Carpet Bombing of Public Schools by a Pro School-Privatization Movement

The assumption behind "Parent Trigger" laws, according to Diane Ravitch in her new book Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools, is "If parents seize control of their school, they can make it better." As Ravitch points out, with a great deal of data, there is no evidence to support this assumption. What is amazing to me is how this so-called "parent empowerment" legislation came into existence in the first place. At the heart of the development of "parent trigger" laws have been key players in the for-profit charter school industry, who, with an obvious conflict of self-interest, have combined forces with organizations of free market fanatics (the American Legislative Exchange Council comes to mind here) to introduce these measures in state legislatures. But what has really happened here? How have these people like Ben Austin, who founded the pro-charter, pro-parent trigger organization Parent Revolution, been able to both successfully push through a mechanism that makes it possible for parents to commandeer a public school then turn around and hand that school to a for-profit charter school company? It would appear that they have done so through a combination of tactics and maneuvers that belittle public education as a whole, and that use popular media to push their specific agenda of privatization.

One tactic the pro-charter movement has used extremely well is to blanket attack the quality of public schools in general. It is actually akin to carpet-bombing the media with movies, think tank reports, and pseudo-studies denigrating public schools, thereby supporting their cause.They do this by misrepresenting data, focusing on public school examples of extreme failure, and by undermining general public faith in public schools. Aided by both politicians who would like nothing better than shutting down public schools altogether and educators who have bought into the audit culture of testing and accountability, this job of mis-representing the reality of public education is made much easier. Politicians have passed laws such as those in North Carolina and Florida that assign letter grades to public schools based on test scores. Educators, specifically those in state departments of testing and accountability are providing "the data" that ultimately feeds this system and the assumptions that all public schools are failing. What's amazing in all this is the simple fact that data clearly shows that charter schools do not as a whole do any better than public schools, and because there is no unified measure of private schools, there is no way to empirically support the assumption that they do any better either. By blanketing the media with "gloom and doom" reports surrounding the latest test scores, the public's confidence in public schools has eroded and will continue to do so, at least until educators begin calling out those engaged in this tactic.

Another tactic employed by the pro-charter movement is evident in the series of pro-charter school movies that have recently appeared. Waiting for Superman, Won't Back Down, and The Cartel, are all part of concerted effort to undermine confidence in public schools and promote charter schools and vouchers. Using movies to promote causes is common. What might be just a bit sleazy about these movies is how they misrepresent reality and mask who's really behind the movie. Waiting for Superman and Won't Back Down are made by Walden Media, funded by billionaire libertarian Philip Anschutz who funds a variety of think tanks and organizations pushing free market philosophy and thinking. His interest in the destruction of public schools and pushing for market-based education reforms  is obvious. Bob Bowdon, the maker of the film The Cartel also has strong ties to free market libertarian organizations, so it is clear also what his real agenda is. One other film, The Lottery, is also another movie that promotes charter schools and denigrates public schools. One can add this movie to the "Charter School Commercial Genre" of movies created by the those with the financial means to push this free market, public school privatization agenda in the guise of teary scenes of kids and parents not getting the education they so desperately want. Those creating these movies and documentaries have learned well how to attack public schools and promote privatization as the only way to save education.

Ultimately, at the heart of all this is that there are those who are willing to distort facts, misrepresent reality, and even implement mechanisms like parent trigger laws to undermine public education. I can't help but wonder though whether this whole attack on public schools is a symptom of a larger struggle taking place within American culture. That struggle is between those who advocate libertarian, free market systems where pursuit of selfish interest is in the interest of society and those who understand that government has and must play a role in refereeing and being a part of all our systems because pursuit of self-interests can't always be trusted, whether they be economic, political or educational. This struggle is being waged across all aspects of American culture, with education being one of those battlefields. What makes all this really frightening to me in some ways is that those pushing this free market, libertarian agenda, have a license to push their self-interest at all costs. Because what they are doing is automatically assumed to be for the good of all, no one looks critically at their actions, or if someone does, they're immediately criticized for not supporting free market interests or worse: being a socialist.

Chromecast: Inexpensive Way to Stream Video & Audio to TV or Other Display Devices

This weekend, I couldn't resist the $35 cost to purchase a Chromecast device. To be honest, I have an Apple TV and a Samsung Smart TV, so I did not really need an additional way to stream audio and video to my television. But what the heck! For $35 dollars it seemed to be worth a try.

I brought the device home and began setting it up. The physical setup of the Chromecast hardware is easy enough. You simply plug the power cord into the device, then you plug the device into an HDMI slot on your TV. If you use the HDMI extender provided, you simply plug the Chromecast device into the extender, then the extender into the TV. Then, it is a matter of setting up the device, which involves installing the Chromecast app on your devices, whether a Laptop or an iPad.

I won't get into the mechanics of this entire setup at this point, but suffice it to say, it is a fairly simple process. But the question most would ask, "Why would I get a Chromecast? Here's some reasons to consider.

• It is relatively easy to install and set up. I don't feel it was as easy to set up as my Apple TV, but getting the device working is not difficult for anyone who has set up a Blueray player or any other device on their TV.
• It is an inexpensive (only $35) way to give yourself the ability to stream video and audio to your television. It appears that the apps that allow streaming through the device are limited at this time, but it is another option to get Netflix on the other televisions in your house without paying the 89 to 100 dollars for more expensive devices.
• Picture and sound quality of Netflix is excellent. I had no problems with picture of sound quality when I streamed Netflix and Pandora.

Right now, there are  only drawbacks I see with the device. One is you can't stream your iPad device content directly to the Chromecast device like you can with the Apple TV. You also apparently can only stream from inside your Chrome web browser from the PC. But, then again, if you only goal is to get apps like Netflix or Pandora to another TV in your household or classroom, then Chromecast is an inexpensive option. The second drawback is when you do stream from inside a Chrome Web Browser tab it is painfully slow, in spite of trying to tweak settings according to the help settings.

Chromecast Device

Was it worth the $35 spent for the device? I would at this time say, "Yes." Chromecast is obviously a work in progress. I could see it as an inexpensive option for those wanting to access selected apps from their mobile devices with a television. I want to try it on an LCD projector, but I am afraid that will have to wait until Tuesday when I return to school. It might prove to at least be a cheaper option to get streaming video and audio in front of classes.

Social Media Explained Infographic by Avalaunch Media

Here's an interesting infographic recently shared with me that takes an unusual perspective in explaining the difference between all the major social media sites.This comes from the folks over at Avalaunch Media. This might be a useful way to introduce those just wading into social media to all the different social media tools.

Mobile Education: Lessons from 35 Education Experts---Free E-Book

Here's a resource you may want to bookmark. Mobile Education: Lessons from 35 Education Experts on Improving Learning with Mobile Technology from Studio B Productions and sponsored by CITRIX.

Mobile Education - Lessons from 35 Education Experts on Improving Learning with Mobile Technology from Studio B Productions, Inc.

Need an Inexpensive Outliner App for Your iPad or iPhone? Try Cloud Outliner

As a former English teacher, I have often believed in the power of outlining as a means to organize thoughts for a project and a presentation, and now, as an administrator there are still many times I use the strategy to organize thoughts or ideas for a school-wide project. Obviously, users could use just about any word-processing app to create outlines, but with the advent of mobile devices, being able to create an outline easily on my iPad or iPhone is a must, and word-processing apps are just a bit too complicated for this activity.

There are, of course, many outliner apps available for mobile device users, but some are as costly as $29.99 and others, while free or less expensive, do not offer all the features one would want in an iOS app. Recently, I downloaded and tried an outliner app called Cloud Outliner, and it has proven to be an inexpensive solution for creating outlines on iOS mobile devices. It basically offers users these advantages:

• Inexpensive: At just $2.99 it is obviously not as expensive as some of the other outline apps available such as OmniOutliner, which currently sells for $29.99. Understand, though, it does not have all the features of the more expensive outliner apps, but it is a fully functional option for the price.
• Syncs with cloud accounts: Currently, users can sync their outlines with both Dropbox and Google Docs.
• Email Outlines: Users can email their outlines to others as well.
• Simple Interface: Cloud Outliner's simple interface is easy to learn and use. It has just the right amount of features for creating effective outlines.
• Evernote integration: This is one of the best features for me. You can create an outline and sync it to an Evernote notebook. That makes it just one more app that expands the functionality of Evernote.

Cloud Outliner for iOS

Creating outlines as an educator and school leader is still an excellent tried and true way to organize school projects and ideas. Cloud Outliner offers users looking for an economical choice an iOS outlining application that is simple to use. For more information, check out "Cloud Outliner in the iTunes Store."

Google Hangouts for iOS: Make Phone Calls from Your iPad and More!

Google Hangouts for iOS is another must-have app for those who rely heavily on Google Hangouts to connect with others. The app allows for the usual video connecting and messaging as well. One of its more interesting features is that you can make free voice calls in the US and Canada, right from your iPad. I used the Google Hangouts app  for a vodcast and it worked as well as my desktop. I also used the app to make a phone call and that too worked beautifully. Google Hangouts is available in both an iOS version and Android. Check out Google Hangouts in the iTunes store. (Google Hangouts)

Google Hangouts for iOS

Poverty: 50 Pound Backpack Dragging Down American Students

“A new study reminds us that poverty is the giant backpack dragging down American students.” Jordan Weissmann, “Study: Almost Half of Public School Students Are Now Low-Income,”

Start talking about the poverty of American students and  you’re quickly accused of making excuses for a bad education system, or of pushing a political agenda. Truth is, poverty is real, and if speaking out against is political, then so be it! Those who haven’t experienced it or who don’t see it everyday, can easily dismiss it and comfort themselves that poverty is lifestyle choice. "Those who are poor are poor because of the decisions they've made. They deserve it," is the thinking of many politicians. That statement is political too, and I would say a bit of out of touch with reality. Poverty isn't a lifestyle choice; it is a direct result of a society that has chosen to put undying faith in an economic system based on competition, and at the end of any competition, there’s going to be winners and there’s going to be losers. Those in poverty are the losers. In the American system, those who are winning have re-written the rules to make easier for them to win. Under those conditions, I am not surprised that almost half of our public school students now classified as low-income.

As Weissmann points out in her article, “Your success in school depends largely on what your parents earn.” Those who try to erase that reality by focusing intently on the “Great Teacher Argument” as the way out of poverty are entirely dismissing poverty's effects on achievement. Sure, there are stories and anecdotes of students overcoming poverty and difficult life circumstances to become “successful” in terms of financial and economic security. But these “Horatio Alger stories” are hardly scientific evidence. Like Alger’s propaganda-like “rags-to-riches” stories peddled during the Gilded-Age,” many today have once again bought into that thinking, and they’re the ones trying to drive a reform agenda based on ideals that didn't work during the Gilded Age and will not work now. Getting out of poverty takes determination and perseverance but it also takes getting some breaks along the way too, and today, too often those breaks are in the hands of those who have wealth.

There were some other interesting data in Weismann’s article too, such as the two maps showing the long-term trends of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches. The first map (Check them out in the article here.) shows clearly where regionally the number of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches has grown. Bet you can guess where those states are? The South. In the South and the Far West, the numbers of students identified as poor by free and reduced lunch qualification has increased to 50% and beyond in most of those states. Clearly, all is not well economically with everyone. The "rags-to-riches" fairy tale is increasingly being proved wrong.

In the article, Weissmann points to 3 takeaways from this data:

• “Poverty---or in many cases, near poverty---is the 50 pound back-pack dragging down US students.” When those who bemoan the “dire conditions” of American student achievement choose to ignore this fact or dismiss it as an excuse, they ignore reality. Poverty is worsening, and no amount of faith in Ragged Dick stories are going to pull students out of it. The idea of “educating kids out of poverty” is a fairy tale of which Horatio Alger would be proud. We as educators can't just dismiss poverty as something over which we have no control. As advocates for a fair and equitable system of education, we can keep the reality of poverty in the discussions about education policy and American economic policy. I suspect that those pushing the current economic policies who favor the wealthy would like to dismiss poverty as something which is none of our business, but it is educational malpractice to simply discard it.
• “Policy makers and pundits get worked up” about American student performance on international tests. The United States does not compare well in all cases, but the idea that you can compare the scores to begin with is ludicrous. American students are much more diverse socio-economically, and head-to-head comparisons often ignore this factor. As Weismann points out, if schools are still “in a sense factories, then Massachusetts districts get much better raw material to work with than Texas districts.” The whole idea of comparing scores is based on the inherent belief that students here are not very different from students in Finland or other countries. That idea is dead wrong. Students are different even within our own country, and their experiences and opportunities are different. The next time an Arne Duncan or some other state level leader bemoans the downward spiral of American students on international tests, perhaps our best course of action is simply ignore them. Don't give credence to their blathering. They are simply using invalid comparisons to push their reform agendas.
• Worst of all, according to Weismann, “these poverty numbers are a glimpse of the future.” This is because students from low-income families tend to become parents of low-income families. By this logic, America has become one massive poverty factory, and sadly, it’s going to take more than corporatized education reform efforts system to end dismantle America's poverty machine. Our economic and educational policy should not be about perpetuating a system that favors the wealthy and haves; it should be about providing opportunities for all. My fear is that as our poverty numbers grow, more and more will find themselves in poverty.

Perhaps it’s true that the poor will always be with us. And, it can be sometimes used as an excuse for low expectations for some students. But the reality is, it exists and it does have effects that sometimes not even the most heroic teacher and principal can overcome.

The problem now is not only that poverty exists. The problem is that many education reformers dismiss it. It is often seen by educators as a subject “too political to talk about.” But part of me can’t help but wonder if that’s not what those who are enjoying this unprecedented wealth want us to believe. It is in their interest that we believe the Horatio Alger stories from the Gilded Age. As long as we believe that poverty is no excuse for being successful, then we’re not going to do anything to fix an economic and political system that is engineered to benefit the wealthy, sometimes at the expense of the not-so wealthy.

As an educator who is both passionate about public schools and the education of students, I for one, will not dismiss poverty as an obstacle students can climb over and beyond. I will continue to speak out against our American political and economic system that now mirrors that of the Gilded Age more than ever, and that gives those with means all of the breaks.