There has been an interesting spate of "news" recently regarding the nation's public community colleges. The timing of articles appearing in March and April seem suspicious as they all follow on the heels of the defeat of California Assembly Bill 515, which would have partially privatized the California community college system.
The bill would have allowed for the creation of an internal governing board within community college districts that could then be authorized to sell college courses based on a students' ability to pay. This proposed pay-to-play system would have semi-privatized the 112 community colleges. The fact that it did not pass has infuriated the corporate press, eager to see all education privatized.
The corporate articles also come after a wave of opposition to the Student Success Task Force (SSTF) recommendations developed by the California community colleges chancellor's office, recently announced on January 11, 2012. The recommendations, if adopted, would centralize control of community colleges, impose assessments developed by for-profit corporations and develop target assessments. SSTF also would set up a rationing program for students, giving students the bum's rush by limiting the amount of time and number of classes students could take at a California community college. SSTF is basically "Race to the Top" for the California community college system with the same onerous privatization and financialization schemes.
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