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9/25/10

NBC: Nurturers Of Ignorance


Wow, talk about an epic fail.

NBC's Education Nation's Facebook fiasco has become a sad commentary on what ails us.

There was a post by a typical Fox viewer over there who was saying things that were untrue, like tenure means a job for life, unions don't care about kids, the whole misinformed thing.

I responded to him in a comment explaining the truth.  He came back with an anecdote about something that didn't relate and I thought about him.  Then I thought about the fact that he was being read by NBC News.  I then left a comment saying NBC should read what this guy is saying and respond and set the record straight with some actual facts. I mean, if they are going to be a "news" organization they ought to spread the news, right?  And what better evidence their news-spreading talents were needed than that guy's comments.

Well, the poor guy took his post down, along with the comments, and sent me an email claiming he is not a country bumpkin. He was not too convincing. That's not fair of me. But he didn't indicate he was better informed than I had thought.

So here we have NBC News putting on a massive education summit where the uber-rich oligarchs that run the world will sell their bullshit to an ignorant public they are only to happy to keep ignorant.

Two words for you, NBC: Epic Fail

9/23/10

Don't Buy It

America is a commercial. Everything gets done because someone found a solution to a problem we didn't have, and they sold it to us, and we bought it.  Suckers.

The Republicans want to privatize the Veteran's Administration as one of many "new solutions to healthcare"  because privatization will clearly be better and more personal and more suited to your specific needs (cough).

Won't any doctor deal with your specific needs, no matter what channel the money flows through, as long as they get paid? Of course.  It's not about your needs when politicians tell you they need to make 700 versions of something to suit all the different needs of our diverse country.  We're fucking human.  Not so diverse!  We need bones set, cancer abated, wounds healed, ailments diagnosed, and the other doctor stuff.

Health care delivery should be done in the least expensive way possible.  Hell, everything should be, from a business perspective, right?  So who in their right fucking mind would want anything other than universal health care.  They wouldn't.  But they got suckered.  They bought what the politicians were selling.  And the rich benefit because they own the politicians.  We all know that.  That was the plan.  And on and on.

The Republicans want to privatize Social Security and let Wall Street have at it, even though it would cost, like, 5 times more to administer privately.  But they want you to have more choices, or something.

Republicans want to "lower" taxes by continuing Bush Billionaire Bailout because "small businesses" will get crushed if we don't.  Small businesses like Bechtel.  Right.

The Republicans want to ban abortion.  Period.  To save the unborn, for Jesus.  Or something.

The super-rich--especially the Billionaire Boy's Club of Bill Gates, Eli Broad, the Waltons, and Mike Bloomberg.  I hate those guys--see an opportunity to suck a new market dry.  Billions of dollars are being earmarked for unproven, uninformed, and damaging structural changes in public education.  The media are seeing their opportunity to use the unfounded fear of shitty teachers and unions run amok to get in on the edufeast as well.  All because they won't fess up to the poverty they help maintain as a cause of poor graduation rates.  It's the poverty, stupid.

Democrats run around scared of being yelled at because they, like the Republicans, are selling you something you don't need.   They are politicians first.  Democrats, well, maybe second?

You don't need Social Security, the Veteran's Administration, Medicare, or anything else privatized.  They will continue to tell you that you need more choices.  No.  They need you to be confused so you will be scared and vote for them when they lie to you.

Those politicians are selling you something you don't need.  They are pushing it.  They are pushers.  Damn the pusher-man.

9/21/10

Education Nation: The Controversy: Updated


Anthony Cody, Gary Stager and I, among others were banned from Education Nation's Facebook page.

As a result I created Miseducation Nation to counter the one-sided perspective being pushed by NBC, Oprah and Waiting For Superman.

The admin of their page asked to talk to me about the banning and about my counter-page.  He called me tonight and we talked for a long time about the need for teachers to be an integral part of the conversation, especially since they have, by actions, made it clear that they think teachers are the problem.

He told me he didn't want it to seem that way and that they (NBC news) are not biased. I told him bias is as bias does, and they're pumping out pretty biased crap!  It was then quiet for a minute.

I told him, since he asked, that I would not take down my Miseducation Nation page. I told him if I see evidence that Education Nation is making their production more level--by un-banning all of us and letting us post as we choose, even if others complain--would prompt me to say something about that on Miseducation Nation.

Were you banned?  Leave a comment and I will see what I can do.

We shall see.

Update: Anthony, Gary and I are back, and Education Nation has set their wall default to show every post.  Good for them!

Merit Pay For Teachers Doesn't Work

The most rigorous study of performance-based teacher compensation ever conducted in the United States shows that a nationally watched bonus-pay system had no overall impact on student achievement—results released today that are certain to set off a firestorm of debate.
Steven Sawchuck

Remember Haiti? It's A Rapist's Paradise

You can't walk very far out of the airport without coming up to one of the almost 1,500 camps holding more than a million displaced people. Side-to-side-to-side sheets of plastic erected low in the sweltering heat, littered paths in the narrow dirt between rows. These would be the parts with the rape and very dubious future, where the poorest Haitians have ended up. Total physical insecurity, food and water insecurity to boot. No end in sight.
Mac McClelland

Report Cards Just Might Suck

Doctors now get report cards as a way to focus in on medical interventions to save money, not heal people. Sound familiar? Click on the Larry Cuban link for the whole thing.
The quarterly “report card” sits on my desk. Only 33% of my patients with diabetes have glycated hemoglobin levels that are at goal. Only 44% have cholesterol levels at goal. A measly 26% have blood pressure at goal. All my grades are well below my institution's targets.

It's hard not to feel like a failure when the numbers are so abysmal. We've been getting these reports for more than 2 years now, and my numbers never budge. It's wholly dispiriting.
Danielle Ofri, M.D., Ph.D., via Larry Cuban

Miseducation Nation


You probably know about the NBC Arne-fest about to happen called Education Nation.

They have a Facebook page that is "A place for your thoughts on the greatest challenges, most exciting opportunities, and innovative ideas on education in America" and where they "hope to create a conversation about the challenges but want to focus on the solutions."  Interesting that they want to have a conversation about challenges, but focus on solutions--before they have talked about the challenges!!??  The only problem is they keep banning participants who disagree with the notion that too many teachers suck, and Arne, Bill and Eli should be in charge of education policy.  Most teachers don't suck, and those 3 dudes don't know what they are talking about when it comes to education.

They have banned me as well as many, many others also because we complained about the incredible lack of parent and teacher voices that will be represented at Education Nation.

Don't be fooled. NBC, whose websites are all hosted by Microsoft (msn.com), are on the reform bandwagon and aim to make a killing with this broadcast.  The teacher panel will be lectured to by Gates and Rhee.  It won't be a conversation.  It's a load of nonsense.

Join the alternative page, Miseducation Nation now!!