Category Archives: Uncategorized

Here’s the basic rule of practice for reformers. When the truth is no longer is their favor, they resort to silencing and fear tactics to win their battle. After all, if you knew the truth, you might do something about it. Case in point: sometime over the weekend of March 29th-31st, during our Denver event,Continue reading “Education Hackers: They’re Heeere”

(A response from the United Opt Out organizers: Morna McDermott, Tim Slekar, Ruth Rodriguez, Peggy Robertson, Ceresta Smith and Shaun Johnson) In the effort to stay “current” in reporting about the rising tide of the Opt Out movement (aka high stakes standardized testing refusal), journalists are eager to tell the story…but do they do theirContinue reading “Of “Me” I Sing? …. Really?”

(McKinsey, Pearson, Gates and ALEC colonizing the K-12 to college arena) Kahn Academy is the darling of education “reformers” and entrepreneurs, spearheading the movement to provide online instruction in lieu of bodied and interactive learning, to the tune of millions of dollars. Hailed by Forbes and others as the public face of the “flipped learning”Continue reading “THE ALEC-LED PUBLIC EDUCATION LAND GRAB CONTINUES: KAHN ACADEMY TEAMS UP WITH COLLEGE BOARD”

Do you want to know how to tell the difference between a testing “reformer” and a testing resistor? Easy…. Reformers are paid (and handsomely) to be spokespersons for Pearson, Achieve, PARCC, and the myriad of other corporate interests that have hatched Common Core standards and the new rounds of testing that are required under RaceContinue reading “Don’t Sit for Testing-Stand with Chicago”

http://www.1johnny.com/ I can’t believe I’m going to say this but … all this news about data mining in new edu-ventures by corporate sponsored curricula and testing makes me long for the days of passive television entertainment. The American Legislation Exchange Council (ALEC) crafts “model” legislation behind closed doors with coprorations and state policy makers, which willContinue reading “Privacy pirates, policy, and consumerism: Rated “R” for resist”

I read an article by Alice Crites about the influence of big business (corn and sugar) on the food policies and productions. I was astounded at how, within the first minute of reading about how BIG BUSINESS manipulates legislation and public perception in food production, I was able to see how that system of corruptionContinue reading “KING CORN:COMMON CORE SYRUP”

The phrase Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has gone viral. Criticisms of it are broad and deep. Much has been said about its highly questionable federal intrusion, data piracy, costliness, questionable quality, and attachment to new rounds of standardized testing… I could go on, but I won’t. But let’s not also forget the new “middleContinue reading “Three Non-Profits Selling Out Public Education… in the name of “public education””

image from: http://www.protestmusic.org/about/ In honor of musicians who know the power of song as a contribution to social change, who have risked everything to challenge an unjust world, and whose music resonates with the voices of those marginalized in a world of power, greed, selfishness, and tyranny. Let’s not merely honor them as role models.Continue reading “Make some noise: No more silence: Light it up”

“Shutting down public schools and handing them over to private organizations is not a ‘turnaround,’ it is a heist.” — Sabrina Stevens– I am a member of a bloggers group called Basecamp, which has about 100 amazing bloggers comprised of teachers, activists, academics, parents and others from around the country.  Frequently new questions or topics ofContinue reading “Call It What it Is: Predatory Reform”

(click image to enlarge for detail) Looking closely at the chart (click to enlarge) you can see three central players in the education reform movement have all come from the same lineage: Sir Michael Barber (Pearson), David Coleman (College Board and CCSS), and Lou Gerstner (Achieve). Indeed, the stars have aligned for McKinsey and Co’sContinue reading “The Global Powerhouse Designing our Ed Reform Landscape: McKinsey and Co.”