Noted economist Richard Wolf, author of Democracy At Work, Occupy Economy, Capitalism Hit’s the Fan, the Global Economic Meltdown and What To Do About It, spoke on the Bill Moyers show Sunday.

On the show Wolf compared the Stock Market crash of the 1920’s to today’s economic condition stating that the biggest difference between the two recessions is that the people were in such dire straights in 1929, they began to organize and through their collective voice, they received the attention of President Roosevelt who convinced half of the major corporations responsible for the crash, to take responsibility for their actions and help the American people.

He continues to say that today, the American people are like “deer caught in the headlights” unable to believe that they cannot posses the American dream.

Finally, Wolf maintains that the corporations learned from their mistakes of that era and were bound not to repeat them.

The dehumanization and de-Americanization of children became the objective of education. Corporations began to control education when they changed the focus of from creating an enlightened society of knowledgeable citizens to producing workers more suited to the industrialized environment of the factory.

The exchange was subtle, with philanthropic overtones masking the takeover with offerings of consulting services, program grants, and corporate volunteers that would help shape the workforce of the future.

Once districts became reliant on the donations of private entities, those entities withdrew their resources claiming economic disparity, leaving large urban districts in economic upheaval and ripe for takeover.

This cycle is being repeated today, with the same intent and the same results.

If our leaders in education are unable to recognize the reality of the detrimental effect that corporate influence has had on education, they are unable understand the necessity of returning to the original intent of education.

Our collective voice is the only way to stop the corporate machine.

Sign the petition at http://www.greenrochester.org and send a clear message that the Rochester community will not fall prey to the corporate agenda.

Our children deserve a child centered education.

Join the Movement to Save Our Children!