Category: Gates

Hopeless situation on Hope Street

3/11/2015

Apparently, Momma Bears stirred up a hornet's nest with our last blog, Hope Street is a Dead End for TN and TEA. Concerned members of TEA contacted their elected leaders, then TEA contacted one of our Momma Bears to clarify their position, then we sent the TEA board even more worrisome info we'd found about Hope Street Group (we posted it below so you can see it, too), and TEA was forced to address the issue at their big board meeting this past weekend. Like "Alice in Wonderland," things are not quite as they seem.

First, we are posting the response to our first blog from the TEA Executive Director, Carolyn Crowder:

TEA's number one priority is always improving public education for Tennessee students and teachers. We are a member-driven organization which fights for the issues our members tell us are important to them. That is why TEA is leading the fight for a significant pay increase to attract and retain the best teachers, to reduce the state's over-reliance on testing and increase respect for the voice of Tennessee educators.

TEA has formed a partnership with the HOPE Street Group around teacher leadership. Teachers will have the opportunity to apply to be a part of a cadre of Teacher Fellows who gather information on policy issues approved by the partnership. These partnerships have been successful in other states in making teacher-driven policy changes. Each state partnership is made up of the largest teacher organization in the state (in Tennessee, that is TEA); the most active public policy voice (SCORE in our state) and the State Department of Education.

We agreed to the partnership based on the understanding that the three entities had to agree before an issue was researched by the Fellows. There is no money being given to TEA from the HOPE Street Group and no money from TEA is going to them. The research is based on surveys and focus groups with teachers who have shown an interest in the chosen topics. It is giving our organization an opportunity to determine which topics are sent out in surveys and focus groups to Tennessee teachers (which helps us make sure the issues our members have identified are actually discussed). The partnership provides our members another opportunity to have their voices heard. Our members will have the opportunity to become one of the Fellows and/or respond to the research.

The unique part of this partnership is that the State Department has to agree to work on implementation regarding the priorities that are identified through this process. It is a way to insert our members’ voices into a system that does not always take action on the ideas of the real experts - our Tennessee teachers.

This will in no way replace our own methods of interacting with our members and representing their interests in shaping public policy, but it could supplement our efforts in an important way. If the three entities agree on a topic that we know our members want to be heard on -- and the information that comes back verifies that our members want certain changes or verifies that our members DO NOT want certain changes that affect their practice -- results gathered by the third party will bring extra credibility to the policy issues TEA is already advocating.

Some things Momma Bears need to point out:

TEA isn't receiving any money or paying any money for this arrangement. We are so glad to hear that! We knew National Education Association has received money from Bill Gates in the past (click HERE to see all those grants), so we're glad that the state level isn't being manipulated with Gates' money.
Carolyn Crowder called SCORE, "the most active public policy voice in our state." Really? SCORE doesn't represent our students, SCORE represents their donors. We didn't elect SCORE. SCORE is here because of money from Bill Gates. (Click HERE for our previous blogs on SCORE). In fact, SCORE's latest golden egg from Gates was just last year for nearly $1 million dollars paid over 22 months to "amplify voices on reforms" in TN.
So, that's 2 out of 3 organizations in this arrangement who depend on Bill Gates' philanthropy for their paychecks. SCORE and Hope Street Group are both signed up for the Gates Meal Plan, so why would those organizations ever bite the hand that feeds it? Why would they tell the Emperor he has no clothes on when the money flows into their bank accounts if they keep telling him how dashing he looks in his reformy underpants?
This partnership has an "understanding" that all 3 organizations must agree to an issue before it is researched by the Fellows, and the TDOE has agreed to work on whatever issues are brought forth from this partnership. Read the above bullet point again. What issues are the other 2 organizations firm on? Teacher evaluations using standardized testing, charter schools, privatization of public education, high stakes testing, Teach for America teachers, Common Core, etc. Basically, the same things TEA is battling against.
Carolyn Crowder wrote that Hope Street Group has had "successful partnerships" in other states, but she didn't mention the states. It is important to know that this "partnership in states" is a pretty new concept for them (even though they have a National Teacher Fellowship to influence national policy). Their website says, "Hope Street Group’s state teacher fellowship program was launched in Kentucky in 2013 and in Hawaii in 2014 in partnership with teacher associations." Um, that is more like 1 and a half state partnerships so far. Let's look at those 2 states:

Hawaii: They've barely had time since 2014 to go through the teacher selection process, training over the summer, and a full legislative session (Hawaii's starts the 3rd week of January). So in actuality, the Hope Street Group hasn't done a darn thing yet in Hawaii to influence policy or laws. We wouldn't call that "successful."
Kentucky: That leaves Kentucky. ONE state that has had ONE year of this partnership between their Education Association and Hope Street Group. We did find out that Kentucky teacher evaluations are now using student surveys as part of their evaluations. Ugh... TN teachers have experienced the biased surveys (and parents, too), and have plenty to say negative about that. We asked Carolyn Crowder to give us an example of something positive that has come from the Kentucky Education Association partnering with Hope Street Group, but she couldn't tell us even one thing. She did say she would ask them and let us know. We'd be happy to publish details if she responds.

TEA is clearly outnumbered in this Gates-funded conversation. Despite TEA having a larger membership than SCORE's well-paid staff and Hope Street's army of lobbyists, TEA will be the minority. Gates' money will dominate the conversation, as they intend to do, and will dominate the outcome, as they fully intend to do. And, honestly, can anyone think of ANY organization funded by Gates that doesn't push for his reforms? Anyone??? Nope. Because there isn't one. He's deliberate and strategic in who he funds for a reason.

We have some major questions about this partnership, and we found some alarming information about Hope Street Group. Stay with us, readers...

Who gets to pick the teachers that become the Hope Street Fellows?
There is a application process, including: narrative questions, recommendations, and an interview.
But who gets to narrow down candidates, interview, and pick the fellows?
If a teacher doesn't agree with common core and/or merit-based pay, will their application be quietly discarded or do they have a real chance?
Does TEA have any input whatsoever on this process, interviewing, or selection of teacher fellows? Does SCORE??
We asked the Carolyn Crowder those questions, but were surprised to learn that she didn't know the answer to any of them. She did say that "TEA requested to be invited to the training." Um, that doesn't sound like TEA will have any control over which teachers will be picked or what they will be trained to do as citizen lobbyists. Hope Street Group obviously has a plan; the process is already on their website for teachers to apply. So, it appears that TEA doesn't get a say in that Fellowship process. Are you surprised? We're not.

Grab a bucket to puke in, because we found some sickening stuff about Hope Street Group you need to know about:

On Hope Street's website, we read this:

"Hope Street Group assisted the U.S. Department of Education in designing Race to the Top (RTTT) in 2009. Since then, the organization has partnered with multiple states including the first two Race to the Top winners, Delaware and Tennessee, working on new ways to engage practitioners, complement work efforts and support work product."

Oh, my, we have opened the can of worms with this one...

Nobody. Nobody. Nobody likes Race to the Top in Tennessee!!! So, we're going to allow an organization that assisted the USDOE in designing that horrible RttT program, AND who worked with teachers to get us to the horrible, horrible evaluation system we have now, TO HAVE CONTROL OVER THE CONVERSATION?

Hope Street Group got us into this mess. They need to leave TN. Just go away. Don't use our teacher voices to further your donor's agenda. Don't use our children to profit your investors and yourself. Don't influence our legislators. Just go back to your own little cushy offices and leave us alone. Tennessee can control our own education thankyouverymuch!

Wait, it gets worse... this isn't a worm, this is a monster!

Look at this publication from Hope Street Group that we found on their website (image below). It appears to be a two-page advertisement of sorts for politicians and state leaders to tell them what Hope Street has done in other states and can do for their state:

Do you see that? The very first PRINCIPLE of Hope Street Group says they are COMMITTED to making student test scores AT LEAST 50% OF TEACHER EVALUATIONS!

That document doesn't have a date on it, but judging by the past tense verbs they used to describe TN and Delaware winning Race to the Top grants and the summer training of teachers by Hope Street Group, this document could not be more than 4 and a half years old, and perhaps newer. Four and half years ago they were "committed" to 50% of teacher evaluations being test scores.

Note: this has been deleted from their website now after we sent it to TEA and TEA asked them about it. Their first priority now says that student achievement must be "a major component." Hmmm... Sounds like they watered down the wording because the percentage was offending some people. Even so, "a major component" is still "major."

Here's the thing, we Momma Bears don't want our children's test scores evaluating any teacher or school. That burden should not be on any child's shoulders. There is no fair way to do it. Momma Bears oppose this.

We found more dirt about Hope Street Group, but this blog is wormy enough already. We'll leave you with some red flags (other than the pointy-arrow American flag logo that Hope Street Group uses) so you can dig on your own if you'd like. Our links to Hope Street Group may not work since their website says they are getting a brand new website this month (probably just as soon as Bill Gates' check clears the bank). Lucky for you, we downloaded the documents before they were deleted by Hope Street Group a few days ago. Click to enlarge any of these:

Red flags all over this Hope Street Group Braintrust list above.
Wendy Kopp from TFA? Sir Michael Barber?? All those politicians and charter school investors???

The boxed quote above was on the advertising for a Hope Street Group 2012 Summit. For only $25,000 per person (or $100,000 for a group of 5, which is clearly a better bargain), you, too, can get your major pieces of legislation signed into law!

If you've got a few minutes, watch the above interview of former Commissioner Kevin Huffman with Hope Street Group's CEO (posted May 2012). You'll see how he planned to correlate the TVAAS scores with teacher's observation scores, and his intent to rid the workforce of ineffective teachers.

Momma Bears' recommendation = TEA should run away from this lopsided arrangement and should apologize to their members for making Momma Bears do all this research.

Momma Bears think it is shameful how an out-of-state organization gets a say in our state's public education simply because they have a ton of money. This is America, for goodness sakes! Because of money, Bill Gates and special interest groups have bought their way into Tennessee with plans to control the conversation and outcome regarding our children's educations. This is not okay.

We're just a group of concerned Moms volunteering our time to research and advocate for students, teachers, and strong public schools. TEA can brush off our little blog and all these facts we've shared, but they can't say they didn't know. We kindly gave them all this evidence last week before this blog was published. The staff and board of TEA know exactly who and what they are dealing with and their motives. TEA's leaders don't need to explain why they decided to partner with these shady organizations to Momma Bears, but TEA members who give up part of their already small paychecks for TEA membership dues might just want an explanation why TEA is giving so much power to these underhanded organizations.

This message that TEA's Executive Director sent us over the weekend might help, or it might not:

TEA leads the fight against privatization, defeating vouchers last year. TEA leads the fight for the teaching profession, getting the General Assembly to make basing teacher licenses on TVAAS illegal. TEA leads the fight for fair evaluation, filing lawsuits on the unfairness of value added scores. TEA leads the fight on testing, on funding, on class size, on so many issues critical for teachers, students, and parents. TEA has earned the trust of members and persons who care about schools.

We are engaged in the fight right now. With so many threats to public schools, students, and teachers, everyone who cares about education needs to be focused on those fights, not spending time on ancillary stuff.

This weekend, after seeing that the HOPE Street Group (1) responded to our call to drop a support statement that stated 50% of a teacher's evaluation should be based on student achievement and (2) accepted our partnership statement that said we would not engage in any issue that went against our mission and core values, the TEA Board of Directors turned their attention to important issues such as the fight for school funding solutions and state standards that are appropriate for all students regardless of age, ability or zip code.

HOPE Street Group can help with the fight to include authentic teacher voices in the debate around education policy. If they do not, TEA will stop working with them. Now, how about joining with TEA as we get back to the real fight?

Why does it take Hope Street to bring everyone to the table?
TEA politely partnered with these Gates-funded organizations because they say, "It is a way to insert our members’ voices into a system that does not always take action on the ideas of the real experts - our Tennessee teachers." TEA may have been invited to the Mad Hatter's "tea" party, but the sloshing and spinning of Bill Gates' teacups will not get them where they need to go.

Stuck in an Elevator with Bill Gates

3/9/2015

Stuck in an Elevator With Bill Gates
by a Momma Bear in Tennessee

Just me and him. Alone in an elevator on a long ride to the top floor. I’ve dreamed of this for quite some time, but even so, my hands are sticky and my mouth is dry. Will I have the guts to say what I’ve rehearsed in my mind so many times? I remind myself that I’m wearing my big girl panties, and I urge my brain to speak, but it doesn’t sound like my voice coming out.

“Hi, I’m Jennifer, a Mom from Tennessee,” I say. He looks up from his gadget that looks like it came from a Star Trek episode. It will probably be the hot item for next Christmas season with people camping-out in front of Best Buy weeks before it is released to get it. “Hi,” he says and looks back at his device which starts blinking a bright red.

I figure I’ll break the ice by telling him about my kids. “I am a Mom of two children who both love school and want to be teachers someday when they grow up.” That sounds lame, but it really isn’t to me. My children are one of the most important things to me in my life.

He looks up from his device to look at which floor the elevator is now at, then looks back at the device.

I take a deep breath. “I know you are Bill Gates, and I just want to say that, um… I just want to say that you are wrong about public schools.” There, I said it. He looks up from his device but doesn't say anything. I let it all gush out, “You are misinformed. You are listening to the wrong people. Public schools are not failing. America is not in an education crisis.”

Suddenly, the lights flicker, the elevator makes a strange groaning sound, shudders, and stops. We are both holding on to the elevator handrail with shocked looks on our faces. The elevator is strangely still. Bill pushes the button for his penthouse office, but nothing happens. He pushes it again. Then he frantically pushes other buttons. Every single one of them. Twice. Nothing happens. He pulls on the little red alarm button. (From personal experience when my children were younger and quicker than me, I know that red button is supposed to make a very loud alarm sound). There is only silence as Bill pulls frantically at the red knob. At least the lights are still on. It sure would be creepy to be stuck in here in the dark with him.

Bill looks at me. I shrug my shoulders, what do I know about elevators? After all, I’m just a Mom. Bill looks at his device which is still blinking. He puts it in his pocket and takes out another device that looks like a cell phone. He starts pushing buttons on it, but nothing happens. He says a mild curse word under his breath, and then he says, “The battery is dead on my cell. I knew I should have gone with an iphone.” I’m not sure if he is kidding or not. I say something lame about how much I love my android phone, but wish the batteries lasted longer, too.

We are stuck. In an elevator. Between floors. Just Bill Gates and a little old Mom from Tennessee. Awkward is a good word to describe it.

Maybe he didn’t hear me before the elevator stopped. I’ll try again. “So, I know I’m just a Mom from Tennessee and you’re the richest person in the world, but I want to let you know you’re listening to the wrong people about public education.”

Bill interrupts me and asks how much money I want.

“No, no, no,” I say, “you don’t understand. I don’t want your money. I just want you to hear me.” Bill’s expression clearly shows he doesn’t believe me.

I continue, “I’m a stay-at-home Mom who volunteers in my children’s schools. I see what is going on with this awful emphasis on standardized testing and the inappropriateness of Common Core. I hear from teachers who are frustrated, but unable to speak up. I see how public schools are being given to charter investors to make huge profits from. This is all so wrong. Please hear me when I say you are listening to the wrong people. You’re giving your money to the wrong people.”

Bill takes out the red flashy gadget again. It is still flashing. He pushes some buttons and it projects an elaborate bar graph of bright colors on the wall of the elevator. I’m amazed that such a tiny gadget can do that! He says, “My advisors and fellow billionaires tell me that children are in failing schools, that their schools have low standards, that their teachers have low expectations and are lazy, that the teacher’s unions are corrupt and causing all of this, that America’s public schools caused the global stockmarket crash, and that schools need to be run like businesses to succeed.” He points to the graph illuminated on the wall, but it looks foreign to me. It shows USA compared to other countries with a zig-zag line across it in red. It looks bloody important, but what do I know, I’m just a Mom.

He points at the wall and says, “Look at the data. See those test scores? You can’t argue with data.” No, I can’t. I don’t understand what that chart means or even what test it is showing. But I do know someone who does! I pull out my android smartphone and pull up “The Assessment Landscape” on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r9_ZpNbU6A

We have nothing better to do, so we sit down on the floor and watch it together. I find some Scooby-Doo fruit snacks in my mommy purse and offer some to Bill. He takes them and says thanks. He eats the fruit snacks as he watches the Youtube video. We watch on the tiny screen as Dr. Tienken tells how the tests today are being used to show a problem that doesn’t exist. He gives undeniable, logical proof of how our nation is moving in the wrong direction.

After about 7 minutes of this video, Bill stops the video and asks, “Why didn’t my advisors tell me about all that data?” I shrug my shoulders. I know the answer in the back of my mind, but don’t say it aloud (“because it doesn’t profit them”). He then asks if I have any more fruit snacks. He says Melinda put him on a diet, but he missed breakfast so he’s famished, and these things are amazingly tasty. I tell him he can have another pack if he watches the entire video, and I hold out a package of Dora The Explorer fruit snacks. He is a tough negotiator. He counter-offers to watch the rest of the video and eat the Dora fruit snacks, if I allow him to tether my smartphone to his red flashing gadget. I agree. I just want him to watch the entire video all the way to the end. He lays my android phone on top of the red flashing gadget and the video is magically projected in the elevator in 3-D. No cords! Amazing! The video’s sound fills the small room. All from that tiny little gadget. This is much better than my little phone screen! Bill smiles, opens the Dora fruit snacks, and resumes watching Dr. Tienken’s video.

At around the 10 minute mark, Dr. Tienken gets candid. He talks about the “ideological ideas from a small group of oligarchs and bureaucrats who are all too willing to take public money and peddle this standardized education reform potion.” Ouch. Bill’s eyebrows scrunch up, but he does not say anything.

Then the video changes its tone. My favorite part. This is the point in the video where Dr. Tienken offers proven solutions like: local control, creativity, innovation, using assessments wisely, multiple pathways to success, allowing parents to collaborate with leaders, community control, not one-size-fits all for children, using standardized tests as just one data point of multiple measures, providing support for districts, etc.

Dr. Tienken tells viewers to “stop wasting time, money, and children’s futures trying to make every child the same.” He ends the video by imploring us to, “reject standardization and national testing, and move forward democratically, creatively, innovatively, and locally.”

The video ends. There is silence.

Bill takes off his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose.

We’ve just watched 13 minutes of common sense together while eating fruit snacks on the floor of an elevator… I mean, what do you say after that?

Just then, the elevator begins to slowly move. We stand up and hold on to the handrail. The elevator ascends smoothly to the top floor and the doors open.

Bill asks for me to please go with him to his office, so I follow him. I throw away the fruit snack wrappers in a trash can on the way past the receptionists. I am a good citizen.

His office is beautiful. The paperclips on his desk probably cost more than my minivan. He tells me to please have a seat as he sits down behind his impressive desk.

He makes me an offer. “You are wise, mother from Tennessee. I want to hire you as an advisor. I have clearly been misinformed, and I need your insight and truth.” He offers me a salary that is worth more than my house.

I decline.

He then offers me a salary that is worth more than my neighborhood.

I decline.

(Oh, my dear husband is gonna be so upset with me… That salary offer could have paid off our mortgage, bought us new cars, and we could have bought a yacht! This is harder than I thought it would be!)

I give him my counter-offer, “I don’t want your money. I see clearly how the love of money corrupts people and causes them to do and say things to get more money.” I confidently tell him, “I will be the best advisor you've ever had regarding public education. I will give you honesty. I won’t lie to you to flatter you. I will tell you to trust teachers and parents. But I won’t take a penny from you.”

I tell him, “I will tell you the truth, but it won’t be easy to hear because I will tell you to stop funding organizations and people that hurt students and public education. I will advise you to stop meddling with the American democratic system and our public schools. I will tell you to stop funding politicians who vote for harmful reforms. I will invite you to meet experts like Dr. Tienken who have proven solutions and who will advise you to donate your money in areas you already knew were important from selecting your own children’s private school - like smaller class sizes and enrichment opportunities.”

Bill nods and says, “Okay, but what’s the catch?” (There is always a catch, right?)

I decide to ask for it. I can’t help it, I love technology. I tell him I want one of those little blinky boxes that he has in his pocket that projects 3-D videos with such amazing clarity.

Bill seems surprised at my request, but firmly tells me I cannot have it.

Seriously? The guy just offered me more money than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, but he won’t let me have that little gizmo? I promise him I won't sell it to Apple.

Then he tells me, "Trust me, you don't want this device. It has a glitch." He explained that this top-secret tiny 3-D projector has a serious bug they can’t seem to work out. It isn’t ready to be released to the public yet because the glitch is so powerful... Strangely, the glitch causes elevators to stop and freeze mid-flight.

I tell him, I'll take it anyway despite the glitch. I have an elevator I'd like to to ride with Arne Duncan.

Bill slowly smiles, nods his head, hands me the gadget, and shakes my hand. We have a deal.

Jennifer is a real Mom from Memphis, TN. She dreams of being stuck on elevators with reformers and politicians so she can talk common sense into them. Even though David Coleman doesn't give a spit about her narrative or fictional writing, she enjoys using her humor and spare time to write for Momma Bears.

Hope Street is a Dead End for TN & TEA

2/27/2015

There is yet another shiny new organization in Tennessee with a feel-good name: the Hope Street Group. It sounds all hopeful-ish and Main-Street-ish and warm-and-fuzzy Groupy-ish. Momma Bears did some digging, though, and found out that this new "non-profit" organization is pretty much the same package with a new ribbon on top. Or as we like to say, "same pig, different color lipstick."

This Hope Street Group gift has been given to Tennessee courtesy of none-other than Bill Gates. Surprise surprise. He just loves paying for reformy stuff in TN. He's been through here once or twice, right? Let's open this "gift" and see what we find, shall we?

Yep, Hope Street Group is heavily funded by Gates, with nearly $5 million from Gates so far. Less than 1 year ago in April 2014, we see that Bill Gates gave a big fat $468,433 grant to expand Hope Street to TN. This would have fallen under the reign of former Commissioner of Education, Kevin Huffman, and it might lead some to think that this plan has been simmering for awhile just waiting for the new Commissioner of Education to be appointed. Obviously, there's some strategy in choosing TN and waiting until February 2015 for this to become public.

A very helpful comment on Diane Ravitch's website gives insight to this type of organization [emphasis added by us]:

Finding front groups for foundations and other agencies that are hostile to public education is useful. A good place to start is with the USDE website and the publications of The Reform Support Network, created to propagate the agenda for teacher evaluation in RttT to every state, including pay-for-performance and offering “a solution” to evaluating the estimated 70% of teachers who have job assignments for which there are not statewide tests.

That “solution" is the infamous SLO (student learning objectives) process now required in at least 26 states (most recently Maryland), with not even a smidgen of research to support it as reliable, valid, a means of improving student learning in the subjects for which it is supposed to be most relevant.

The policies of Race to the Top (RttT) are so in-credible that USDE hired marketing experts to sell them via a grant of $43 million. The marketing is directed toward the “winners” of the competition and for “scaling” the agenda to every state.

Of special interest, this “Reform Support Network” issues publications to state and district officials on “messaging strategies” that are needed to secure the compliance of teachers with high stakes evaluations based on the SLO process and increasingly ties to pay-for-performance.

One of the “messaging strategies” (there are at least 40 in multiple publications) is to enlist “teacher swat teams” who are paid in time or money to deliver the message that this new system will improve student learning (no proof, of course).

Another method is to by-pass unions where these exist and function to protect teachers due process. The by-pass, promoted in USDE’s publications, is to enlist is so-called “teacher voice groups” as advocates for the rating systems needed in pay-for-performance plans.

A “teacher voice group” is the Reform Support Network’s name for a non-union advocacy collective funded by private foundations favoring pay-for-performance. Five voice groups are mentioned by name. All have received major funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: Teach Plus ($9.5 million), Center for Teacher Quality ($6.3 million), Hope Street Group ($4.7 million), Educators for Excellence ($3.9 million), and Teachers United ($942, 000). Other foundations are supporting these groups. For example, Teach Plus receives “partner” grants from eight other foundations including the Broad, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Joyce and several major investment firms.

See the propaganda for yourself, including one of the latest updates.
Reform Support Network (2012, December). Engaging educators: A reform support network guide for states and districts. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/implementation-support-unit/tech-assist/engaging-educators.pdf

Diane Ravitch writes, "We have not seen so many front groups since the 1930s. Today, as then, they represent no community, no one but the funders and the elites and those with a hidden but anti-democratic agenda."

The agenda of Hope Street Group is clearly to push testing, evaluating teachers based on test scores, and common core. They will hand-pick some naive teachers to be their "Fellows" (or as we like to say, "follows" or "foolows" since they will be following foolish orders on what to say and do), give them a little extra $3500 boost to their paychecks, and train them in how to sweet-talk legislators to vote for the reforms that their donors want. So, it is just like the Teach Plus organization that has already been doing dirty work here in TN, except with a more hopeful-ish name and a rosier-pink lipstick.

In a nutshell, that is why Hope Street Group is coming to TN. Well, that, plus all the money they'll make from their donors. Their CEO, Monique Nadeau, made a whopping salary of $352,000 last year according to their tax return. (Remember what we've taught you, class, just because is is a "nonprofit," doesn't mean someone isn't profiting!) And Monique Nadeau is indeed prospering, even if teachers won't be! So even though Hope Street claims to be "dedicated to expanding prosperity for all Americans," Hope Street Group won't be advocating for the things that would truly "expand prosperity" in TN for students or educators. No, Hope Street Follows will be advocating for merit-based pay for teachers using our children's standardized test scores and common core.

To be fair, Bill Gates isn't the only one paying their massive paychecks and light bill. Look at their website* and you'll see other reform-pushing corporate-interest donors such as: The Joyce Foundation, Foundation for Excellence in Education (that's Jeb Bush's reformy group that he just resigned from so he could run for President. Bush's FEE pushes testing and common core bigtime), The Hewlett Foundation, Walmart Foundation (the Waltons love them some reformy standardized testing and low-wage employees!), and Carnegie Corporation. So, lots and lots of rich businessmen who wouldn't dream of putting their own children in public schools with Common Core and rich businessmen who would love to drive down the cost of labor. (*Note: Hope Street is getting a shiny new website in March 2015, so if our links don't work, it isn't our fault. Reformers like to buy themselves new websites with all that money they get from their sugar-daddies).

So, what's so bad about this Hope Street Group?
All this money being spent to hear teacher's voices? This isn't going to help students one little bit. This is clearly in response to the negative publicity swarming in Tennessee around common core, standardized testing, and using test scores to rate teachers and schools.

Call us simple, but... If people really want to hear what teachers think, just ask them! DUH!!! Do an inexpensive survey. Visit their schools and have lunch with teachers. Invite them to join you for a cup of coffee. Whatever you do, don't hire an over-priced consulting firm that will spin whatever the teachers say into what their donors want it to sound like! Hope Street may say they want "conversation," but they will be the one guiding what legislators hear.

What is a reformer to do if they can't find real teachers to support their reforms for FREE?
Why, buy yourself some, of course! They need to buy some voices quick because:

Several lawsuits are currently pending that contest the constitutionality of the test-based TVAAS evaluation system. The lawsuits are gaining some negative attention for TVAAS.
Citizens are hearing about teachers who are evaluated on the test scores of students they don't even teach and saying, "Hey, that isn't fair!" and "No way will my child's test scores be used to hurt their kindhearted, hardworking teachers!" Parents are refusing to allow their children to take the tests (aka "Opting Out").
Common Core has become a dirty word in TN, so they've stop calling it by its real name. Instead, they call it "college and career standards" or "TN Standards" to fool everyone. While that tricks some people temporarily, it backfires when people realize they have been duped. Uh oh, now they've got some angry people on their hands who reeeeally don't trust them now for that sneaky move.
The Tennessee Education Association has been stirring up a bit of trouble by hosting enlightening Road Trips across the state, inviting parents and elected officials, and telling them the truth about the testing... how much testing costs, how much time testing is eating up from instruction time, and how frequently these tests are occurring. (If you're able to catch a TEA Road Trip in your area, please do! You will learn a LOT! Click HERE for the schedule. You don't have to be a TEA member to attend.)

Speaking of the Tennesseee Education Association, Momma Bears are disappointed that TEA has apparently aligned themselves with this money-grabbing, policy-influencing organization. Based on the press release, TEA is collaborating with Hope Street Group. A statement by TEA President, Barbara Gray, said, "We very much look forward to working with the Hope Street Group Tennessee State Teacher Fellows to increase teacher input regarding what works in our public schools."

Why on earth TEA is participating with this?!?!? either they are just very naïve, they are getting money from it (and if that's true, they better do some splainin' to all their members!), or they want to look like a team player to Commissioner McQueen. Hope Street is a dead end for TEA... just like selling their organization's name and their member's souls to the devil. Isn't the whole purpose of TEA to represent the voices of teachers??? Then why the heck are they giving another organization your platform and endorsement?

If you are a member of TEA, you neeeeeed to speak up about this!!! Do it do it do it!

Tell your TEA Board you don't want your organization to have anything to do with Hope Street Group. We'll make it easy for you, just click here for all the TEA Board emails and phone numbers. We recommend sending your email to every board member, which might take awhile with the extra clicks, but your voice will definitely be heard that way. Bombard their inboxes and tie up their phone lines! Share this blog with your teacher friends. Speak up!!! You pay all that money in membership dues, so demand they represent you and not Bill Gates!

"This is a reminder to teachers who want to stay home and say, "Well, I don't want to get my hands dirty with political stuff" that they are opting out of making the decisions that they have to live with. And it's a reminder that "Why must you make this so political?" is another way to say, "I'd like you to go back to being uninvolved and ineffective, please."
- Peter Greene, Curmudgucation blogger extraordinaire

Flip-flopping Fordham Institute & the False Messiah

6/12/2014

There are some really interesting nuggets to be found in this old 2010 report by Fordham Institute that compares the Common Core standards with each of the 50 states + DC's former standards. Even though Fordham Institute is heavily funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, their 2010 report seems to be fairly objective, unlike the more recent reformy propaganda that Fordham Institute has been spewing out. Momma Bears figured out why they've changed their tune...

In the past few years, Fordham Institute leaders seem to have forgotten their own research and have been traveling the country as cheerleaders for Common Core to states that are trying to drop out. Hello, do you not remember what you wrote??? Like a fly who can’t resist a pile of youknowwhat, the Fordham Institute regurgitates whatever their donors pay them to say, which also comes out as a pile of youknowwhat. Yessiree, these guys know which side their bread is buttered on. The Curmudgucation blogger called Fordham Institute "the best thinky tank money can buy." Keep reading and you'll see why.

How come he's covering up the "excellence"? (This is the logo on their Youtube page)

Here are some ironic nuggets that Fordham reported in 2010, and is now conveniently ignoring in 2014:

Nugget #1:
On the first page, Fordham Institute proudly announces that its very first publication, released in July 1997, was Sandra Stotsky’s "State English Standards."

Connect the dots... Sandra Stotsky, a professor at University of Arkansas, was one of 2 educators on the Validation team for Common Core Standards. She refused to sign her name on the Common Core. Not only did she refuse, Stotsky now travels the country speaking against Common Core.

So... Fordham Institute respected Sandra Stotsky enough to give her the honor of being their very first publication, but conveniently ignores her professional assessment and vocal opposition to Common Core now? Hmmm...

Nugget #2:
This statement on p.2: "it’s no great surprise that serious analysts, recently including the Brookings Institution’s Russ Whitehurst, have found no link between the quality of state standards and actual student performance."

Then why the heck are you forcing Common Core on our states?

Nugget #3:
This admission on p.3: "The Common Core math standards earn a grade of A-minus while the Common Core ELA standards earn a B-plus, both solidly in the honors range. Neither is perfect."

So you’re supporting these standards, which you admit are not perfect. These standards may not be perfect, but shouldn't our standards at least be worthy of making honor roll (all A's)?

Nugget #4:
On page 6 and several times throughout your research, Fordham Institute admits: Some states had superior standards to Common Core. Some had standards that were “too close to call”.

Why aren't you supporting for those standards that are superior to Common Core, then? Don’t you want the BEST for children in America? Why are you pushing states to completely swap their standards, purchase new curriculum and tests, and spend a ton of money to implement standards that you categorized as "too close to call." That doesn't make sense and you know it.

Nugget #5:
This nugget on p.4: “States will do their kids no favor if they mess up this decision or just go through the motions of embracing new standards, maybe only long enough to qualify for RTT funding. In short order, everyone in those jurisdictions will recognize that this was a false messiah – and educators and voters alike will grow even more cynical about standards-based education reform.”

Fordham Institute, you said it: “A false messiah”. And you were right about us being even more cynical.

Nugget #6:
Fordham Institute rated Tennessee's prior English Language Arts standards = A minus.
They scored Common Core's ELA standards = B plus.

Does that sound like Tennessee is raising our standards to go from A- to B+? Um, no. We'll keep the A- over the B+ thankyouverymuch, plus save a bunch of money not having to buy new curriculum. Many other states are in the same predicament. Like a broke salesman with no morals, you're selling standards they don't need and can't afford.

THE biggest nugget and the most important fact about this report and every word that comes out of the mouths of Fordham Institute well-paid staff:

Funding from:
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bingo!!! Continual funding by the Gates Foundation has paid your paychecks. How much have you received from Daddy Gates? This link will show at least $3.5 million in grants from Gates so far. And considering the method that the Gates Foundation pays their grants out over monthly installments (not in one big check, how stupid would that be?), we see you’re now under at least a 6 year commitment, with the possibility for more if the Bossman is happy with your "performance". That $1 million grant for "general operating support” is especially suspicious... Is that to pay for your travel expenses to all these states who are backing out of Common Core? Hey, if we paid you $3.6 million to support different standards, would you change your tune?

Not only that, if you look at the list of Fordham donors, you'll find all the usual Common Core supporters like: GE, the College Board, Amplify Learning (makes expensive Common Core technology products), and the Walton Family Foundation. And if you look at Fordham Institute's finance report, you'll see they are largely dependent upon their donors to exist. In fact, donors cover 2/3 of their expenses. That is hard to ignore. Everyone knows not to bite the hand that feeds you.

If you don't believe Momma Bears and all the flip-flopping facts and money stats we've linked above, then hear it from their own mouth in this video below made by Michael Petrilli, the Executive Vice President at Fordham Institute.

In the video, Petrilli is kidnapping another reformer, Frederick Hess (who can be also bought if you ever need a research paper to support your agenda and have an extra $30,000. In fact, click here to how Hess has hurt TN). Petrilli kidnaps Hess to give him a makeover at Brooks Brothers. Apparently, Hess likes to wear shorts year-round, and shorts just aren't appropriate attire for an exclusive black-tie event called "The Eddie Awards". Fast-forward to the 2 minute mark and you will hear Petrilli say this:

"Alright, now come on Shug, where are ya?" (looking for his chauffeur)

"I got a 2:30 conference call with Gates, and I don't wanna miss it.
BIG money on the line, baby, BIG money!"

Watch the video and hear it for yourself. Even though the video is supposed to be humorous, Petrilli is dead serious about the money.

It doesn't take a professional researcher to tell you the obvious: if you don’t keep your donors happy, they will just kick you off the gravy train and replace you with some other desperate researcher. It is in your best interest to keep on chugging out the stuff they want to see and hear. As Petrilli said, "Big money on the line, baby, BIG money!"

NOTE: Fordham Institute (formerly Fordham Foundation) is not the same organization as Fordham University at all. Fordham Institute doesn't have any students, it is not a college or school; it is a think tank funded by corporate interests to promote their reform agendas. So, don't let the "Fordham" part confuse you. Fordham University is a real University with real students and real teachers. They two Fordhams are not affiliated.
Also, just because an organization is a 501c3 non-profit, it does not mean someone isn't getting rich.

Schools need VIGOR, not Rigor

3/6/2014

This world can be a cold, cruel place, but our children's classrooms shouldn't be. Schools should be a place of warmth, of joyful learning, and of respect for each unique child and their needs. Rigor is not a nice word, but reformers keep saying "rigor" as if it is. Which definition do you like best:

www.Dictionary.com: rig·or [rig-er] (noun)
1. strictness, severity, or harshness, as in dealing with people.
2. the full or extreme severity of laws, rules, etc.
3. severity of living conditions; hardship; austerity: the rigor of wartime existence.
4. a severe or harsh act, circumstance, etc.
5. scrupulous or inflexible accuracy or adherence: the logical rigor of mathematics.
World English Dictionary: rigor (ˈraɪɡɔː, ˈrɪɡə) — n
1. med a sudden feeling of chilliness, often accompanied by shivering: it sometimes precedes a fever
2. pathol rigidity of a muscle; muscular cramp
3. a state of rigidity assumed by some animals in reaction to sudden shock
4. the inertia assumed by some plants in conditions unfavourable to growth
Synonyms: 1. inflexibility, stringency. 4. cruelty.

None of these definitions sound pleasant, do they? In fact, if you, as an adult, had to attend a training course with any of the above descriptions, I bet you'd not wake up energized in the morning looking forward to learning, would you?

How about using the word, "VIGOR," instead?

www.Dictionary.com: vig·or [vig-er] noun
1.active strength or force.
2.healthy physical or mental energy or power; vitality.
3.energetic activity; energy; intensity: The economic recovery has given the country a new vigor.
4.force of healthy growth in any living matter or organism, as a plant.
5.active or effective force, especially legal validity.
World English Dictionary: vigour or ( US ) vigor (ˈvɪɡə) — n
1.exuberant and resilient strength of body or mind; vitality
2.substantial effective energy or force: the vigour of the tempest
3.forcefulness; intensity: the vigour of her complaints
4.the capacity for survival or strong healthy growth in a plant or animal: hybrid vigour
5.the most active period or stage of life, manhood, etc; prime

Those definitions are much, much better, aren't they?

Here are some better words we'd like to hear to describe our children's schools:

joy
enthusiasm
respect
creativity
flexibility
human
valuable
worthwhile

Standardized testing and common core don't align with any of those nice words. Common Core does not RESPECT our children, it respects the corporations who are making a money from selling their curriculum, their assessments, and their standardized tests.

Therein lies the problem: Corporations respect money, not children.
Just consider the words they use to refer to people:

"Human Capital"

It de-humanizes and corporatizes our children, their teachers, and their learning environments. So cold and unpersonal.

Don't believe us? Look what was just announced this week:

Bill Gates' Microsoft is partnering with the Pearson Publishing Giant to create a Common Core curriculum. (Click HERE to see the article about it). It will be for "a digital personalized learning environment that is 100 percent aligned to the new standards for college and career readiness."
And it is going to "reduce costs." How??? by removing the real, human teacher from the equation because, after all, it is much cheaper to buy a Microsoft computer program than to pay the salary & benefits of a professional teacher. (Of course, Bill Gates' children won't do this program... They attend the best private school money can buy in Seattle that has a low student:teacher ratio, rich and varied Arts programs, and plenty of hands-on learning opportunities). Another case of profiting from Other People's Children...

Momma Bears aren't happy about this destruction and depersonalization of our children's education... Be prepared to face OUR "Rigor" as we fight for "Vigor" in our children's schools.

Danger: Inappropriate education website for kids

2/28/2014

Momma Bears received this info from a Mom:

My 11 year daughter informed me of a Common Core website that her class has to get on to read an article and take a quiz on afterwards. The assigned articles are harmless however the teacher allowed them to read other articles when they were done testing. She happened upon an article about a transgender boy winning homecoming queen. It explained that he was taking medicine to change his hormones without his parents knowing. I am in the process of talking to the school about this. My fear is that this will become mandatory and the articles tested on will be up to the teachers or worse the government. I try to keep my kids "kids" as long as possible. I am outraged at the whole idea of Common Core. It seems to take our children's childhood away. So much time frustration, testing, and stress. Not to mention the material they see that we as parents don't get the opportunity to read. Is this a slow indoctrination? The website is called: www.newsela.com and, by the way, this article that she read was under the kids section. Crazy huh?

Momma Bears checked it out...
Newsela is a website that has news articles for students grades 3-12. Students can change the Lexile score of each article for different reading level. It is all Common Core aligned, of course. There are even quizzes for students to take about each article after they read it, and the score is sent to their teacher. Students must create a username and password, or students may use their Google Apps for Education login information. You don't have to register to view the articles (the first 4 are free), just to take the quizzes.

Sure enough, that article is right there in the KIDS section if you scroll to the bottom:

And here's another one you might not want your 3rd grade child reading:

And, if that's not bad enough, this article bashes parents:

The NewsELA website tells children to:

Read closely.
Think critically.
Be worldly.

There are plenty of articles about global warming, some about legalizing marijuana, a few others about gay rights, and lots of articles praising President Obama. Momma Bears do not believe issues such as these are appropriate for elementary or middle school children.

How does Newsela choose the articles?
Their website says: "Our editorial team chooses articles that are timely (often breaking news), worldly (we balance domestic US stories with international coverage), and substantial (you won’t find Justin Beiber and his pet monkey in Newsela). We are very deliberate in distributing alignment of articles across a range of Common Core standards."

Did you catch that last sentence??? They are "VERY DELIBERATE in DISTRIBUTING alignment of articles across a range of COMMON CORE standards." Gee, ya think???

And if distributing isn't enough, they QUIZ the kids after they've read it to reinforce the biased, inappropriate material they just read.

So, who is funding this "educational courseware" that is "transforming the way learners access the world through words" and is, of course, aligned with common core?

Go ahead, we'll give you 1 guess...

Bingo! Bill Gates
Newela "won" a $100,000 Literary Coursework Challenge grant. "The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is investing $6 million in web-based courseware to support students in mastering the Common Core State Standards for literacy at the 4th–8th grade levels."
(Click HERE to visit the Bill & Melinda Gates website that proudly shows how they're throwing their money at common core, including this company.) Bill Gates isn't the only source of revenue, there are lots of sugar-daddy foundations wanting a piece of this profitable pie.

Momma bears kept digging and turned up this dirt...
Newsela's founder, Matthew Gross, "led the development of EngageNY.org, a web application providing teachers and administrators with resources for implementation of Common Core state standards and teacher and principal evaluations." Congratulations, Matthew Gross, for the worst and most perverted implementation of Common Core in the entire nation! Parents are furious to learn that the www.engageny.org website (a website you developed for the NY Education Department with tax dollars, and which your commissioner John King bragged about for all the high traffic it was getting) contained horribly inappropriate links for students to "quizzes" to find out if they are a "slut," "a se*y b***h," "a freak," or "losers." Who knows how many children innocently clicked on those links and were asked questions we won't even print here. You'll have to click on the link to read them yourself. (That would explain the insanely high website traffic on the State of NY's website.)

WHO IS PROTECTING OUR KIDS???
Certainly not these profit-seeking creeps.

NOTE: Please don't write Momma Bears about gay bashing, global warming, or Obama. We actually are quite open-minded people with friends who are gay. We respect that. As parents, our choice is how we shelter our kids and introduce adult concepts. We don't want our young children exposed to those topics about sexuality at school, especially not in elementary school. These internet-based educational websites are circumventing parents, and THAT is what we have the biggest issue with.

What can you do about it, Momma Bears & Daddy Bears?

Ask your children's teachers if they use the Newsela website. If so, send a polite note to them saying your child is not permitted to use it.
Talk to your school board members to tell them of this inappropriate "educational tool" and make sure it isn't being used in your district.
Contact your legislators. Forward them this blog if you want. Tell them you sure don't like this common core crap. But don't use the word "crap" (even though it is the truth).
Ask your kids what they are doing in school. We're sure this isn't the only biased "educational tool" out there. School districts are pinching pennies to make ends meet, so free or cheap "tools" like Newsela are awfully tempting, especially when everything is required to be aligned with the common core corporate standards.
Be vigilant. Always watching. Pay attention to what your kids are being exposed to. Don't trust that they're safe just because they are at school or that a teacher is monitoring these online websites.

Time to use your PARENT power:
Call and/or email legislators as soon as possible and let them know that you support these bills:

Testing Opt-Out (HB1841/SB2221): “This bill permits parents to opt their children out of participation in high-stakes testing.”
Repeal Common Core (HB 2332/SB 2405) This bill would Repeal Common Core Standards in TN!!!
Postpone Common Core (HB 1825 /SB 1985) requires the state board of education and the department of education to postpone any further implementation of Common Core State Standards beyond those standards implemented as of June 30, 2013, until further implementation is approved by the general assembly.

A Creepy test --- PARCC

2/26/2014

Someone sent this video to Momma Bears and it freaked us out. We transcribed the video for you below.

Feb. 5, 2014 - Dr. Peg Luksik explains how Common Core testing can embed questions that result in behavior change without protest from the children. Poughkeepsie, New York

Question from a Mom in the audience:
"I'm trying to understand because I thought that PARCC and the Smarter Balance, with both, it sounds like as the student is taking it, the test will actually modify itself to how the student is doing? And when the test results comes back, that would be to the benefit of the student? So why is it then that the teachers don't like it if it is self-paced? Wouldn't you think that would be wonderful?"

Dr. Peg Luksik's response (as transcribed by a fast-typing Momma Bear):

"The problem isn't that it is self-paced, the problem is that the test is open to manipulation."

So if I wanted to look like the students are doing poorly, I can adapt it to make the test harder. If I wanted to make it look like the students are doing well, it can be adapted to make the test easier. And you, as parents, or taxpayers, or policy-setters, will never know which way the test was adapted because it is an internal mechanism so it is not a valid assessment, and that is the fundamental problem with it. The test is being manipulated as the test is being taken. In other cases, when you're not in math but some of the other areas, history or where it is more philosophy-driven, you have to comply before you can move on. So the child is put in the position of: "you must agree."

"I don't agree with the global warming." (giving an example) But you have to because the test won't let you move on unless you comply.

So the test-makers can make the test adaptive: we can make it easier... we can make it harder... or we can make it so that we force compliance. You can't take the next step unless you comply with whatever is being taught or presented in the test. So even if you don't agree with it, you are gonna have to write it, you're gonna have to say so.

Perhaps an example that is older will help you... I have a long history in this movement. This is not the first time that the federal government has attempted to take over education. So in the 1990s, it was called "Outcome based education" and then called "School to Work." I was one of the leading national opponents then, too. I got involved because a woman showed me a test. It was given in Pennsylvania and was called the Educational Quality Assessment (EQA). It was originally given back in the 70's and early 80's. The test said "Citizenship" so parents thought they were testing things like George Washington and the Declaration of Independence... but when you looked at the internal documents of the test, which I did, it said "we're not testing objective knowledge," it said "we are testing and SCORING for the child's threshold for behavior change without protest" and that was in the test!

A sample question said: "There's a group called Midnight Marauders and they went out at midnight and did vandalism. I, the child, would join the group IF..."
... "my best friend was in the group."
... "my mother wouldn't find out."
There was no place to say they would NOT join the group. They had to say they would join the group.

Another sample question was, "Your parents just found out that they are moving to outer Mongolia, how much time would you spend on each of the following:"
..."being upset"
..."crying"
..."arguing"
So, how adaptable are you to change?

Based on the results of the EQA, districts were given curriculum packets to modify their curriculum so that the children would do better on the EQA the next time. So they were using the test to get a threshold for behavior and then adapting.

Now that was a paper and pencil test, so to say that it was easy to track is a gross overstatement of the level of difficulty that it was to get the information, but compared to a computer adaptive test... much easier.

And when we were fighting Outcome Based Education, I was in every state but Hawaii. And in one state I was reading the Assessments, it was a Reading Assessment, and it was a story about a child who found a wallet and there was money in the wallet, and what do you do with the money. I'm sitting in the Department of Education, reading it in front of the other Secretary, because they didn't want me to make a copy and take it anywhere, which was fine, and the question was to the child:

"If you found a wallet with money in it, would you take it?"

(pause) Do you read better if you say "yes"? or do you read better if you say "no"?

Or were they testing a child's honesty on a State assessment with their name on it that was computerized? Because, with paper and pencil, I could find it.

What if they put that in a computer test? and if they don't give the right answer, I can change the computer to move them in the next direction.

So, the computer adaptive testing is REALLY dangerous for our children. Because the State can manipulate achievement data by making the test harder if they want, or easier if they want, but you won't know... you'll just get "proficient" results.

Or they can use the test to test for, and then influence, what your child thinks and how your child thinks about a variety of topics. And, again, parents thought that was a Reading test. They didn't know that "honesty" was being tested on a paper and pencil State Assessment with their child's name on it that is now part of their record.

And no child would think to say (raising hand), "Is that a Reading question?" Children just answer the questions in front of them because they're KIDS. They just take the test. THAT is what they are using the test for. Computer Adaptive makes that so much easier, and, therefore, so much more dangerous.
(end transcription, emphasis added by Momma Bears)

The PARCC test will be a State mandated test for Tennessee students in 2014-15. Some unlucky students will get to take the "pilot" PARCC this spring. No, they aren't flying an airplane... it means those students gets to be unpaid guinea pigs for the testing company (Pearson). Parents probably won't be asked permission for their children to take the trial test, so unless they ask, parents won't even know their child is being given this pilot PARCC test. Their children will miss precious class time to take a test that doesn't count for anything (except to help Pearson profit).

Will the PARCC have questions about honesty or character?
We don't know. We will never know. Parents and teachers are never allowed to see the questions. Test security is tougher than Fort Knox. In fact, a teacher in Memphis was fired last year because a high school student snapped a picture of a test question and put it on facebook. So, unless children mention the strange test questions to their parents, we have no clue. That's how Momma Bears found out about the awful Climate Surveys in TN (which, thanks to parents raising heck, have been stopped this year until parents give written consent. Go, Momma Bears!!!) And that's how parents in New York found out that the PARCC included questions with name brand products embedded in them.

Why does the government want to know this stuff about my child?
Admit it, you think Momma Bears are a little cuckoo for thinking that the government is spying on your children's brains and wanting to know their character traits. It does sound like something you'd see in a sci-fi movie. But you cannot argue with official government documents. We didn't write it, the government did. So, we give you facts. This document published by the U.S. Department of Education says:

"What will it take to shift educational priorities to promote not only content knowledge, but also grit, tenacity, and perseverance? This is an important and exciting time to stop, take stock, and prepare to move forward. New and emerging trends in research, policy, programs, and technology are providing unprecedented opportunities... new research programs are exploring ways to promote these factors. Several private foundations have recently initiated programs to push the frontiers of theory, measurement, and practice around these and related factors, particularly for at-risk and vulnerable students. In national policy, there is increasing attention on 21st-century competencies (which encompass a range of noncognitive factors, including grit), and persistence is now part of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.(page V)

Take the time to read that government document from the U.S. Department of Education. It is super-creepy!
p.39 has a Character Report Card
p.44 has pictures of the student sensors (facial cameras, pressure monitors, wrist straps, etc.)

And also take time to read the TN Race to the Top Application, Appendix C
(It is also an official government document, but it was written by consultants paid for by Bill Gates). It, too, will freak you out majorly to learn that they are compiling a 360 degree view on every child in public schools in TN, and they will share that information with the Federal Government and 3rd parties.

What if I don't want my child to take the PARCC, SBAC, State Mandated tests, or District tests?
Currently, there is no "Opt-out" law in TN. There is a proposed bill sponsored by the very awesome Knoxville Representative Gloria Johnson (she is also a teacher). If that bill passes the Legislature and becomes Law, parents would have the right to make the decision for their child (Ummm... so the government owns our kids, and parents have to get legal permission to prevent them from taking a test that could be harmful??? Momma Bears disagree with that!). The Pearson testing company sure doesn't want Rep. Johnson's Opt-Out bill to pass, and their 8 well-paid lobbyists are pushing hard to prevent it from passing. Now a half-a-billion dollar fiscal note has been added to the bill, because if students don't take the test, the federal government won't be happy and will want the $500 million back from the Race to the Top grant (which is really our tax dollars in the first place!) Crazy. Our kids in TN have a half-a-billion-dollar testing bounty over their heads. Crazy, crazy, crazy.

Use the magic word:
If you want to "opt-out" of testing for your child, be sure to use the word "REFUSE" instead. It seems to work for parents who have used it in TN. If you use the word, "opt-out," you'll be told the Attorney General says you cannot legally opt-out (which is true because TN does not have an Opt-out law. Yet.). Crazy, huh? Refuse is the magic word.

What if I keep my child home on testing days?
Some parents do that and it works. However, the testing windows to administer state mandated tests last a few weeks because there aren't enough computers to test every child at once. Testing must be done in shifts and this takes a long time. Plus, there are make-up test days following the test window weeks. That's a LOT of unexcused absences for a student.
Note: We're not saying you should lie and say your child is sick those days, because lying is dishonest, but your child could possibly be reported for truancy for having that unexcused absences. Crazy, huh?
Another negative: the State mandates that the test count as 15%-25% of the child's grade on his/her final report card. So, depending on your district, your child will be given a zero averaged in with his other grades. In most districts, this means 10% of their English grade will be counted as a zero, and 10% of their math grade will be a zero, averaged in with their semester grades.

Some parents in other states have had success with this method of "opting out":
Withdraw your child from school the day of testing. After the testing window is complete, re-enroll them in school. This method is a big hassle both for the parent and for the school personnel. And you'll need to figure out childcare arrangements since they won't be at school. But it prevents the test from being given to your child, prevents the zero being a part of his/her final grade, and means you won't be reported to DHS for truancy or unexcused absences.

Time to use your Superhero power:
Call and/or email legislators as soon as possible and let them know that you support these bills:

Testing Opt-Out (HB1841/SB2221): “This bill permits parents to opt their children out of participation in high-stakes testing.”
Repeal Common Core (HB 2332/SB 2405) This bill would Repeal Common Core Standards in TN!!!
Postpone Common Core (HB 1825 /SB 1985) requires the state board of education and the department of education to postpone any further implementation of Common Core State Standards beyond those standards implemented as of June 30, 2013, until further implementation is approved by the general assembly.

Liar liar pants on fire: SCORE

12/30/2013

"SCORE reminds me of pushy car salesmen. They are in your face with their sales pitch and using buzz words to impress you. If you look under the hood, though, you'll see they are really selling you a lemon."
~ an anonymous parent

Unfortunately, Tenneessee is being sold a big fat lemon by SCORE. We are:
...bumping over potholes and realizing this machine has major problems,
...hearing the grinding of excessive testing wearing down children,
...screeching and groaning as we realize how developmentally inappropriate these standards are for young children and students with special needs,
...realizing crash-test-dummies never made sure common core was safe before children were put on board,
...shocked to see the lug-nuts pop off as excellent teachers leave the profession,
...scared that the driver doesn't have an honest-to-goodness teaching license and is bailing out in 2 years,
...choking on smoke billowing from the engine as our children are asked personally identifiable questions on surveys without parental consent,
...spending money we don't have to buy brand-name common core parts to make this vehicle get us to the next test,
...frantically searching in the glove box for the title, but come up empty-handed because it was given to a charter school company.

What is SCORE?
Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education is the real name of SCORE. It was created in 2009 by US Senator Bill Frist. It is a 501(c)3 "nonprofit" organization (but some are profiting a whole lot from SCORE as you will see). SCORE is governed by a 14-member board of directors who are not educators or even leaders in the education field. Most are businessmen whose own children attend private schools. SCORE also has a 29-member steering committee of the state’s "top education stakeholders" which include some greedy business organizations (Stand For Children, Teach For America, TN Charter School Center, etc.) plus the token PTA leader who doesn't even have children in school any more. Oh, yes, the very controversial, Michelle Rhee, has her greedy paws in SCORE, too. Some of these organizations come to SCORE smelling the huge pot of money that TN won from Race to the Top ($500 million), and some are just token organizations included for their organization's names, but not really for their input (PTA & TEA).

SCORE seeks two outcomes:

Ultimately, every student in Tennessee graduates high school prepared for college and career
Tennessee is the fastest improving state in the country on the key student outcomes that will lead to college and career preparedness

Those goals certainly sound lofty and worthwhile... Who would argue with those, right? It is their methods to get there that are totally wrong. The things SCORE lobbies for isn't what the public really wants for our schools and our children like: smaller class sizes, rich music & art programs, funding for libraries, counselors, wrap-around services in schools for needy children, and less focus on testing and more on students.

HOW?
SCORE’s work is governed by a theory of change (reform) that includes embracing high academic standards (aka: Common Core, which we know have serious problems), cultivating great school and district leaders (that seek to privatize schools and benefit businesses), ensuring excellent teaching in every classroom (through unfair use of test results and over-testing students), and using data to enhance student learning (even though it violates student privacy to share student information with corporations, especially without parental consent).

Say what???
That's like saying we want to cure cancer (a lofty goal everyone agrees with), but we are giving everyone rigorous prune juice as medicine (common core), rating our doctors on our lab results (testing), and selling our hospitals to fast food chains (charter schools). We know it won't cure cancer, but it will make the prune juice people and lab testing company richer, it will run off the doctors who know this is a bad plan, and McBurger will be delighted to have all those tax dollars and customers stuck eating prunes at their restaurant.

Interesting tidbits we found on SCORE's tax returns:

CEO of SCORE

CEO/President's salary package in 2012 = $328,361 (including a bonus of $25,000)
Yes, that is much, much more than she ever made as a TN Senator.
Yes, more than TN Commissioner of Education's salary (highest in the state).
Yes, much more than the Governor of TN's salary.
Yes, that would pay the salaries of 6 teachers.
Okay, we'll stop now because all that money is giving us heartburn because we can't fathom someone profiting so richly off of our poor public schools.
Money given from SCORE to Stand For Children (another underhanded organization that claims to support children).
$75,000 in 2011
$75,000 in 2010
$50,000 in 2009
Not much detail is given why they gave that money, just that they are sub-grants. Stand For Children has hundreds of millions of dollars and doesn't need a penny from SCORE. Just another red flag to tuck away in the back of your minds when you're connecting the dots.

Where does SCORE get $$$ from?
Who knows? Their donors list is private. We do know that a big chunk comes from the Gates Foundation and some from the Hyde Foundation. There is speculation that some money comes from business interests who will profit from the things SCORE advocates for (like the Nashville-based Ingram Corporation will make a small fortune selling Common Core products). Some of those businesses are listed on the SCORE website as supporters.
***UPDATE on 8/27/14: the SCORE website removed the page of their supporters after they got a bunch of money from Bill Gates and got an expensive makeover to their old website. Lucky for you, Momma Bears happens to have a snapshot of their old website! Here ya go:

screenshot of old SCORE website from May 2012

Hmmmmm.....
SCORE awarded "SCORE Prizes" to 3 schools ($10,000 each) and 1 school district ($25,000) that had the most dramatically improved student achievement. Those schools were celebrated and used in SCORE video to convince people support their reform agenda. (((Did you catch that? Yes, the prizes to the schools were less than the CEO's big fat $25,000 bonus last year))).

And one of the schools, Rose Park Math & Science Magnet, was recently redistricted as a feeder school to one of the best academic magnets in their district, so the "dramatic student achievement" was really due to the swiftly changing demographics of students, not from any of the reforms that SCORE supports. (But those students sure look great in the SCORE video)

Take a breath and say Hmmmmmmmmmmm again...
SCORE created a coalition they claim over 300 organizations joined to support higher standards. (Who doesn't want higher standards, right?). They named the coalition a very noble-sounding name: "Expect more, Achieve more." At the TN Senate Common Core Hearings in September 2013, SCORE distributed impressively-thick packets about their coalition to the legislators and anyone who would take them. Momma Bears knows for a fact that at least 2 of the PTA organizations on that list never ever joined it. And putting all 138 school districts in TN on the list by default to pad the #'s is pretty underhanded. Some of the other organizations listed are pretty suspicious, too... Shoneys? home builders? Banks? Express Video & Tan of Ducktown? It looks like a list of Chamber of Commerce members to us. Of course businesses will join it (free advertising + it looks like you support worthy causes for children = #commoncorepaysbig!)

My lips are getting numb from saying Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
Among the education stakeholders on the SCORE steering committee are nonprofits, businesses, and public officials with strong connections and ties to the Chamber of Commerce. Many of these same people joined with SCORE to sign a letter to the Governor and Education Commissioner citing a misleading report paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that awards a big, fat "F" to Tennessee for "Truth in Advertising" as a reason to adopt Common Core standards.
The F sounds really bad, doesn't it??? But check out the actual report and you'll see a few things that SCORE doesn't want you to know about...
1. This disclaimer regarding the Truth in Advertising category: "This category does not evaluate state tests nor does it grade states on the performance of their students. Instead, the evaluation looks at how truthfully a state reports student proficiency." Get it? This was a problem with the grownups in our STATE not reporting accurately, not with our students. Of course, SCORE doesn't publicize that Tennessee fared much better in other categories of this report, including academics, they only point out that big, fat F and use it to further their agenda.
2. This fine-print disclaimer buried in the report: "The authors acknowledge that this is an imperfect measure of state transparency because there is some debate about using NAEP alone to benchmark state tests. However, this method is currently the only one available when comparing the transparency of reporting from one state to the next."
3. Manipulated letter grades: The results were rated on a pre-determined, weighted curve, so the differences between state scores are not as major as one thinks... This method of grading means there would be a pre-determined # of grades. (Only 5 states "earned" A's, 5 got B's, 20 received D's or F's, and the rest got C's).
It is true what our high school statistics teachers taught us, you really CAN manipulate data to show whatever you want. Momma Bears gives that report a big fat F minus for Truth in Advertising!

Wait, did you say "Chamber of Cohmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmerce?"
The SCORE connections with the Chamber of Commerce are more twisted and tangled than a daytime soap opera. We're not kidding! Here are some of the juicy connections that the Chamber of Commerce directly has with SCORE, and we're probably missing a bunch, these are just the big guns:
The U.S. Chamber of a Commerce is self-described as the "world's largest business organization," a "voice in Washington" for three million businesses that is more concerned with NAFTA than educational issues. It spent $1 billion in lobbying this year. Sitting on SCORE's Steering Committee are the President of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and the President & CEO for the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce.
But wait, that's not all. Several of the nonprofits on SCORE's steering committee are active in their area chambers of commerce. Scott Niswonger, the founder of Niswonger Foundation is a former chamber president. And Buzz Thomas with Great Schools Partnership was the longtime executive director for Niswonger Foundation. Hamilton County's Public Education Foundation regularly collaborates with their chamber of commerce. Businesses like Ingram Industries are also connected to the chamber of commerce. Mr. Ingram is a past director for the Nashville chamber. Pitt Hyde's Autozone is a major player in the Greater Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber and Mr. Hyde even paired up to finance a campaign supporting a sales tax increase to support Pre-K funding. Then, there is Tennessee Business Roundtable which is like an elite club for businesses operating as a PAC bridge between the chamber and politicians. The cat-daddy of the Chamber, Mike Edwards (yes, the same Mike Edwards that sits on the TN Board of Education), longtime President of Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, serves on their board of directors. He also serves on the Education Committee for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Interestingly, Edwards is highly involved in Knoxville's Public School Forum sitting on their board of directors. It is interesting because that token PTA Mom on SCORE's steering committee is the Executive Assistant for the Public School Forum.

Can't get enough of the SCORE deception???
Read more about SCORE's SHADY characters and the sneaky way SCORE created a highly-suspicious survey to show support their reforms. Click HERE to read our Momma Bears blog about all that mess.

The final SCORE:
Momma Bears aren't fooled by SCORE's professional website, fancy videos, slick brochures, or with the people they rub elbows with. They are a greedy organization who will do whatever it takes to keep their paychecks rolling in and their business donors happy.

This is a series of articles to educate people about non-profit organizations that disguise themselves as supporting children, but, in reality, do not. Click on the links below to read other posts in the "Liar liar pants on Fire" series:

StudentsFirst

How to get stinking rich in the education industry

12/3/2013

Times are tough, but that doesn't mean you can't make a buck in education right now. No qualifications or experience? No problem! In fact, it is actually works better if you have zero classroom experience (so you won't have any compassion for the hardworking teachers and innocent students you'll be profiting from).

You could pay $1,395 to attend a workshop (like this one) to learn how to get rich in the education industry, but Momma Bears already did the homework and figured it all out. And Momma Bears is all about sharing knowledge with other concerned folks. So, save your money and read about the easy 10-step program to getting rich with other people's money through America's public school system...

10 steps to hitting the jackpot in education:

Step #1: Start a consulting business or organization. It doesn't really matter if it is profit or non-profit. Non-profit organizations will seem more trustworthy and innocent to the public (but don't worry, that doesn't mean you won't get a nice paycheck.)

Step #2: Create a catchy name for your organization. Acronyms work especially well. Don't forget a logo. You cannot go wrong with an apple logo, they are very much in style right now.

Step #3: Make a website with pretty pie charts and lots of catchy buzz-words like these:

achievement gap
data driven benchmarks
human capital
Common Core aligned
education strategies
global citizen
rigorous, relevant, and robust

Step #4: Convince a school district that they are failing. You'll need to cherry-pick and manipulate test score data, make some glitzy charts, and use lots of buzz words. It helps if you can WOW the school board members and Superintendent with free trips or fancy meals, too.

Step #5: Find a Gullible Billionaire. (Bill Gates, Eli Broad, or any of the Walton family love education entrepreneurs, especially if you have a great logo.)

Step #6: Convince that failing school district to apply for a grant from the Gullible Billionaire. Note: the Gullible Billionaire may require a "matching grant" to get his money. Don't fret your pretty little entrepreneurial heart over that little detail! There's money to be squeezed from within that school district (those students don't need money for library, art, or music, do they?) Don't forget to tell the school district to ask for matching grants from that town's Chamber of Commerce and other gullible rich people. Businesses love to donate if you publicize their names; it is well-known that customers especially love businesses that help children. Be sure to check all those potential sources of grant money.

***Disclaimer: the Billionaire will require private student data in exchange for his grant. Don't worry, you won't go to jail. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) law was quietly changed to make it all legal. Parents would be upset if they knew, though, so don't let them find out.

Step #7: Name your price (which is conveniently the same amount as their grant funds plus the money they squeezed from their tight budget). Set a time limit to your involvement with the district, and include in the contract that you get paid no matter what.

Step #8: Pretend to study the data from the district. Visit some of their schools to seem legitimate. Then, convince the elected school board and superintendent to do any or all of the following (it really doesn't matter to you what they do, of course, because you still get paid regardless):

Fire teachers.
Hire unqualified temporary teachers that cost less and don't stay around long enough to get pricey retirement benefits.
Tell teachers they can earn bonuses and/or merit pay for reaching impossible goals.
Spend more money on testing students (but call them "benchmark assessments" to compile even more data, which Gullible Billionaires love).
Suggest they give biased surveys to teachers, parents, & students to convince them that you know what you are doing (these surveys are a great way to gather even more data. In fact, some Gullible Billionaires will often pay 100% for the surveys in addition to the grant!)
Squeeze even more students into classrooms to save their school district money (but don't ever mention how much they are wasting on outside consultants like yourself!)
Close neighborhood schools and give them to charter school investors.

Step #9: Now that you have stirred up a hornet's nest in that school district, it is time to get out of Dodge, cowboy! The citizens are starting to see they've been duped. It is time to go on a nice vacation or buy yourself a yacht with those millions of education dollars filling up your bank account.

Step #10: If you really want to rake in consistent long-term tax-payer money, consider starting charter schools. Charter operators set their own salaries and you don't have to deal with pesky financial audits and laws that apply to public schools. Charter investors get ridiculous tax breaks up to 38%, which will double your money in just 7 years! Yes, sir-ee, just sit back and let some commoners run your charter school empire while you watch your bank account grow.

So there you have it. Ten easy steps to hitting the jackpot in the education industry. What is your next goal in life? Perhaps children of your own? If you decide to brave the parenthood frontier, just make sure you put your own children in nice private schools with small class sizes, rich art programs, qualified teachers, huge endowments, and none of that common core stuff that some other education entrepreneurs came up with to sell textbooks & testing and gather data for Gullible Billionaires. Hey, maybe you'll see their yacht when you're on vacation so you can ask them for private school recommendations???

Don't believe Momma Bears? This kind of profiteering really has happened... maybe even in your school district!
Click these links to see for yourself:

Click HERE to read about grants & consultants in Knox County, TN
Click HERE to read about the enormous profit in Memphis, TN
Click HERE and HERE to see how TN's Governor profits
Click HERE to read how charters & testing companies make millions in TN
Click HERE to read about the scandals in FL, OK, ME, NJ, TN, NM, & LA
Click HERE to read the waste in Denver, CO
Click HERE and HERE to read how this firm profited from chaos in Colorado, New Orleans, New York, & St. Louis
Click HERE to read how a smart teacher does the math on Charter Schools
Click HERE and HERE to heed other's warnings about the Boston Consulting Group
Click HERE to see how Texas is being swindled big-time
Click HERE to see Louisana being taken advantage of
Click HERE for No Consultant Left Behind
Click HERE to see how a billionaire advertised for paid consultants in 15 states through Race to the Top
Click HERE to see how a consultant gets paid $625 an hour in Florida with public tax dollars (even though teachers haven't received raises in 7 years and the school board cut sports and student activities).

Not the kind of Party you're thinking of

11/17/2013

We've heard it over and over... Any opposition to *common core gets blamed on The Tea Party. However, republican politicians blame cc opposition on "special interests" because they really need Tea Party support and don't want to burn any proverbial bridges with the party--those sly devils! The reality is that common core is a bipartisan issue. There are no sides of the fence to sling mud on because everyone is covered in it, courtesy of Bill Gates' money-pit.

We have news for you: The only Tea Party that we Momma Bears know of involves our daughters, some dolls, a few teddy bears, and a teapot. We're not radical. We're not political. We're Moms.

Now, to be honest, we've met some Tea Party people during this common core battle, and they're pretty nice people. It is obvious they love America and are passionate about American rights. Frankly, we wish more people were that way. The level of apathy in most citizens is just plain sad. It is much easier to just pretend it isn't happening, and let someone else deal with it. But we Momma Bears can't ignore what is happening because it IS affecting our children. We see it its negative effects right before our eyes. We hear about it daily from other parents across the country, so we know it isn't just our community that is affected.

Strange timing...
This blog has been in-the-works for the past few weeks, and, lo and behold, the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, just happens to insult us moms as we were putting the finishing touches on this post. Oh. No. He. Didn't... Oh yes, he did! He said the pushback to his beloved Common Corporate federal standards is coming from:

“white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were, and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were.”

Yes, he really said that. Aw, snap! That was the sound of intelligent, insulted parents across the country as their jaws hit the floor in disbelief that the U.S. Secretary of Education would throw our children (and us) under the bus like that.

We are opposed to common core, but not for the reason he claims. Our children are just fine, thankyouverymuch. Mommas know when fibbing is going on. We know that data has been manipulated to make it appear that American students are behind other countries academically. The truth is POVERTY in the USA is an undeniable factor on test scores. If the test scores of children in poverty weren't included, the USA leads the world in high test scores. And, unlike some countries, the USA tests every student in public school, rich or poor. Just look at this article posted last week about the 11 perfect scores on this AP Calculus test. All 11 students were from the USA. The test was given in 59 countries. BAM! We bet those Mommas and teachers are proud of those kids! And, to think, those students weren't raised with common core!

The nation who is "winning" the global education race is Finland - a country that does not have common core. In fact, Finland doesn't even have standardized tests. Finnish teachers are treated like rock stars and paid respectably. Class sizes are small in Finland. Oh, and Finland's poverty rate is less than 5%. The USA poverty rate is between 20-25%. Bingo.

The reality is that we Moms, Dads, teachers, principals, and even our elected officials are finding out that we've been duped. We've been sold a lemon with common core. The evidence is impossible to ignore. After our children are tucked in bed at night, we Momma Bears research common core and education reform until our eyes hurt. We email each other links and share them on facebook. We contact our school boards and legislators with proof that these reforms are hurting our children and schools.

The common denominator in all of this common core and reform-baloney is: MONEY. Our children are profiting corporations and investors. Momma Bears will tackle these greedy organizations in upcoming blogs. Stay tuned!

Next blog: Pear$on Publi$hing in the U$A

*Dear English teachers & Grammar Nazis:

Please note that "common core" is purposely not capitalized in our blog because we don't really think it is a Proper Noun. Everyone knows that common things do not get capitalized. It does not deserve the respect that capital letters imply. And if the real owners of common core (whoever they are) want to sue us, then bring it on. We just might sue them back, too, for taking spelling out of our children's education.
We may also affectionately refer to common core as: corporate core, common core Federal standards, common crap, etc. Of course, you are smart enough to know what we mean (and probably clever to come up with your own name for cc$$).

Momma Bears Diagnosis: How to tell if your School District is infected by the Gates-Broad-Walton Virus

9/28/2013

This Momma Bear noticed something wasn't right with schools in her district. Weird symptoms: funky grading scales, disappearing neighborhood schools, charter schools who cherry-pick students, teacher "excessing," budget cuts, confusing acronyms and ever-changing terms, her children talked about weird tests, personal questions asked of students on strange surveys that parents were not notified about, and the news media that reports everything is all so healthy and peachy-keen. What do Moms do when they are worried? They research it. One Momma Bear found a checklist to diagnose this mysterious illness that has infected her school district. Find out if your public schools have contracted this virus, too, and if so, begin the treatment immediately:

[This checklist was originally published by Sue Peters in a blog entitled, "How to tell if your School District is infected by the Broad Virus" (April 2011) on Seattle Education.

1). Schools in your district are suddenly closed because they are "under-utilized," but smaller charter schools pop up in their place?
YES, has happened quite a bit, especially in poor areas of Memphis despite parents loudly protesting.

2). Even top-performing schools, alternative and schools for the gifted, are inexplicably and suddenly targeted for closure or mergers?
Yes, in fact, we've had the largest school merger in history!!!

3). Repetition of the phrases “the achievement gap” and “closing the achievement gap” in district documents and public statements. Repeated use of the terms “excellence” and “best practices” and “data-driven decisions.” (Coupled with a noted absence of any proof.) The production of “data” that is false or cherry-picked, and then used to justify reforms.
Good grief, the whole state of Tennessee is being fed those key words and given skewed facts daily in the media! "Cherry-picked" is right about the false data, especially by the politicians who are up for re-election next year.

4). Power is centralized. Decision-making is top down.
Yes, both locally and state-wide. The TN Commissioner of Education and the TN Board of Education are all appointed positions by the Governor of TN. Decisions being made on public schools do not reflect the will of the public.

5. Local autonomy of schools is taken away. Principals are treated like pawns by the superintendent, relocated, rewarded and punished at will. Culture of fear of reprisal develops in which teachers, principals, staff, even parents feel afraid to speak up against the policies of the district or the superintendent.
Oh, Lordy, YES! But you won't find news about it because they are afraid to speak up for fear of losing their jobs like their fellow staff members already have.

6. Sudden increase in number of paid outside consultants.
Hello, Boston Consulting Group, Parthenon Group, and Proact Search Company (all affiliated with Gates, Broad, & Walton). Goodbye, millions of education dollars and our local control, to these wealthy consultants.

7. Teachers are no longer referred to as people, educators, colleagues, staff, or even “human resources,” but as “human capital.” Instead of "firing", new words are used such as "excessing" or "surplussing".
Oh, YES. They are treated like pawns around here, too, so much so that we Momma Bears wonder if they will rename the Department of Human Capital to the "Department of Human Cattle." It is that bad for teachers here.

8. The district leadership declares that the single most significant problem in the district is suddenly: teachers!
Yes. Evil tenured teachers who are really vampires in disguise. Which is totally ironic, because teachers don't make diddly-squat. Many teachers have to take on part-time jobs to support their families. Most of them spend out of their own paychecks for classroom supplies for their students. Teachers are hard-working and caring. We've yet to meet a rich teacher, have you? The REAL money-suckers are those who are demanding "accountability" and blaming teachers while cashing their 6-figure paychecks.

9. Teachers are no longer expected to be creative, passionate, inspired, but merely “effective.”
Yep. All that matters anymore is the student test scores. That expensive test that nobody ever gets to see the questions on. THAT is what determines if a teacher is good or not. Our children have been turned into little data points used to hurt teachers and schools. Sad, huh?

10. Excessive amounts of testing introduced and imposed on your kids.
YES!!! Except they don't call it testing. They call it fun names like: STAR Probes, DISCOVERY Education, Think Link, iStation, Compass Learning, CRAs, Accelerated Reader tests, etc. Our kids certainly weren't fooled. One child explained those tests as, "the tests everyone had to take to determine who the smart and dumb kids are for Intervention groups." The district says these are pre-tests to prepare them for the State TCAP (and PARCC next year) in TN. Whatever you call them, they take time away from real learning time. They take time away from recess. They take money away from important areas that have been cut, especially support staff and more teachers. Our student to teacher ratios have increased drastically as these expensive tests have been implemented. Coincidence? We think not.
Even worse, parents had to send in $15 to buy TCAP workbooks last year. Students did these practice tests in class for 45 minutes every day for a month. The whole book. Bubbling in answers to trick questions. We Momma Bears would rather them be reading for pleasure, and enjoying learning, than bubbling in answers for proficiency.

11. Teach for America, Inc., novices are suddenly brought into the district, despite no shortage of fully qualified teachers.
YES! There are hundreds of excessed teachers, and some are fired based on test scores, but we're paying for 350 unqualified college babies with zero experience teaching students! And there are plans to hire 250 more novices each year thereafter?!?? The Achievement School District thinks so highly of these unqualified, inexperienced teachers that they host Happy Hours with free alcohol on a school night at a local bar, courtesy of our tax money. Only 2nd year TFA & alumni are invited to the event for the free drinks, free appetizers, and a photobooth. (Note: I bet they won't advertise their future Happy Hours. Their original video went viral, and they removed it. Thank goodness some Momma Bears posted it on Youtube so we can all see the craziness.)

12. Strange data appears that seems to contradict what you know (gut level) to be true about your own district. There is a strange sense of sabotage going on. You start to feel you are trapped in the nightmarish Book Five of the Harry Potter series and the evilly vindictive Dolores Umbridge is running your school district. (Seek centaurs and Forbidden Forest immediately!)
Yes, and our TN Commissioner of Education is Lord Voldemort. Everyone in our state is terrified of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named because he punishes those who do not follow him. All the new policies and laws forced on us are just like the Decrees hung on the walls at Hogwarts. The new grading system at the Achievement District schools (schools that have been taken over by TN BOE) reek of dark magic to fool muggles. And one Charter School (who just happened to contribute to the Governor's campaign) gets preferential treatment by not having their TCAP scores count toward their grades, even though their school is failing. Not only that, they are being given another ASD to operate, too. How is that for accountability and democracy? (How's that for reading in-depth to a text?)

13. A rash of Astroturf groups appear claiming to represent “the community” or “parents” and all advocate for the exact same corporate ed reforms that your superintendent supports — merit pay, standardized testing, charter schools, alternative credentialing for teachers. Of course, none of these are genuine grassroots community organizations.
But, the names of the groups sound so lovely... Don't you want to put "Students First" or "Stand for Children"? Education "Reform" sounds so noble, doesn't it? Doesn't every human "Expect More, Achieve More" for students? Anyone who does not agree is labeled as a crazy extremist who kicks puppies. Even plain-jane Moms like us. We've never kicked any puppies.

14. Or, existing groups suddenly become fervidly in favor of teacher-bashing, merit pay or charter schools. Don’t be surprised to find that these groups may have received grant money from the corporate ed reform foundations like Gates or Broad.
Yes. Even our beloved PTA even drank the Gates kool-aid when it took Gates' money.  The NEA chugged it down, too. The lure of money enticed some pretty powerful leaders, and now those leaders are ignoring the children and teachers they were elected to serve.

15. The superintendent receives the highest salary ever paid to a superintendent in your town’s history (plus benefits and car allowance) – possibly more than your mayor or governor — and the community is told “that is the national, competitive rate for a city of this size.”
Well, not the highest, but pretty darn close for a lawyer who has never taught before. It could be worse. Apparently, the Proact Search Firm couldn't find ANY candidates willing to work for our district because of this tumultuous merger that we did not want. (Actually, Momma Bear parents were so informed and vocal at the community forums, there was no way that Proact could put one of those Broad Academy Superintendents in that spot.) That didn't stop the lawyer-Superintendent from stacking his cabinet with Stand on Children & Teach for America's $$$ cronies.

16. Your school board starts to show signs of Stockholm Syndrome. They vote in lockstep with the superintendent. Apparently lobotomized by periodic “school board retreat/Broad training” sessions headed by someone from Broad, your school board stops listening to parents and starts to treat them as the enemy. (If you still have a school board, that is — Broad ideally prefers no pesky democratically elected representatives to get in the way of their supts and agendas.)
We Momma Bears have a feeling that this is coming soon, most likely after the suburban municipalities form their own school districts in 2014. It is rumored that Gates is dishing out more money, and there are even more strings attached to it than before. Our locally-elected school boards are losing their authority and control with the ASD and charter school vultures swarming. Unfortunately, the students are left vulnerable because a majority of our locally-elected school board members are generously supported by Stand For Children. These board members don't vote on issues without first consulting their sugar-daddies.

17. Annual superintendent evaluation is overseen by a fellow named Tom Payzant.
Honestly, we haven't had a superintendent around long enough for a yearly evaluation. We'll see...

18. Stand for Children appears in town and claims to be grassroots. (It is actually based in Portland, Ore., and is funded by the Gates Foundation.) It may invite superintendent to be keynote speaker at a political fundraising event. It will likely lobby your state government for corporate ed reform laws.
Honey, Stand on Children has been here for years. Stand on Children hires gullible parents to wear free t-shirts at school board meetings and political events. They've chartered buses and taken groups of brand-new-T-shirt-wearing people and adorable kids-in-new-t-shirts (who had no clue that they were props for a political agenda) to Nashville during the legislative session. However, Stand on Children was getting stale, and people were losing trust. Now, we have the vultures of "Students First" (or as we call them, "Stockholders First"). And we also have the vultures from Teach For America, The New Teacher Project, New Leaders for New Schools, DFER, etc. They just keep coming, smelling the fresh meat and Bill Gates' money-pit.

19. The Gates Foundation gives your district grants for technical things related to STEM and/or teacher “effectiveness” or studies on charter schools.
Yep. Lots of strings attached to his money. The school board has teachers & administrators jumping through hoops like trained dogs. Teachers & staff in the former (smaller school district) used to TRUST the leadership, and they were always treated fairly with respect. Now after the largest-school-merger-in-history, it is a much different world in our public schools in West TN. And now Gates has given a chunk of money to a school district in East TN. Another Momma Bear called it a "Teacher Holocaust" in Tennessee. Sad, but true.

20. Local newspaper fails to report on much of this.
Yep. They all think Gates is the bomb-diggity. Pass the pitcher of kool-aid.

21. Local newspaper never mentions the words “Broad Foundation.”
Nope. I had to connect the dots myself by using good-old google to find out that Broad Foundation has connections with all these consultants that we hired to make huge decisions about staffing, school mergers, school closures, charter schools, etc. (see above links)

22. Broad and Gates Foundations give money to local public radio stations which in turn become strangely silent about the presence and influence of the Broad and Gates Foundation in your school district.
Who hasn't heard this NPR tagline: "Support for NPR comes from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation." It is national. Since most of our media is owned by larger national conglomerates that are owned by or funded by Gates & friends, unbiased reporting is impossible. Thank goodness for social media and fellow Momma Bears who share the truth!

THE CURE for Parasitic Virus:

Parents.

Blogs.

Sharing information.

Vote your school board out of office.

Vote your mayor out of office if he is complicit.

Boycott or opt out of tests.

Go national.

Follow the money.

Question the data – especially if it’s produced by someone affiliated with the Broad or Gates Foundations or their favored consultants (McKinsey, Strategies 360, NCTQ, or their own strategically placed Broad Residents).

Alert the media again and again (they will ignore you at first).

Protest, stage rallies, circulate petitions.

Connect and daylight the dots.

Thank goodness there is a cure, but the treatment isn't easy. It will take many, many Momma Bears and Daddy Bears to fight this illness. Please, join us to protect our children and their education. We're on facebook. Join our Momma Bears group. Network together. Together, we can rid these toxic parasites from our children's schools!

Hopeless situation on Hope Street

Stuck in an Elevator with Bill Gates

Hope Street is a Dead End for TN & TEA

Flip-flopping Fordham Institute & the False Messiah

Schools need VIGOR, not Rigor

How about using the word, "VIGOR," instead?

Danger: Inappropriate education website for kids

A Creepy test --- PARCC

Liar liar pants on fire: SCORE

How to get stinking rich in the education industry

10 steps to hitting the jackpot in education:

Has your school district been duped, too???
Send the info to Momma Bears and we'll post it!

Not the kind of Party you're thinking of

Momma Bears Diagnosis: How to tell if your School District is infected by the Gates-Broad-Walton Virus

Archives

Momma Bears

Categories

How about using the word, "VIGOR," instead?

10 steps to hitting the jackpot in education:

Has your school district been duped, too??? Send the info to Momma Bears and we'll post it!

Archives

Momma Bears

Categories

Has your school district been duped, too???
Send the info to Momma Bears and we'll post it!