US Corporations Are Micromanaging Curricula to Miseducate Students

US Corporations Are Micromanaging Curricula to Miseducate Students

US Corporations Are Micromanaging Curricula to Miseducate Students

Over the past year, the Trump administration’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educational program garnered $300 million in pledges from big tech companies. Implicit in this push is the commonly accepted though questionable notion that millions of cutting-edge STEM jobs await US workers but go unfilled because public schools have failed to prepare students for them. The STEM bandwagon rolls on at the expense of social studies, art, history and literature — all deemed “irrelevant” to career success and to education as a commodity — while promoting often biased and inaccurate corporate curricula.

Open inquiry scarcely figures in corporate-funded curricula, according to Gerald Coles’s recently published book, Miseducating for the Global Economy. Coles points to materials developed by the Bill of Rights Institute (an organization created by the billionaire Koch brothers) as an example of the ideological distortions present in corporate-funded educational materials. For example, the curriculum developed by the institute teaches students that “the Occupy movement violated the rights of others.”

Though Occupy protested abuses of the richest 1 percent, the Bill of Rights Institute curriculum is not concerned with this. Instead, according to Coles, it asks whether the police crackdown on Occupy was justified — and answers “yes,” because the New York Occupy demonstrators had purportedly damaged both the park and adjacent neighborhood. Somehow this was construed as a First Amendment violation and “consequently the government had a right to inflict pain (with pepper spray, for example) on the Bill of Rights abusers.” Occupy protesters in CONTINUE READING: US Corporations Are Micromanaging Curricula to Miseducate Students

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Posts This Week 12/29/18

TODAY

Major charter organization says it will sit out March primary for L.A. school board seat - Los Angeles Times

by mike simpson / 1h

Major charter organization says it will sit out March primary for L.A. school board seat - Los Angeles Times Major charter organization says it will sit out March primary for L.A. school board seat Recent races for the Los Angeles Board of Education have been the most expensive school board contests in the nation’s history — and charter school supporters spent millions more than anyone else. But

NAACP is supporting ⁦‪union‬⁩ call for charter cap in California | Cloaking Inequity

by mike simpson / 2h

NAACP is supporting ⁦‪union‬⁩ call for charter cap in California | Cloaking Inequity NAACP IS SUPPORTING ⁦‪UNION‬⁩ CALL FOR CHARTER CAP IN CALIFORNIA Glad to announce that ⁦the California NAACP⁩ is supporting ⁦United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) call for charter cap in California. Please Facebook Like, Tweet, etc below and/or reblog to share this discussion with others. Check out and follow my You

CURMUDGUCATION: Why Teachers Don't Use The Software Their Districts Paid For

by mike simpson / 3h

CURMUDGUCATION: Why Teachers Don't Use The Software Their Districts Paid For Why Teachers Don't Use The Software Their Districts Paid For Ryan Baker (University of Pennsylvania's Center for Learning Analytics) unleashed a small surprise last month with a report indicating that the vast amount of software licenses purchased by school districts are simply never used . There are points on which we m

A teacher makes 2019 education predictions — some he 'desperately’ hopes won’t come true - The Washington Post

by mike simpson / 3h

A teacher makes 2019 education predictions — some he 'desperately’ hopes won’t come true - The Washington Post A teacher makes 2019 education predictions — some he 'desperately’ hopes won’t come true This is the eighth year that I am publishing veteran teacher Larry Ferlazzo’s education predictions for the coming year — and, frankly, some of them are bold, if not scary. (You can see his predictio

YESTERDAY

Lois Weiner: What's At Stake in the LA Teachers Union Standoff - LA Progressive

by mike simpson / 1d

What's At Stake in the LA Teachers Union Standoff - LA Progressive What’s At Stake in the LA Teachers Union Standoff F ar more is at stake in Los Angeles than a traditional contract struggle in the stand-off between United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) and LAUSD. What even conscientious followers of media outlets likely don’t know is the reforms LAUSD has demanded in Los Angeles schools are base

NYC Public School Parents: Highlights of 2018 in books, education policy and political activism

by mike simpson / 1d

NYC Public School Parents: Highlights of 2018 in books, education policy and political activism Highlights of 2018 in books, education policy and political activism Here is my collection of bests from 2018 – in books, education policy, and politics. This is far from an exhaustive or authoritative list but merely one from my perspective, sitting here in NYC and glimpsing encouraging and even inspi

2018 Top Ten: Medley #25 – Live Long and Prosper

by mike simpson / 1d

2018 Top Ten: Medley #25 – Live Long and Prosper 2018 Top Ten: Medley #25 We’re coming to the end of another calendar year so it’s time for resolutions and “best of” lists. Here’s the list of this blog’s Top Ten Posts of the Year according to the number of hits each one received. #10, MARCH 29 What’s Bugging Me Today: Testing Ignorance – RTFM The Children’s Defense Fund released a report which re

Goliath Responds: I Am Not Goliath! | Diane Ravitch's blog

by mike simpson / 1d

Goliath Responds: I Am Not Goliath! | Diane Ravitch's blog Goliath Responds: I Am Not Goliath! On December 23, I posted an email exchange I had with Mike Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute , in which we disagreed about who was the Goliath and who was the David in the field of education. Mike objected to my characterization of the billionaire-supported “Reform” movement as the Goliaths of

DEC 27

A Gadfly’s Dozen: Top 13 Education Articles of 2018 (By Me) | gadflyonthewallblog

by mike simpson / 2d

A Gadfly’s Dozen: Top 13 Education Articles of 2018 (By Me) | gadflyonthewallblog A Gadfly’s Dozen: Top 13 Education Articles of 2018 (By Me) I’m not going to mince words. This year, 2018, has been a monster. We’ve been fighting the dumbest and most corrupt President of our lives – Donald Trump. And we’ve been making progress . Thanks to the midterm election blue wave in the U.S. House, Trump wil

Certain Students Not Encouraged to Apply to Charter Schools | Education News | US News

by mike simpson / 2d

Certain Students Not Encouraged to Apply to Charter Schools | Education News | US News Tailoring the Charter School Population Students with behavior problems, low achievement or special needs are sometimes not encouraged to apply to charter schools. CHARTER SCHOOLS AND public schools of choice – those in school districts that allow students to choose from any number of schools instead of zoning

DEC 26

SPOTLIGHT BLOG OF THE WEEK: JAN RESSEGER BLOG (janresseger.wordpress.com)

by mike simpson / 2d

SPOTLIGHT BLOG OF THE WEEK: JAN RESSEGER BLOG ( janresseger.wordpress.com ) DEC 14 What If Policymakers Stopped Condemning Poor People and Considered their Real Needs and Circumstances? by janresseger / 12d Merry Christmas and Good Wishes for the Season! This blog will take a holiday break. Look for a new post early in the new year. In 2012, Mike Rose published Back to School: Why Everyone Deserv

DEC 19

Big Education Ape Will Be Off For The Next Several Days Celebrating The Holidays Happy Solstice Everyone

by mike simpson / 9d

Winter solstice: Why pagans celebrate the shortest day of the year (a day late) BIG EDUCATION APE WILL BE OFF FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS HAPPY SOLSTICE EVERYONE Winter solstice: Why pagans celebrate the shortest day of the year (a day late) The December solstice happens at the same instant for everyone, everywhere on Earth – and this year the winter solstice occurs on Frid

DeVos' Solution to Mass School Shootings? Scrap the Rules Designed to End Discrimination Against Students of Color

by mike simpson / 10d

DeVos' Solution to Mass School Shootings? Scrap the Rules Designed to End Discrimination Against Students of Color DeVos' Solution to Mass School Shootings? Scrap the Rules Designed to End Discrimination Against Students of Color "The Trump administration's response to school shootings is to make it easier (again) to suspend black kids." Update: The highly anticipated Final Report (pdf) from the

The 'dirty secret' about educational innovation - The Hechinger Report

by mike simpson / 10d

The 'dirty secret' about educational innovation - The Hechinger Report The ‘dirty secret’ about educational innovation A 2018 federal report found that only 18 percent of the innovations funded by the Education Department lifted student achievement As part of the federal recovery effort to boost the economy after the 2008 recession, the U.S. Education Department suddenly had a big pot of money to

Disability Advocates Concerned By Plan To Axe School Discipline Guidance - Disability Scoop

by mike simpson / 10d

Disability Advocates Concerned By Plan To Axe School Discipline Guidance - Disability Scoop Disability Advocates Concerned By Plan To Axe School Discipline Guidance A Trump administration school safety commission is recommending that federal officials rescind Obama-era guidance aimed at ensuring that minorities and students with disabilities aren’t unfairly disciplined. In a 180-page report relea

College Options for High School Grads with Low or Modest GPAs | deutsch29

by mike simpson / 10d

College Options for High School Grads with Low or Modest GPAs | deutsch29 College Options for High School Grads with Low or Modest GPAs In May 2018, Anna Wulick of ACT’s PrepScholar blog posted this informative entry for high school graduates who wish to attend four-year college but who have less-than-impressive GPAs. For those high school grads whose GPAs are really low (like, “I walked the D-av

Why Change is Often Confused with Reform: The Multi-layered Curriculum | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by mike simpson / 10d

Why Change is Often Confused with Reform: The Multi-layered Curriculum | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice Why Change is Often Confused with Reform: The Multi-layered Curriculum I published this post in 2012. I have updated both text and references. After extensive deliberation and committee meetings, state and district officials publish curricular frameworks and courses of stud

CURMUDGUCATION: OK: Another Rich Amateur Assault On Education.

by mike simpson / 10d

CURMUDGUCATION: OK: Another Rich Amateur Assault On Education. OK: Another Rich Amateur Assault On Education. Hechinger Report elevated my blood pressure with a story that is a near-perfect microcosm of the state of public education and, really, democracy in 2018. Looks like a fun guy. Paul Campbell is a successful business guy . He put in over a decade with Rolls-Royce in Indiana, rising to the

DEC 17

‘Choice’ has become an excuse for charter and voucher schools to discriminate | Alternet

by mike simpson / 11d

‘Choice’ has become an excuse for charter and voucher schools to discriminate | Alternet ‘Choice’ has become an excuse for charter and voucher schools to discriminate The evidence mounts: Not all families have equal access to the education opportunities advocated by Betsy DeVos. When prominent advocates for “school choice,” such as U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, talk about how a market-

The #RedforEd Wave Is Likely to Build, Not Subside, in 2019 - Progressive.org

by mike simpson / 11d

The #RedforEd Wave Is Likely to Build, Not Subside, in 2019 - Progressive.org The #RedforEd Wave Is Likely to Build, Not Subside, in 2019 Teachers unions are poised to strike across the country. Earlier this year, #RedforEd campaigns took off around the country, from West Virginia to Oklahoma and points in between. Teachers and support staff, even in notoriously anti-labor states like Arizona, wa

Audit blasts Sac City Unified for budget mismanagement, warns of possible state takeover | The Sacramento Bee

by mike simpson / 12d

Audit scolds Sac City Unified over $30 million deficit | The Sacramento Bee Audit blasts Sac City Unified for budget mismanagement, warns of possible state takeover The financial clock is winding down for the Sacramento City Unified School District. An independent fiscal manager warned late Thursday that if the district fails to plug a $30 million budget hole, it could trigger a takeover by the s

Tennessee US Sen. Lamar Alexander will not seek re-election in 2020

by mike simpson / 12d

Tennessee US Sen. Lamar Alexander will not seek re-election in 2020 US Sen. Lamar Alexander will not seek re-election in 2020 After roughly a quarter century in elected office, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander will retire. The former Republican governor, who has served in the Senate since first being elected in 2002, said Monday that he will not seek a fourth term in the upper chamber. “I will not be a

2019 Brings Exciting News and a Big Agenda for NPE - Network For Public Education

by mike simpson / 12d

2019 Brings Exciting News and a Big Agenda for NPE - Network For Public Education 2019 Brings Exciting News and a Big Agenda for NPE Happy holidays from the Network for Public Education! We are pleased to announce that in January, we will expand our Board of Directors and our staff. Beginning February 1, Marla Kilfoyle , the former Executive Director of the BATS will join NPE as our Grassroots Li

Is the Kentucky GOP Trying to Intimidate Democratic Teachers Into Not Running for Office? | deutsch29

by mike simpson / 12d

Is the Kentucky GOP Trying to Intimidate Democratic Teachers Into Not Running for Office? | deutsch29 Is the Kentucky GOP Trying to Intimidate Democratic Teachers Into Not Running for Office? It seems so. On December 14, 2018, Kentucky’s Courier Journal reported that the Kentucky GOP has filed numerous public records requests for teacher emails, and it seems that these requests are little more th

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Rahm's parting shots at public ed -- Goolsbee & pension theft

by mike simpson / 12d

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Rahm's parting shots at public ed -- Goolsbee & pension theft Rahm's parting shots at public ed -- Goolsbee & pension theft Austan Goolsbee Before he leaves us, our lame duck Mayor Rahm Emanuel is taking a few parting shots at the unions and progressives who helped make a third run for him a lost cause. THE FIRST SHOT…was aimed at city workers pensions. Rahm wants to amend th

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Sleeping In Edition (12/16)

by mike simpson / 12d

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Sleeping In Edition (12/16) ICYMI: Sleeping In Edition (12/16) Since you don't get the whole day to read through the list, I'll keep things relatively short. The Cautionary Tale of Correspondence Schools Some edu-history of an oft-forgotten chapter with interesting implications for modern reform ideas like personalized [sic] learning. A long read, but an fascinating one. Ch

Badass Teachers Association: New year! New vision! New leadership!

by mike simpson / 12d

Badass Teachers Association: New year! New vision! New leadership! New year! New vision! New leadership! The Board of Directors of the Badass Teachers Association, a grassroots public education advocacy organization of nearly 65,000 members are excited to announce a few recent changes within the BAT leadership team. Melissa Tomlinson, former Assistant Executive Director, has now been named Interi

DEC 16

Do all lives still matter? Asking for a little girl - enrique baloyra @nenebalo YouTube

by mike simpson / 12d

Do all lives still matter? Asking for a little girl - YouTube Do all lives still matter? Asking for a little girl enrique baloyra @nenebalo YouTube On Thursday the Washington Post broke the story that an indigenous girl had died while in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody the week before. Seven-year-old Jakelin Ameí Rosmery Caal Maquin and her father traveled over a thousand miles through

SPOTLIGHT BLOG OF THE MONTH: GADFLY ON THE WALL BLOG (gadflyonthewallblog.com)

by mike simpson / 12d

gadflyonthewallblog | "To sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth." SPOTLIGHT BLOG OF THE MONTH: GADFLY ON THE WALL BLOG (gadflyonthewallblog.com) MOST POPULAR What Happened to 2018 As The Year of the Teacher? 70 by stevenmsinger / 2d This year teachers took their mission way beyond the classroom. Starting in West Virginia, we staged half-a-dozen walkouts in red states

KLCS THE LAUSD PUBLIC TV STATION Dismissed: Protest at LAUSD Board Meeting

by mike simpson / 13d

KLCS Dismissed KLCS Dismissed: Protest at LAUSD Board Meeting Austin Beutner you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side. LAUSD Parents and Students As if the responsibility for educating 694,096 students was not enough, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) also owns and operates a television station. KLCS is part of the Public Broadcasting System and one of the Los Angeles homes for S

CURMUDGUCATION: A Book About Rural Ed: No Longer Forgotten

by mike simpson / 13d

CURMUDGUCATION: A Book About Rural Ed: No Longer Forgotten A Book About Rural Ed: No Longer Forgotten Andy Smarick and Mike McShane, they of the AEI-Bellwether-Fordham axis of reformerdom, have put together a book about "the triumphs and struggles of rural education in America," and I grabbed a copy because rural education A) is hardly ever part of the Education Debates and B) is mostly where I'v

School Choice Deception: Florida’s Plan and Students Who Don’t Measure Up

by mike simpson / 13d

School Choice Deception: Florida’s Plan and Students Who Don’t Measure Up School Choice Deception: Florida’s Plan and Students Who Don’t Measure Up Florida is a bellwether state. What happens to schools there will move to other states in one form or another. I would like to share a personal story of how I met school choice as a teacher in Florida and how it helped cement in me the desire to advoc

ITEP’ing the Scale: Part 1 – Educate Louisiana

by mike simpson / 13d

ITEP’ing the Scale: Part 1 – Educate Louisiana ITEP’ing the Scale: Part 1 Driftwood LNG located in Carlyss, La. Despite enormous push back and passionate testimony from citizens, on Friday, December 14th, the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry approved what is arguably the largest property tax exemption ever granted in the nation. Tellurian Inc., the applicant of the Industrial Tax Exemptio

LAUSD Teachers March in DTLA as Union Moves Closer to Calling First Strike in Nearly 30 Years | KTLA

by mike simpson / 13d

LAUSD Teachers March in DTLA as Union Moves Closer to Calling First Strike in Nearly 30 Years | KTLA LAUSD Teachers March in DTLA as Union Moves Closer to Calling First Strike in Nearly 30 Years Thousands of teachers, students and union allies marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, from City Hall to the Broad Museum, a month ahead of a possible strike that L.A. educators have threatene

California: Teachers in Los Angeles and Oakland Preparing for Confrontation | Diane Ravitch's blog

by mike simpson / 13d

California: Teachers in Los Angeles and Oakland Preparing for Confrontation | Diane Ravitch's blog California: Teachers in Los Angeles and Oakland Preparing for Confrontation Bill Raden of Capital & Main reports on potential strike developments in Los Angeles and Oakland. Two California teachers unions, which are currently deadlocked in separate contract talks with their respective school distric

Can charter schools be reformed? Should they be? - The Washington Post

by mike simpson / 13d

Can charter schools be reformed? Should they be? - The Washington Post Can charter schools be reformed? Should they be? In 2013, I published a post with this headline: “ Why charter schools need better oversight .” The author of the piece, Jeff Bryant, wrote: There are undoubtedly wonderful charter schools in existence, and Americans generally have a favorable opinion of charters, but hardly a we

DEC 15

Top Posts This Week 12/15/18 #REDFORED #UTLAStrong #StrikeReady #March4Ed #WeAreLA

by mike simpson / 14d

Top Posts This Week 12/15/18 Dirty Work: The Creeping Rollback of Child Labor Laws - TIME Reflecting On Six Years Of The Education Opportunity Network CURMUDGUCATION: Why What Works Doesn't Work Privatization is part of the ongoing assault on democracy Arizona charter school history: How leaders got the votes CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: The Tree's Up Edition (12/9) Top Posts This Week 12/8/18 #REDFORE