Supporters of conservative businessman Bob Luddy are demanding equal time following the recent NCAE video alleging he's trying to destroy the public school system.
Below is a tribute video that Luddy's supporters put out in December trumpeting what they call "Luddy Education." It looks at his work with Franklin Academy, St. Thomas More Academy and the Thales Academy schools.
"I felt like that our public school system was not really delivering the academic education and also the character development that our students needed," Luddy says in the video. "Too many of these students drop out over time or they don't receive the level of education they need so based on the way I've always done things in my own life, I decided to do something about it myself."
Schools Founded by Bob Luddy from Randy Luddy on Vimeo.
Comments
Luddy's extreme libertarian
Fri, 03/04/2011 - 17:36 — stan_norwalkLuddy's extreme libertarian ideology, not money, drives his campaign to do away with public education. He openly and publicly says he would like public education replaced with private schools + publicly funded vouchers (which have been disgused as tax credits). His failed run for the BOE and his opposition to the '99 bond are part of the picture.
He funds organizations and political parties who want to remake public schools that would advance his vision - including the WCSA. Overall in the last BOE campaign he was by far aand away the largest donor at $23,000, $18,000 to WCSA Is it any wonder Joe would stand up for him? Over the years he has been a major funder of the Wake County and NC Republican Party. A nephew has been head of the Wake Republicans.
His clout comes in part from pairing up with the far wealthier Art Pope. They are both on the Board of the John Locke organization - whose director says the strategy to bring down public education is to destroy public confidence in our schools.
Along with Pope he supports the NC chapter of the Koch Brother Americans for Prosperity with its staewide volunteer organization. In the 2010 election Luddy gave about $70,000 to right-wing candidates and causes.
Fom Captive Air's web site:
Biography of Robert Luddy
Current Civic Leadership Positions
• Member – Blue Ribbon Charter School Commission, 2007-present
• Founder and Chairman of the Board – Thales Academy, 2007-present
• Chairman of the Board – J. W. P. Civitas Institute, 2006-present
• Member – Blue Ribbon Committee on the Future of Wake County, 2005-present
• Founder and Chairman of the Board – St. Thomas More Academy, 2001-present
• Founder and Chairman of the Board – The Franklin Academy, 1998-present
• Member, Board of Directors – John Locke Foundation, 1993-present
Past Civic Leadership Positions
• Chairman of the Board – American Conservative Union Foundation, 2006
• Chairman of the Board – The Center for the Study of Popular Culture, 2002-2005
• Director – Center for Education Reform, 1998-2001
• Member – State Government Reorganization and Privatization Committee, 995-
I doubt Thales runs a profit but its low tuition makes it easy for middle class parents to enroll their children and a $2500 voucher would allow further expansion at the public's expense.
Is he a monster? - thats going too far. All of us are multi-dimensional. If you like his mission and/or look forward to future contributions you can frame the good side of him. If you despise his mission and the clout an unelected offiial can have on our schools and our childrens future, you should fear him.
Many of our public school
Sat, 03/05/2011 - 19:26 — woodstockMany of our public school are failing and even many of our best public school are failiing our most vulnerable students -- in particular, students from low income families and black male students. So there is already a lack of public confidence in our public schools system and we don't need anyone to point that out to us. If I were low income, I would be doing anything possible to give my children a better shot at an education than sending them to public school where they have less than a 50-50 shot in Wake County of even graduating.
So we have Mr. Luddy, who is willing to put his money where his mouth and deliver high-quality education for many students. That he has a desire for more students to gain access to high-quality education is commendable. Providing options for parents and students is something to admire, not try to denigrate.
Are YOU a monster? That might be going to far. Most of us are multi-dimensional, however you seem intent on following the extreme left-wing party line no matter what information is presented to you. I despise your partisan mission and the clout you as an elected offiial can have on our schools and our childrens future. People like you should be feared... then soundly defeated at the ballot box.
Wow thanks Stan
Sat, 03/05/2011 - 08:31 — Voice_of_Reason_I love comparing CV's. I see alot of chairman and director positions in this one. I also see he has schools that relieve the taxpayer burden of educating more children. I see a man that is willing to PUT HIS OWN MONEY where his mouth is. I see a man concerned about children's education. I see a man using research and facts to TRY to influence public opinion. I don't see him using shouting MOBS to influence public opinion. I don't see any money bribing public officials (Campaign contributions have been ruled free speech). The only thing "bad" I see is that he is exercising his free speech rights guaranteed by the US Constitution in a manner that YOU don't agree with. This is your problem Stan, you lack an open mind. You lack tolerance of any other opinion than yours. The real problem is your side has not produced any measurable results of any significance. But WOW!, we have great magnet schools in WCPSS...how exactly does that help ED kids? How does that help the AG kids not lucky enough to get into those schools? How exactly does that help the majority of non-Raleigh center families with children in the rest of the schools?
OK, for the record, I do not support vouchers as a blanket entitlement. I do when schools are overcrowded or failing AND given to only a fixed number of children already in public schools. The priority given to lower income students if they want or are able to take advantage of them. IMHO it would be a win/win since it is cheaper than educating these children, helps the school system deal with growth, and gives them incentive to perform. Also that approach would have the least impact on high income students leaving the system.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND LUNDY IS HE IS NOT AN EXTREME LIBERAL LIKE YOU AND SPENDS HIS OWN MONEY TO ADVANCE HIS CAUSE.
...
Fri, 03/04/2011 - 20:52 — Sideburns"Overall in the last BOE campaign he was by far aand away the largest donor at $23,000, $18,000 to WCSA "
Why do you just make stuff up? You have no credibility.
Wow, there is no comparison
Fri, 03/04/2011 - 10:30 — woodstockWow, there is no comparison between the high-quality, respectful, and academic focus of Luddy's elegant video and the shoddy and mean-spirited attack video produced by the increasingly irrelevant NCAE. It clearly shows who has students' best interests art heart. Frankly, anyone who chooses to remain a member of the NCAE at this point should be suspect in terms of what their motives are in education.
What about Jim goodnight?
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 11:39 — PrivateSchoolDadIf Mr. Luddy is considered a "monster" or trying to ruin public education to grow demand for private schools. Then shouldn't the same be said about Jim Goodnight? He owns private schools too and as I understand a fairly savvy businessman, wouldn't make since for him to also want to "destroy" the public schools for his personal gain as well as business success?
But let's regress. The hypothesis that "Mr. Luddy wants to ruin public education" What is the proof? Supporting local schools and getting rid of the diversity policy? Where are his private schools located? The public schools near these locations are they "healthy" or "unhealthy"? Would removing the diversity policy improve these schools and reduce demand for private education? I think if you look at the demographics, you will see that his political and public education views will reduce the demand for his schools in their current locations. Also, I believe that his schools are growing at the rate he expects, so why would he need to"destroy" the public schools to benefit? There is no logic behind this argument. If he wanted to create demand for his schools, he would advocate more bussing of students from Apex and Wake Forest instead of less. Also does someone that says the bar for public education is too low, sound like someone that wants to destroy public education? I think it sounds like someone pointing out the Emperors' new clothes!
I dont definitively think
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 22:09 — Andrew95I dont definitively think that the schoolboard majority is influenced by Luddy, but he certainly does have something to gain by harming the public school system...
What does he gain by
Sat, 03/05/2011 - 19:28 — woodstockWhat does he gain by "harming the public school system?" What do you mean by that. Does Duke University "harm" the NC University System?
What?
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 08:42 — Bob_SconceI see a philanthropist. How does he gain?
I think Luddy just cares
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 22:39 — CaryCurmudgeonI think Luddy just cares about improving education. He's rich, even has his own jet. There is no money to be made in private education -- he'd make far more money if he spent that time on business endeavors. Although I disagree, I'm glad you used the term "harming" instead of "destroying" like some of the sensationalists are doing. I think public, charter and private schools can peacefully coexist. The fanned fears about vouchers being introduced which will put the public school system out of business are ridiculously overblown. To begin with, I don't think the money is there to fund vouchers (as pointed out by others, you first have to give them to the 18% of students are already out of the public school system before the program moves the first kid. Paul Stam might be a big fan, but I don't think there is general public support for the idea, and I'd be surprised if a majority of the legislature supported him.
I have only spoken with Bob Luddy a couple of times, but I found him to be anything but the monster he's been portrayed as.
I certainly don't think he's
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 23:12 — Andrew95I certainly don't think he's a monster. Very few men can earn that title. But he's also for the privitization of, well, everything (which is his opinon, and he's entitled to it.) And while I'm sure he's not depending on the privitzation of schools to uphold his fortune, it also isn't a pointless end for him.
He also helped to create the shortage of school space we have today by blocking the bond that would've bugeted money for new schools, which contributed somewhat to the disappointment that caused this whole uproar over the diversity "policy" in the first place. Now, I think the diversity policy is a scapegoat for a growth problem, but that is obviously debatable.
And the bond (you say Luddy
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 13:05 — shearertwAnd the bond (you say Luddy destroyed) was a scapegoat for the developers, realtors, and real estate attorneys that made a killing from 1999-early 2008 and paid little to nothing to alleviate the "growth problem" that they put on the backs of the existing residents.
.... those would be the same
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 13:44 — CaryCurmudgeon.... those would be the same "Friends" of Wake County who spent a fortune to ensure that the next bond succeeded, so that they could continue to have taxpayers fund the cost of their development.
That is exactly my point.
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 15:26 — shearertwThat is exactly my point. That is exactly the #1 most screwed up thing about Wake County. The existing tax payers take on the burden of growth county-wide. You may live in a low growth area of the county, but you are expected to fund the infrastructure (school buildings included) a high growh area. There is absolute no connection (that I'm aware of) between local town councils approving of new growth and development and the cost that burdens the tax payers across the entire county. In other words, someone living in Garner needs to follow what's going on in the town of Wake Forest to know how that may affect their property taxes yet they have absolutely no say in the matter. Great for developers, realtors, builders, and real estate attorneys but not for the rest of us.
Sounds like you'd agree that
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 12:58 — CaryCurmudgeonSounds like you'd agree that Luddy is not looking to profit from his efforts, but to leave his mark on the world. I'm not sure what role Luddy played in defeating the '99 bond, but I concede your point that that bond failure helped create a lot of problems in our school system.
But here's some food for thought. Luddy's motivation is not money. Consider that many of the principals who have been fighting to deep the old busing plan are motivated by money: The Chamber of Commerce is funded by business, and has a mission of improving the business climate. WEP is funded by local businesses. Jim Goodnight is a developer.
Look through campaign finance reports for any town- or county-level elections, and follow the money. Developers (I include developers, home builders, realtors and real estate law firms in this group) are far and away the biggest contributers in any election. They pump their money into whoever they believe will pave the way for development growth. Focus on local Republican candidates, you'll find developers investing a small fortune. Then, look through the school board campaign funding reports from the last election. You'll find no developer money on the Republican side, because what money they spent went to Democrats. Here's why: The developers love the "Every school in Wake County is Great" facade that has been maintained through diversity busing. It makes it easier for them to attract business and to make money. It has nothing to do with education. The developer money that has propped up pro-busing candidates is the same money that flows to the Chamber of Commerce. Simply put, it is bad for business if we don't bus students.
I have no doubt that Luddy's goal is to improve education. But given the way the money flows in this county, I have serious questions about some of the pro-busing antagonists. I'm sure you've already figured out that money can be an overwhelming motivator for some people.