Who owns American public education? Until a decade ago, we might have answered: the public. Or the states. Or the local school boards.
Now, the likely answer is: the U.S. Department of Education.
Or the Gates Foundation, which seems to own the U.S. Department of Education.
But there may be another answer (this is not a multiple-choice test, and there is more than one right answer): Pearson, the megalith corporation that produces curriculum, textbooks, tests, owns the company that accredits teachers (EdTPA), owns an online charter corporation (Connections Academy), and owns the GED.
Here is an interesting and very long discussion of Pearson’s plans for the future. It involves us all.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) has just issued a powerful statement opposing EdTPA and coporatization of public education as discriminatory.
Here is the link for those interested:
nameorg.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Statement-rr-edTPA-1-21-14.pdf
Pretentious nonsense. This is just decorative underpinning for Pearson’s well-developed doctrine of public accountability to its corporate marketing plans.
This efficacy-in-terms-of-measurable outcomes formulation in no way represents something “new” for Pearson. It has already positioned itself for a goal, not just of profit, but of dynastic monopoly control.
Under its banner of “accountability” for outcomes, Pearson has shown itself as willing and able to corrupt our legislative and executive functions through a decade of unrelenting lobbying. A private mega-corporation, it now wields legally mandated final authority over American schools and children, superseding local control by elected bodies. Whenever its own measurements of education efficacy (in a child, teacher, school, district or city) fall outside it standards-based boundaries of “proficiency”, Pearson can assume direct control through its partners at the Broad Foundation.
“F”-icacy indeed …
It appears that the Empire-On-Which-Setteth-Not-The-Sun has never forgiven US for the Unpleasantness of 1776 and remains hell-bent for English Leather® on re-caste-ing our Revoltin’ Educational System back into the mould of the one that gave Old Dickens endless fodder for his lambastins.
Hard Times Ahead, Me ♥ies …
As I see Pearson.. in the age of the internet, Pearson basically needed to find a way to survive come “H – L L or Highwater” and continue to do so. They sure found it at the expense of our entire nation with strategic coordination and support from the likes of Bill Gates and other mega-millionaires. I would like to know whatever happened to the Sherman Antitrust Act that is supposed to protect our nation from this very problem? Is there anyone in our government interested in preserving democracy? Where is the challenge put to the Supreme Court? What would the one “issue” be that would get to the Court? Maybe LaborLawyer could chime in! If Pearson is allowed to lay waste to a nation of children being “educated”, what will become of our nation? Just wondering (and I still have a bit more to read on the Pearson article here.
I’m not a labor lawyer, but I agree artsegal. Something isn’t kosher here.
Monopolies are characterized by a lack of economic competition to produce the good or service and a lack of viable substitute goods. The verb “monopolize” refers to the process by which a company gains the ability to raise prices or exclude competitors. In economics, a monopoly is a single seller. In law, a monopoly is a business entity that has significant market power, that is, the power to charge high prices.
United States antitrust law is a collection of federal and state government laws, which regulates the conduct and organization of business corporations, generally to promote fair competition for the benefit of consumers. The main statutes are the Sherman Act 1890, the Clayton Act 1914 and the Federal Trade Commission Act 1914. These Acts, first, restrict the formation of cartels and prohibit other collusive practices regarded as being in restraint of trade. Second, they restrict the mergers and acquisitions of organizations which could substantially lessen competition. Third, they prohibit the creation of a monopoly and the abuse of monopoly power.
The questions are:
Is Pearson a cartel?
Has Pearson actively colluded to restrain trade?
Has Pearson actively restricted competition?
Is Pearson a monopoly?
Everyone needs to come together and say that we have had enough of Pearson. Their Scott Foresman Common Core Reading Street series is pathetic, especially all the worksheets and on line skill drill.
Pearson also owns the national exam nurses have to take, both RN and LPN. My university makes us spend $600 per year on pearson test-prep material to pass the nursing exam. Test-prep material is full of typos. I worry about its accuracy.
Link provided.
In NY, student teachers are now required to document which textbooks and test prep materials their cooperating teachers are using (ie-are they using Pearson) as part of their program. What an interesting way to track teachers and the materials they are using without directly asking them.
This was a very interesting blog post, thanks for sharing. As one of those faculty who occasionally “prescribes” text books (I typically build my own reading and resource lists to meet my course objectives), I am very much aware of the ways that the large publishing houses have been pushing technology to enhance product value (and justify the rediculously high product prices). But, I can also say that these “technological enhancements” add very, very little value to my courses and student learning within them (typically web sites with instructor materials and BS study techniques for the students–who are more than capable of making their own flashcards!). on my own, I find excellent supporting materials in a few minutes using google searches that fit my particular learning objectives (which are almost always class specific), and never end up using the prepackaged content the publisher has attached to their product.
At least where higher education is concerned (where there is rarely a “board” that is empowered to prescribe course materials for the entire district as is the case in k-12). Pearson’s strategy of norming within the organization without any consultations with educators that might use their products, and then taking this top down result out to their “customers” is guaranteed to fail if their goal is truly learning efficacy. Why? Because they cannot possibly know what students should be learning or how they should be learning from within an organization that has no direct contact with faculty or students.
The drug industry is a good comparison case. While some drugs are indeed developed based on their efficacy (in terms of effectively relieving illness symptoms or curing disease), there is a very good literature showing that companies develop many drugs, see what their side effects are, and then try and find ways to market their products based on which side effects can be turned into “efficacious treatment” markets. This includes inventing new “syndromes” and then marketing both the syndrome and treatment to physicians and the general public. The problem is when the treatment turns out not to be efficacious in the real world, even worsening quality of life in objective terms. (See Robert Whitaker’s An Anatomy of an Epidemic, as an example). Then there are premature deaths, sky rocketing disability rates, and, of course, law suits.
Imagine the day, which I suspect is coming, where Pearson is sued for irresponsibly selling a product that they know objectively worsens children’s life chances, even though they enhance Pearson’s in-house efficacy criteria.
Pearson has a seat at the education table, literally, they met with OBAMA last week.
Wonder what Obama will GET from Pearson? Obama met with Boeing, too. Guess who suffers?
Rest assured, Bill Gates has no seat at the table.
-Arne “nothing can be further from the truth” Duncan
A seat at the table? Pearson is in the process of remodeling the whole kitchen.
Microsoft is in Davos right now, with Pearson as well….
Pearson also owns the software (used by teachers and staff in many school districts) that tracks student demographics, courses, attendance, and grades.
Hi Diane, The attached is just my way of getting to the point of what is wrong with all of this “educational reform” BS. If you find it worthy, post it on your blog. I am posting it on mine and on facebook. Love what you stand for, what you do, and how hard you work. Please, keep it up!