Education Nation, 2013: Will NBC News Use the Gates Foundation's Facts Again? Or Can We Get a Real Dialogue Going?
NBC News will be presenting, for the fourth time, several days of programming focused on education. Education Nation will take to the airwaves from October 6 to 8, broadcasting from the New York Public Library.
NBC News states the purpose of this project in this way:
NBC News states the purpose of this project in this way:
"Education Nation" seeks to create a thoughtful, well-informed dialogue with policymakers, thought-leaders, educators, parents and the public, in pursuit of the shared goal of providing every American with an opportunity to achieve the best education in the world. These discussions cover the challenges, potential solutions and innovations spanning the education landscape.
Once again educators are asking, "Will the full story be told? Will this news department feature the very real debate over the future of public education?"
Two years ago, Brian Williams opened Education Nation's Teacher Town Hall event with an interview with Melinda Gates, saying:
Gates Foundation, one of the sponsors of this event, and the largest single funder of education anywhere in the world. It's their facts that we're going to be referring to often to help along our conversation.
This statement set the tone for the event. And it was in line with the previous year's Education Nation, which heavily promoted the "stars" of "Waiting for Superman," including Michelle Rhee and Bill Gates himself. That year, NBC went so far as to block me and others expressing differing views from the Education Nation Facebook page, though that was eventually lifted.
Education Nation has occasionally acknowledged the presence of different opinions, chiefly in the Teacher Town Hall. The panels of experts, however, are noteworthy for the absence of