Will Wikipedia Replace Your Kid's Teacher?, The “Blue Screen Of Death” For Education Options Rating

[Jon Awbrey]

ALEC's Restaurant

More information is coming to light about the move by ALEC, DeVos, Koch, the Mackinac Center, and related entities to co-opt our elected officials into serving their corporate ends, namely, to privatize not only public education, but all current public services, indeed, our very government itself.

Here is an article that came out this week —

Amanda Terkel • “Privatization At The Heart Of Divisive Battles In Wisconsin”

The American Legislative Exchange Council is one of the groups most actively advocating privatization nationwide. It has 2500 legislative members, which is about a third of all state lawmakers around the country. One of its most valuable functions is crafting model legislation that lawmakers can then use to propose real bills in their own states. In the past few years, ALEC-inspired legislation has been popping up with increased frequency around the country.

The group just launched “Publicopoly”, a Monopoly-like board game as part of an “initiative to provide solutions for a more effective, efficient government, and a thriving economy”. Visitors to Publicopoly are able to learn about privatizing seven sectors: government operations, education, transportation and infrastructure, public safety, environment, health, and telecommunications.

[Jon Awbrey]

Seattle Education • News and Commentary

When we began our blog, we were collecting information from many sources and trying to piece together the reasons for what was happening in our school system in Seattle in 2008 and 2009. We discovered that what was happening in Seattle was reflective of what was an attempt on a national level to transform public education. Only then did the actions of our superintendent in terms of school closures and program changes begin to make sense. We began to make the connections between Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, the Broad Foundation and charter schools and how that involved the Gates Foundation and ultimately the Race to the Top reform movement led by Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Our focus will still be to collect information regarding education and our goal will be to have an informed public on issues that affect us in Seattle in terms of education but it will now more consciously include looking at what is happening nationally and how that is affecting our public school system in Seattle.

[Jon Awbrey]

First They'll Take Detroit …

Rick Snyder to announce sweeping DPS reforms Monday (June 19, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110619/NEWS...-reforms-Monday

Governor Rick Snyder to announce sweeping DPS reforms today (June 20, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110620/NEWS...S-reforms-today

Sweeping reform plan empowers principals, teachers in low-performing Michigan schools (June 20, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110620/NEWS...ichigan-schools

How new Michigan school district for low-performing schools would work (June 20, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110620/NEWS...ools-would-work

Snyder had idea for changing DPS even before he was governor (June 21, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110621/NEWS...ore-he-governor

DPS's scholarship promise is short on details and resources (June 21, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110621/NEWS...tails-resources

New start for Detroit's worst schools (June 21, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110621/NEWS...s-worst-schools

Editorial • Stronger medicine for sick schools (June 21, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110621/OPIN...ne-sick-schools

Eastern Michigan faculty side with teachers' unions, refuse to work in Detroit schools (June 22, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110622/NEWS...Detroit-schools

Art dealer's trial to begin in DPS corruption case (June 22, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110622/NEWS...corruption-case

Roy Roberts to cut non-teaching jobs, cancel supplier contracts in effort to transform DPS (June 22, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110622/NEWS...t-transform-DPS

Eastern Michigan faculty side with teachers' unions, says they weren't consulted about plan (June 22, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110622/NEWS...lted-about-plan

DPS spent $1.6M on travel, gave raises to consultants (June 24, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110624/NEWS...sultants-travel

Under Bobb, consultants got raises, perks (June 24, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110624/NEWS...ot-raises-perks

Michigan Senate OKs teacher tenure changes (July 1, 2011)
• http://www.freep.com/article/20110701/NEWS...-tenure-changes

[Jon Awbrey]

Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin

Bob Sikes • “The Atlanta Cheating Scandal, the Broad Foundation, NCLB, and the Peril of Attaching Cash to Student Test Scores”

Ann Kane and M. Catharine Evans • “Who's Responsible for the Government Schools Cheating Scandals?”

Bob Sikes • “Detroit Charter Schools Not Getting it Done Either”

Mark Gruenberg • “Probe shows union-busting Michelle Rhee wrote Michigan anti-teacher law”

[Jon Awbrey]

Schools Matter • Jonah Edelman Spills the Oligarchs' Blueprint for Crushing the Teaching Profession

[Jon Awbrey]

The Michigan-Wisconsin Connection

John Nichols • Right-Wing Billionaires Invest in Wisconsin's Recall Elections

[Jon Awbrey]

Wikipedia Extends Its Tentacles Into Schools

Internet Evolution
There are so many ways in which the Web can contribute to educational initiatives and enhance the school experience. We've discussed many of them here at Internet Evolution.

On the other hand, even the most Pollyanna-ish advocate of the Internet's merits must surely agree that it can also make a contribution to the dumbing down of social discourse. Perhaps the most direct way this can come about is if Wikipedia, that fount of misinformation, nonsense, and dysfunctional behavior, is allowed to get anywhere near the education system.

[timbo]

Well, I guess we know that Jon is a teacher.

What we don't know is why he hates Wikipedia so much.

t

[Milton Roe]

Well, I guess we know that Jon is a teacher.

What we don't know is why he hates Wikipedia so much.

t

I've pretty much assumed he was Marian the Librarian from River City for a long time now. I don't think he coaches or is in charge of the glee club.

[Jon Awbrey]

Well, I guess we know that Jon is a teacher.

What we don't know is why he hates Wikipedia so much.

t

I've pretty much assumed he was Marian the Librarian from River City for a long time now. I don't think he coaches or is in charge of the glee club.

He who teaches … is a teacher …





Broadway and Hollywood may demand happy endings for their musicals, but even Marian the Librarian knows that con men don't have hearts of gold in the real world, and you kiddies will still be waiting for your trombones When The Saints Go Marching In.

Jon

[The Joy]

Well, I guess we know that Jon is a teacher.

What we don't know is why he hates Wikipedia so much.

t

http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?showtopic=3609&hl

http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?showtopic=12699&hl

[Jon Awbrey]

livingbehindthegates

Under Pressure From Gates: Top Down, Bottom Up, and Sideways

[Jon Awbrey]

NBC News ◦ Education Nation

GUEST BLOG ◦ The Case for School Vouchers ◦ Patrick M. Byrne ◦ 23 Aug 23, 2011

And now … I can't believe it's not a message from our sponsor …

At Education Nation’s The Learning Curve, the focus is on success. By showcasing smart solutions and celebrating leaders, our hope is to inspire new change-makers in education. Please join the conversation by sharing your thoughts as well.

Education Nation’s The Learning Curve has been made possible through the generous support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

All statements and opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual contributors, and not of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or NBC News.

[Jon Awbrey]

NBC News ◦ Education Nation

GUEST BLOG ◦ The Case for School Vouchers ◦ Patrick M. Byrne ◦ 23 Aug 23, 2011

And now … I can't believe it's not a message from our sponsor …

Comment 1

Yeah, the “Everything Must Be A Lucrative Market” (EMBALM) mentality has been working out so great for society, let's spread it to some areas where it can really screw up something important.

Jon

[Milton Roe]

NBC News ◦ Education Nation

GUEST BLOG ◦ The Case for School Vouchers ◦ Patrick M. Byrne ◦ 23 Aug 23, 2011

And now … I can't believe it's not a message from our sponsor …

Comment 1

Yeah, the “Everything Must Be A Lucrative Market” (EMBALM) mentality has been working out so great for society, let's spread it to some areas where it can really screw up something important.

Jon

School vouchers are merely the GI bill applied to K12.

I dunno what your problem is. The government doesn't run its own hospitals, except for the VA. They give you a voucher on medicare so you can pick your own. Nor does the government doesn't run its own grocery stores: they give poor people EBT cards that work in any grocery store they choose. They are essentially food vouchers like the old food stamps.

The government doesn't provide housing for retirees. They send money and let retirees pick their own housing. That's a housing voucher.

Letting government actually run a program, vs. simply giving people targetted voucher money and letting them choose a provider, is a recipe for disaster. You should check out VA hospitals sometime.

And government housing projects.

[Jon Awbrey]

NBC News ◦ Education Nation

GUEST BLOG ◦ The Case for School Vouchers ◦ Patrick M. Byrne ◦ 23 Aug 23, 2011

And now … I can't believe it's not a message from our sponsor …

Comment 2

Just by way of whistling “ipse dixit”, the most relentless and well-bankrolled promoters of charters and vouchers have themselves identified them as tools in their push to starve public schools out of existence. Here is just a sample of the sources that might be cited.

Richard DeVos Advocates “Stealth” Strategy Against Public Education



Blackwater In-Law DeVos Outlines “Stealth” Plot Against Public Education

Strategy for Privatizing Public Schools Spelled out by Dick DeVos in 2002 Heritage Foundation Speech

Jonah Edelman Spills the Oligarchs' Blueprint for Crushing the Teaching Profession

Jon

[Jon Awbrey]

NBC News ◦ Education Nation

GUEST BLOG ◦ The Case for School Vouchers ◦ Patrick M. Byrne ◦ 23 Aug 23, 2011

And now … I can't believe it's not a message from our sponsor …

Comment 3

Readers who wish to find out what the teachers on the ground think about these issues will find many good resources on Facebook. One of the more active of these was the page titled “Wear Red For Public Ed”, which mysteriously disappeared one day due to the unaccountable machinations of Faceborg Facebots and had to be restarted under the bit more clipped title, “Wear Red For Ed”.

Jon

[thekohser]

NBC News ◦ Education Nation

GUEST BLOG ◦ The Case for School Vouchers ◦ Patrick M. Byrne ◦ 23 Aug 23, 2011

And now … I can't believe it's not a message from our sponsor …

Patrick M. Byrne is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, the legacy foundation of Nobel laureate Milton Friedman and his wife Rose. He is also Chairman and CEO of Overstock.com.

(He is also friends with Judd "Wordbomb" Bagley.)

[Jon Awbrey]

Yes, I believe he even posted here a few times back in the day …

Jon

[Milton Roe]

NBC News ◦ Education Nation

GUEST BLOG ◦ The Case for School Vouchers ◦ Patrick M. Byrne ◦ 23 Aug 23, 2011

And now … I can't believe it's not a message from our sponsor …

Patrick M. Byrne is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, the legacy foundation of Nobel laureate Milton Friedman and his wife Rose. He is also Chairman and CEO of Overstock.com.

(He is also friends with Judd "Wordbomb" Bagley.)

Again, since the government handles most of its programs via some type of voucher or other, from college ed for veterans, to medicare, to EBT/food stamps, to paying for housing on social security, why is it that the gov must be directly involved in propagandizing young minds?

Somebody's terribly afraid that if families can take their voucher credit, pick up, and go to a better school next door, that teachers will actually be accountable for performance, and accountable to the students and their parents. Bad teachers and schools will find themselves with empty classrooms, just like any other service. Scary thought.

Yeah, let's continue to just have the government pay teachers directly, bypassing parents except as they can whine on the local school board, and let the individual students and parents have no choice, unless they want to pay extra. Or vote with their feet to get the hell out of a bad district. GREAT IDEA.