They are scared of... me?!

I am not scary...

Unless maybe if you mess with my kids (or anyone's).

Recently I connected with a fellow activist, parent, and teacher who became the focus of a Pearson presentation by the Chief Operating Officer of an unscrupulous organization, iNACOL, that is rather successfully trying to destroy public education. iNACOL is a member of the unethical group, ALEC, which is also successfully strangling our schools. What was the reason for the COO's condescending belittling?

This parent educated her local school board about the poor quality, blended learning products they were wasting tax payer dollars purchasing... and the school board listened. Watch the whole video below... you won't believe it. These profiteers sure get mad when parents make the facts known.

Heather Hicks, leader of our newest PAA chapter, PAA-Ocean County NJ, has just posted a devastating video showing how the chief operating officer of iNACOL (the International Association of K-12 Online Learning) gave a workshop at a Pearson conference focusing on her as the prime example of how parents must be managed so that they don’t get in the way of the blended learning steamroller. - See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/blended-learning-bombshell-mom-inacol-target/#sthash.WT2O4NuM.dpuf

Heather Hicks, leader of our newest PAA chapter, PAA-Ocean County NJ, has just posted a devastating video showing how the chief operating officer of iNACOL (the International Association of K-12 Online Learning) gave a workshop at a Pearson conference focusing on her as the prime example of how parents must be managed so that they don’t get in the way of the blended learning steamroller. - See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/blended-learning-bombshell-mom-inacol-target/#sthash.WT2O4NuM.dpuf

Heather Hicks, leader of our newest PAA chapter, PAA-Ocean County NJ, has just posted a devastating video showing how the chief operating officer of iNACOL (the International Association of K-12 Online Learning) gave a workshop at a Pearson conference focusing on her as the prime example of how parents must be managed so that they don’t get in the way of the blended learning steamroller. - See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/blended-learning-bombshell-mom-inacol-target/#sthash.WT2O4NuM.dpuf

Parents Across America reports, "Heather Hicks, leader of our newest PAA chapter, PAA-Ocean County NJ, has just posted a devastating video showing how the chief operating officer of iNACOL (the International Association of K-12 Online Learning) gave a workshop at a Pearson conference focusing on her as the prime example of how parents must be managed so that they don’t get in the way of the blended learning steamroller."

And now I have learned that another ruthless organization, Education Reform Now, is apparently scared of me and a fellow parent activist in my community.

I subscribe to the listservs of a number of groups who disseminate inaccurate information regarding public education so I can keep an eye on their marketing spins. You can imagine my surprise when I clicked on an interactive map for my state and saw this:

 

What really caught my eye was the use of the word exploit. Maybe these education reformers don't know that opt out is a civil right in Pennsylvania under PA Code 4.4. Or maybe they are just doing what the general pubic doesn't realize—lying. To exploit means to take advantage of, and PA parents have had the right to opt out of PSSAs long before ESSA became law.  

I clicked on the word exploit and saw this:

Wow,  it's fellow parent, Cheryl Masterman (right) and me.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. The billionaire-funded Ed Reform Now is so scared of grassroots activists that they featured us?! Note their Board of Directors. All are in the finance field, none is an education expert.

After reading their What we do page, I had to admire their marketing finesse, but their lack of education knowledge is crystal clear. They focus publicly on the following, but their real focus is on making profits off of our public school tax dollars.

-Human Capital (My post on this term can be found here.)

-Consumer Choice

-Resource Equity

-Student Motivation

-Fast-Track Advancement

-Higher Ed Affordability and Accountability

Below is a real world translation of their What we do list:

-Standardize teacher education, deprofessionalize the field, and cause a teacher shortage.

-Support the destruction of neighborhood schools.

-Take away local control of school boards and get their hands on our tax dollars.

-Sit our kids in front of screens for adaptive technology, blended learning and online learning, and tell us this makes them more motivated to learn.

-Use competency-based education to give our kids low level, skills-based learning. Students will be promoted by passing modules on adaptive technology and will not move on until they pass computerized tests. Students who do not pass will be left behind with younger children.

-Push middle class students into community colleges and standardize college with the same low quality ideas as they have for k-12. 

When the hedgefunders and venture capitalists are scared of parents, you know that we must be more powerful than we realize. After all, America is a democracy, even if our public education system is being stolen out from under us. 

It seems that the only way to save our schools (all of them), is for each of us to keep learning and to keep speaking out. I have a religious objection to the PA state tests because I have a moral and ethical objection to the destruction of public education. We must continue to educate our friends and neighbors, and fight to save our public schools.

In Memory of my Bubby, who didn't think I am scary at all.

Heather Hicks, leader of our newest PAA chapter, PAA-Ocean County NJ, has just posted a devastating video showing how the chief operating officer of iNACOL (the International Association of K-12 Online Learning) gave a workshop at a Pearson conference focusing on her as the prime example of how parents must be managed so that they don’t get in the way of the blended learning steamroller. - See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/blended-learning-bombshell-mom-inacol-target/#sthash.WT2O4NuM.dpuf

Heather Hicks, leader of our newest PAA chapter, PAA-Ocean County NJ, has just posted a devastating video showing how the chief operating officer of iNACOL (the International Association of K-12 Online Learning) gave a workshop at a Pearson conference focusing on her as the prime example of how parents must be managed so that they don’t get in the way of the blended learning steamroller. - See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/blended-learning-bombshell-mom-inacol-target/#sthash.WT2O4NuM.dpuf

Heather Hicks, leader of our newest PAA chapter, PAA-Ocean County NJ, has just posted a devastating video showing how the chief operating officer of iNACOL (the International Association of K-12 Online Learning) gave a workshop at a Pearson conference focusing on her as the prime example of how parents must be managed so that they don’t get in the way of the blended learning steamroller. - See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/blended-learning-bombshell-mom-inacol-target/#sthash.WT2O4NuM.dpuf

Heather Hicks, leader of our newest PAA chapter, PAA-Ocean County NJ, has just posted a devastating video showing how the chief operating officer of iNACOL (the International Association of K-12 Online Learning) gave a workshop at a Pearson conference focusing on her as the prime example of how parents must be managed so that they don’t get in the way of the blended learning steamroller. - See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/blended-learning-bombshell-mom-inacol-target/#sthash.WT2O4NuM.dpuf