Politico’ Morning Education Blog reports a setback for inBloom. Notice the come-on: free now, not later:
INBLOOM OFF THE ROSE? — Another state has pulled out of using the Gates Foundation’s $100 million technology service project, inBloom. The withdrawal further shrinks the project after other states pulled out in part because of concern about protecting students’ privacy. Guilford County, N.C. told POLITICO on Wednesday that the state decided to stop using the service, which is designed to hold information about students including names, socioeconomic status, test scores, disabilities, discipline records and more in one place, and ideally, help in customizing students’ education.
Guilford schools’ departure doesn’t put the project in any kind of jeopardy, inBloom said, although Louisiana withdrew in April and other states once affiliated with the project no longer are. That leaves New York, two Illinois districts and one Colorado district as firm participants for now; Massachusetts is on the fence. At first inBloom will be free, but by 2015 states and districts using it will be charged $2 to $5 per student for the service.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Please can we make a list of other data-gatherers from schools? My district uses Naviance and SchoolNet. What others are there?
SIS K-12
Should we ask Snowden about inBloom? News organizations are talking about all other stored and potential leaks, but we can’t get any interest by CNN or others to pick up the Gates/Murdock/inBloom connection. Any suggestions?
Why would the fawning corporate media be interested in muckraking their owners?
Go to alternative news sources. Mainstream media sucks.
Please can we makes list of these so-called “services” which really gather data on our students for corporate gain? My district uses Naviance and SchoolNet. We need to let our students’ parents know what is happening so school boards can prevent this invasion which sees our students as consumers.
I would like to help you with the list… I personally know of CELT in Massachusetts who has contracts with several state departments. FL has been a big “purchaser” and by looking at the board members you would get some ideas also. CELT receives funds from Gates Foundation; CELT came into existence as DEC was closing and they have at least one person who was affiliated with the computer firm DEC. Their attitude was “we have all this space in our computer so we need to develop a profit center” and they turned towards the educational market (colleges first because they had more discretionary funds) but they would give a computer donation, probably get tax write offs and then expect the educators to become their marketing staff for the corporation.
I will start a list and keep it on my computer and send you what I have. Abe Fischler was instrumental in college and teacher preparation; he was also an “early” in with computer technology for the good things that it could do and that were promised. He is one of the FL individuals pushing the computers now (he wasn’t like that when we knew him in the 60s and 70s; he was a purposeful educator). Abe worked with NOVA in FL with college to set up some reasonable programs with integrity but things have gotten out of control (in my personal estimation; these are my personal opinions and do not reflect on any MASS offices). I hounded NOVA for two years based on personnel they had hired out of Massachusetts that had been part of a “scam” to use funds for personal gain . I would ask them to remove the person from the leadership role in education but transfer the individual to their programs on “hypnosis” because it was a useful sales technique they were selling with motivational psychology etc. My sarcasm didn’t get me anywhere but I was really angry about these individuals teaming up. Again , this does not represent the good things that have arrived from the efforts in Masachusetts but a couple of individuals who turned the computers-in-schools into a get rich quick scheme (this happened about 1992) so I saw it coming and there wasn’t anything I could do . Not everyone is purposely targeting the schools as a corporate for profit market — a lot of the persons I worked with have retired but I don’t think any of them realized the extreme to which this fast money , fast “food” economy would take us in the cult of efficiency. The other companies I don’t know about like the two you mentioned but I would be glad to help you build a listing. There is a woman doctor who is writing how the “fast food cult ” of efficiency has hurt the medical field and the patient doctor relationshps (she calls it God’s Hotel)
jes in Massachusetts
My colleagues played bridge with Abe Fischler and believe that he is co-opted by the corporate world. This is from the FL Broward newspaper (Abe Fischler has been in FL for some time; they knew of him in MA which goes back decades.) The corporate world has lots of computer space and IT people who need work….. when they arrogate the power and assume that educators are inferior (to their superior skills) there is a conflict. quote here from Broward newspapers: “Abe Fischler who gave “glowing” review in his recent attempt to push a new Charter School through the School Board.
But then again Fischler and Till have a history of no-bid contracts from the School Board. And Fischler has a habit of getting his CELT buddies (he’s a board member) to hand out free junkets to CELT headquarters along with whale watching outings.” Sometimes we know not the “web we weave”? yet, some have intentions such as the woman NOVA hired out of Massachusetts to teach educational leadership….. I personally called NOVA University for over a year but I was ignored.
quote: “So far in Massachusetts, the only school system in the pilot is Everett, and there the project is still too new for the privacy issues to have been tested. Thomas Stella, the assistant superintendent of Everett schools, said the system had yet to sign a contract with inBloom, and so has not given the company any of its student information.” this was reported in May. How can the website say they have Massachusetts when they have one district out of 350 . Everett is not one of the leading school districts in Mass. I know Governor Patrick is committed out of loyalty and friendship but I think the policies are wrong -headed. ACLU, PTA and a parent group for less commercialism have spoken out against the gathering of these vast amounts of data. There are many individuals who are against it; one superintendent (Stella) does not commit the state.
Jean, the state’s not out yet. They’ve been progressively more cagey about it, but they’re not running yet.
Tracy, would you write back to me about this…. I am concerned about “data mining ” and getting the information on students that is private and building data bases that will be used for marketing tools. I live in MA. I think cagey is the right word
jeanhaverhill@aol.com
This is interesting. Does anyone know which of these data gathers do California?
In my small Northern CA (Bay Area) district we have School Loop, used at middle & high school, for student and parent access. It contains student schedules, school announcements, and a grade dashboard at the high school level. Our District uses Infanite Campus, which houses personal info and test data. It can generate various types of test reports, and is where we input attendance and formative assessment data. I sincerely doubt this company is selling (sharing?) our data, though when I get back to work, that’s a question I plan to ask.
I ran across another company that has a newsy policy blog attached to it. “School Innovations & Achievement” offers software to school systems and is based in Southern CA. Here’s their policy blog: http://www.siacabinetreport.com/default.aspx
Their policy blog actually has some interesting stories on it, including this very fascinating one on charter schools not having to disclose the details of dismissing troubled students:
http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=4894
I imagine there are lots of small companies offering software to districts, but none of them are getting the press that InBloom gets. It’s a foregone conclusion that Bill Gates and InBloom would like to crush every one of them.
I’m surprised by how few places are actually part of InBloom. Reading the press and other blogs gives the impression the organization is everywhere. I’m willing to bet the NSA scandal will knock the bloom off the rose of InBloom!
Let’s hope InBloom wilts away!!
I read on something last night that Indianna was moving to drop out of PARRC. If I remember what I read correctly, the Governor has filled out a withdrawal form and it needed Glenda Rittz’s signature before it could be sent. I think it was an article that was mentioned on a post on Alabama’s stop Common Core Facebook page.
A victory for the students of Guilford County! The Jefferson County, CO, Board of Education will hold a study session regarding their involvement with inBloom on August 22nd at 5:00pm. I hope the BoE will look critically at privacy concerns and follow the lead of other states/districts who have listened to their constituents and pulled out.
What happens in a study session?
Can people speak and ask questions, parents, students and teachers?
Good question, Linda. At the last Jeffco BoE inBloom study session the public was not allowed to comment or ask questions. There was only spin, hype and rhetoric.
I forgot to mention that I’ve been told Sharren Bates of inBloom will be there to answer questions asked by the BoE. Sharren is also coming to Jeffco next Monday, 8/5, to answer questions asked by Jeffco’s “Data Management Advisory Council.”
Two visits from Sharren in one month. Jeffco must be very, very special to inBloom. Very special, indeed.
I’m sure you already have this, but Leonie has more information here. Keep us informed. If they lose any more districts, it will be the end.
http://www.classsizematters.org/
Thanks, Linda. Actually, Leonie has been instrumental in helping me alert parents here in Jeffco. Without her help, I believe Jeffco would have implemented this without notifying anyone.
Of course, Gates just gave our district another 5 million to help us create personalized learning systems for teachers. Evidently our teachers are undertrained and need Gates’ help with professional development. I’m guessing this will make it harder for Jeffco to turn our backs on inBloom.
But I’m hopeful district officials will listen to the concerns of parents and privacy experts and pull out of sharing student and teacher data. After all, they will be the ones that have to look into our eyes and tell us our children’s data has been misused or breached… not Gates.
Personalized learning is a crock of $hit. The teachers and district are playing into their own demise.
Once you take his money, you play his way. He will track scores to teachers and use the data to reduce the work force and funnel money elsewhere. He has no idea that teaching and learning are human experiences based upon trust and respect. Bill lacks social skills himself…Everything is a widget waiting for his “expertise”.
There isn’t a software program that would help me to know my kids better. They are people not data points on a spread sheet.
I will link an article written by an informed parent here in CT. He also “donated” in Hartford, but there are always strings attached. His goal is to reduce the labor, increase class size and replace teachers with devices.
Ask what resources his kids get at Lakeside private school.
This article was printed the day of our horrible shooting and it didn’t get much attention at the time. I will link another article next by the same writer.
Let’s stay in touch.
See here: http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/op-ed_beware_of_foundations_bearing_gifts/
OP-ED | A Window Into the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Dystopia
by Sarah Darer Littman | Jun 13, 2013 4:24pm
http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/a_window_into_the_bill_and_melinda_gates_foundation_dystopia/
Sorry, Linda. My comment about our teachers being undertrained and needing Gates’ help was tongue-in-cheek. I couldn’t agree with you more about the Gatesian agenda. Makes me insane that our Supt. would invite this kind of nonsense into our district. Our district was not broken! But now?
No I got that….the teachers probably don’t have a choice, I just wanted you to know that supportign teachersis not the intent of Bill Gates. His belief is to increase class size and get rid of ALL the dead wood, which he determines solely by test scores.
Who put him in charge? Get a hobby and leave us all alone.
Agreed!
I appreciate your comment that he should get a hobby; I think he should spend his money on more mosquito nets at least they know it will prevent malaria. Everything he is telling schools to do is wrong headed.
Rachael,
Have you read this yet?
http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/schoolbook/2013/jul/23/what-you-need-know-about-inbloom-student-database/
Thanks, Linda. This is very helpful. Leonie Haimson is a true warrior in this fight to protect students and teachers!
This topic fascinates me, and upon just a quick search found this article, published back in February:
http://www.twincities.com/ci_22552134/wisconsin-school-software-provider-sue-state-after-losing
It involves ths same company used in my district: Infinite Campus and another company, Skyward Inc. Looks like the free market just humming along!
Finally some good news from NC!
Diane, I asked Secretary Malone here in Massachusetts about this today. Here is his reply:
I’d say he needs a push!
Tracy, can you tell me what he means by “we” have a better view????
and what he means by “top of the fence”? We will “make thoughtful decisions”???
I would like to give a push….
jean
Tracy: I am concerned that you are right about “Cagey”…. I don’t approve of data mining and I think they are building a “marketing tool”; cagey is the right word; some are unsuspecting and go along with the team . I have deep concerns and I don’t know who to write to…. Sometimes I write to the Globe but I am just an average citizen at this point (and old); the Fitchburg Sentinel quoted me once about the Hitler moustache but I have things that I believe are important that need to be said. It is about the “Cagey” term you have used.
I don’t want them “data mining” through the information they are getting on students to put into vast data bases.Thank you
jeanhaverhill@aol.com
Footsteps2Brilliance™, Early Learning Mobile Game Platform for pre-K through 3rd grade that accelerates student achievement by uniting the power of mobile gaming with the latest in cognitive research. Footsteps2Brilliance™ .
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Does anyone know if his program is connected to InBloom?
Also, has anyone seen any research on this programs?
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Reason for my asking: (I may be wrong so don’t quote me)
The program collects data on preschool children (up through grade 3) …. where are they sending the data? The statement is that he parents sign in with the “APPs” to access ebooks (18 at count) and games so there is no worry about privacy of data.
That has been one of he concerns with InBloom that vast amount of data would be gathered through schools. This one reaches out to parents? home markets?
I may be a little paranoid here but I am just asking for information at this point.