Under Randy Ward the Oakland school district is planning on converting 8 failing schools to charter schools. The reaction from the teacher union president versus Oakland parents really sheds light on the union’s priorities. No surprise, but it is always shocking to see how unashamed the union is while locking children in failing schools. “We don’t need to be doing the dirty work for George Bush here in Oakland,” teachers union President Ben Visnick told Ward during the meeting. “Don’t pick on the poor kids. Shame on you. Shame on you.” Compare that with this quote from a grandparent with a child in a failing school in Oakland: Great-grandmother Mary Degraffenreed said she does not mind if the school does become a charter, “as long as my grandchild learns.” So trying to make the failing schools more competitive and responsive is picking on poor children but leaving the children in a school that has failed for several years is NOT.