The Education Upstarts - Rachael Brown - The Atlantic

The Education Upstarts - Rachael Brown - The Atlantic:

The Education Upstarts

Education policy has long featured two players—the government and teachers unions. But in recent years, a new generation of activists has stepped up to lobby legislators and drive the conversation. A rundown of worthy upstarts.

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By RACHAEL BROWN

Graphics by Kiss Me I'm Polish
Stand for Children
Who: Co-founder and CEO Jonah Edelman is the son of the civil-rights leader Marian Wright Edelman.
What: The most grassroots of these groups. Leads efforts to lobby state governments for reforms such as value-added teacher evaluations and more-equitable school funding.
Democrats for Education Reform
Who: Bankers, CEOs, and other wealthy Democrats. Adviser Cory Booker lends liberal star power.
What: Offers political cover to Democratic politicians who alienate teachers unions by supporting education reforms such as mayoral control of schools and national curriculum standards. Has helped loosen the unions’ grip on the party.
Students First
Who: Founded by Michelle Rhee in 2010 after she stepped down as schools chancellor in D.C.
What: Uses its 1 million–strong e-mail list to lobby for data-based teacher evaluations and against seniority-based teacher layoffs. Rhee garners lots of attention, but her group has yet to establish itself as a major player on

Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformers 

Just Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTER

Astroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run by corporate interests seeking to further their own agendas. Such groups are often typified by innocent-sounding names that have been chosen specifically to disguise the group's true backers

Just Like Michelle Rhee's

 Students first Astroturf lobbying (only Better) 

Other Astroturf lobbying groups

Just Like Michelle Rhee's

 Students first Astroturf lobbying (only Better)