradley Foundation, the Friedman Foundation, Amway’s DeVos family, hedge fund managers, and many, many more. 

In Hoosier School Heist, Martin follows the scandals, the corruption, and the money, showing how friends of Mitch Daniels and charter school leaders (many who fund Indiana Republicans) are stealing millions of our tax dollars and putting public education in jeopardy.  Shockingly, Martin ties school vouchers to torture, shows people breaking Open Door Laws, describes felons, plagiarists, crony banksters, Wall Street Democrats, people who did time in prison (and many more who should have), liars, hypocrites, dictators, child abusers, and even Turkish Muslim charter schools raided by the FBI. That is why Martin’s work has been or will soon be used by or featured in the Washington Post AnswerSheet, ABC’s Nightline, and the Associated Press. 
 
 What a few people are saying about Hoosier School Heist:

 This is one of the scariest books I have ever read. If only it were a work of fiction. I believe in public education. I cannot believe that in a country as great as ours, it has come to this.” Caelea Armstrong, Goodreads

“Warning! Hoosier School Heist will shock and make you angry. In an unbiased fashion, Doug Martin uncovers how the public education takeover crisis in Indiana was manufactured to benefit special interests and the politicians who serve them. This book will make you sick from what they have done and what they are doing to you and your children.” Daymon Brodhacker, Democratic candidate for District 60 of the Indiana House of Representatives

“Maybe it’s the legacy of Eugene V. Debs or the memory of coal-field union wars, but Western Indiana progressives say what they think. Martin’s give-‘em-hell approach reminds me of United Mine Workers members I met while writing about coal strikes 30 years ago.” Steve Hinnefeld, School Matters

Doug explains “games billionaires play” including joining with weird religious cults to program your little ones with propaganda. … Tea Party groups, education groups, voters, and candidates are welcome to invite Mr. Martin to meetings to explain the tricks planned to steal more of your wealth.  (I believe all elections are about these tricks of stealing wealth and freedom.  It’s about time we talked about them).” Ed Gluck, former Libertarian Party candidate for the Indiana statehouse

“Doug Martin’s work documents a horrendous corporate takeover of community schools and community values.  It shows how corporate interests often disguise themselves as foundation largesse.  It shows what’s likely coming to your community soon.”  Susan Ohanian, recipient of the George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contributions to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language and co-author of Why Is Corporate America Bashing Our Public Schools

“Doug Martin offers readers facts rather than just more opinions from one particular “side of the aisle,” he follows the money, and he names names: from the Indy Pharm giant Eli Lilly, to politicians like Mitch “Daniels and Tony Bennett, to the out in the open oligarchs at the Walton and Gates Foundations, and finally he names the lower level soldiers these groups plant on school boards and grant funding organizations and who write op-eds in local newspapers under the banner of independent ‘Policy Reviews.’ That is, Martin relentlessly exposes every evil practice and every evil act whether performed by politician or business person.” Douglas Storm, WFHB Interchange radio show, Bloomington, during his interview with Doug Martin

“Martin is Indiana’s loudest and most knowledgeable critic of for-profit charter schools and school vouchers.”  Steve Kash, Tribune Star

“Doug Martin has a picture perfect cautionary tale that mimics another Titanic!  It felt like I had just read a murder cover-up and was following the blood trail of corporate $$$$.  A must-read for all involved in education in Indiana and across the globe.”  Justin Oakley, AFT Indiana and host of Just Let Me Teach radio show

 A few of Doug Martin’s national radio appearances:

 Doug Martin on Liberal Fix radio
 Doug Martin on @ The Chalk Face

 

No comments:

Post a Comment