AlterNet reports that StudentsFirst has found a new project. It is seeking people willing to flood social media with anti-union, anti-public school, “reform” views.
The new group is called “The Truth Campaign for Teachers.” The email that landed on AlterNet’s doorstep is targeted on New Mexico, but the writer assumes that other states may have the same campaign.
Here’s a copy of the email we received from a source who says it appeared over the summer:
The Truth Campaign for Teachers (TCT) is looking for:
·3-5 New Mexicans who are willing to blog at least twice/week on a variety of pro-reform issues
·3-5 New Mexicans who are willing to comment on/promote content on social media
Bloggers
Ideal candidate is passionate about education reform and is willing to be vocal about issues like the ones StudentsFirst supports.
·TCT would supply them with:
-Daily emails with suggested content and they would choose which topics to write on
-Before posts are final, a TCT write will provide feedback on post to form a compelling blog post
-(Help set up blog if person does not have one yet)
·Prefer that individual is willing to be named but we can work with anonymous bloggers as well
·Trying to get as many volunteers as possible
Politico had more on this new astroturf group, which is off to a slow start:
SEEDING THE FIELD: Eager to amplify voices in support of education reform, StudentsFirst has backed an initiative to nurture – and compensate – a new crop of online activists. The organization, founded by former D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee, has been providing staff support and fundraising help to the Truth Campaign [http://bit.ly/19xK15c ], which publishes a blog highly critical of teachers unions. The Truth Campaign, in turn, urges supporters to get active promoting ed reform on social media. When they do, they can earn money from the campaign, though Recruitment Manager Drew Hazouri won’t say how much. He won’t say, either, where the group gets its funding – only that StudentsFirst has been supportive. “Our mission is to create voices,” Hazouri said. “We’re creating a community.”
– So far, Hazouri said he’s launched at least 10 online activists. None appears to have caught fire on social media – at least, not yet. Jonathan Piliser, a former Teach for America corps member, has posted thousands of tweets but has just 78 followers. Maggie Paynich, an Atlanta real estate agent, launched her blog [http://bit.ly/1CIgLUI] with a flurry of posts but only had time for one so far in April. Still, the activists say they believe they’re making a difference. Piliser said he’s getting “several thousand hits a week” on his blog [ http://bit.ly/1afbWI0%5D, which in recent weeks has advocated for merit pay and in favor of the PARCC exams. No one tells him what to write, he said: “It’s my voice.” As for the stipend, neither Piliser or Paynich would discuss it, except to say that it’s not a full-time salary. “When I become important enough to have my salary posted publicly,” Paynich said, “then I guess you’ll know how much I make.”
Likely this is the group that had identical op eds in the Albuquerque Journal and the Santa Fe New Mexican recently that extolled the virtues of a deregulated free market approach, while excoriating those greedy unions as an obstacle to ed reform. Was able to get a rebuttal letter in that named the free market approach for what it is: increased profit with as little investment as possible from the corporation v. consumer well-being.
Most groups aren’t clueless enough to actually advertise. But this is, after all, StudentsFirst …
Michelle Rhee filed a StudentsFirst California lawsuit last week similar to the odious Quinn (v. unions). Both were/are supported by DFERs and others to break up teachers unions. Even though she has quieted her public visibility since she was getting too much bad publiclty for her out of control behavior and rants, she is still working to kill off public schools and she and her mayor hubby are major charter school owners in Sacramento. They are pushing him, a notorius basketball player/and charged child molester, to run for Governor of California. So it might be Villaraigosa v. Mr. Rhee/Johnson in 2016. What a world !
I think we may be seeing the effects of that sort of thing in the last few months as the number of anti-public education commenters seems to have increased with the m/o being to be here a few weeks and then not show up again.
I say, come on in folks, but at least have the cojones to admit that what you are part of that type of thing.
Pissedoffmom, are you still around?
Charming. Do they really thing that generic astroturf letters to the editor or blogs move the needle? I’m open to being cynical, but I believe that the folks that read blogs and the actual letters to the editor (not article comments) are pretty sophisticated in assessing for authenticity and bias.
As long as we are on the top of trolls:
Biggest paid troll out there is “Citizen” Stewart, or Chris Stewart. Gets paid by Education Post (Waltons, Broads, Mystery Donor) and who knows who else? From the Minneapolis area, lives in a distant exurb, has no investment in the Minneapolis Public Schools other than a rabid desire for its destruction. He’s everywhere; I think he lives online. A more self-loathing and pathological individual I have never met. Just Google Chris Stewart and Rahelio Soleil. Laughable that Peter Cunningham’s supposed aim for Education Post was for a more civil discussion around ed refrom, and then went forth and hired Stewart.
Omg I can’t stand citizenstewart! He blocked me after losing an argument…
Peter Greene will chew them and spit them out — before breakfast!
He will.
The pro-public ed group really dominates the blog category 🙂
It’s not even close. You-all have a lively group of volunteers.
Oops meant to write “chew them up”. : )
Looked at the two links given. There does not seem to be a lot of traffic in the comments sections so it does not appear that people are really engaged with these astroturf blogs. But here is the dilemma – do we comment on these blogs and refute their absurd notions or do we ignore them? The first may give the illusion of traffic at these sights but the second option leaves their wrong assertions unchallenged.
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
Propaganda group launched by branch of corporate education reform to attack teachers’ unions and support anti-public school reform through Blogs and as Trolls.
The more I learn about the corporate education reform movement the more I think their leaders are Stalin or Mao, but in reality they are David Coleman, Bill Gates, the Walton family, the CEO of Pearson and Eli Broad. Everyone else belongs to their armies.
What should we call the branch of the SS or KGB that Bill Gates funds?
MGK!
That stands for?
Moneys Gates Keepers
As Judy Collins asked (but in slightly different words)
Isn’t Gates rich? Isn’t he queer?
Losing his thinking this late in his career
But where are the trolls? There ought to be trolls.
They’re already here
LOL
Did Gates ever have any original thinking that was human and not machine coded?
Why doesn’t StudentsFirst just call themselves a charter promotion group?
This is their Twitter account. The only time public schools are mentioned is when they’re haranguing us to take standardized tests. Why not leave our schools out of it completely? They obviously have zero interest in our schools or our kids other than data collection.
I’ve already seen these types of zombie comments on the Core Knowledge blog. They’re easy to spot because they usually have little to do with the article they’re commenting on.
FYI WordPress blogs can be set up so the first comment someone makes has to be approved. Once approved, that commenter is not moderated. But it’s a real pain to moderate everything. Tough call.
Remember when StudentsFirst bought Facebook likes from Bangladesh? How pathetic!
http://www.mommabears.org/blog/pitiful-popularity-contest-for-faux-parents
I don’t know if it’s good but I retain my capacity to be shocked. Really? They can’t count on open discussion to lead people to the truth they claim to possess? They have to rely on propaganda? Is it really necessary to pervert the function of public forums by planting their views in this way?
It’s bizarre and sickening.
I’m sure some of the people employed by that astroturf organization troll here. Its disgusting. Have an opinion, but don’t be a lying, rhetoric tossing, trolling scab.
This is a war, and we shall fight fire with fire.
Personally I prefer “nukular” weapons!
Maggie Paynich was the Worcester (MA) organizer for Stand for Children, back when there was a chapter in town:
http://stand.org/massachusetts/blog/publisher/maggie-paynich-worcester-organizer
If this is the case, then do what mainstream media does: Limit the number of such trolls and edit out the rest of them OR don’t publish them at all.
Fight Troll fire with Reform fire. Hang them with their own rope . . . . .
Duh . . . . .
Democrats for Public Education- (1) still just 4 donations (2) still no At Blue registration (3) still featuring a Board member who voted for the expansion of charter schools and, (4) most recent post, January 12.
The “Truth Campaign” has funding that DFPE lacks. But, they have the disadvantage of trying to convince Americans that GDP-dragging hedge funds, have a solution to national prosperity and, that Silicon Valley CEO’s are self-sacrificing, fully-developed human beings who merit respect as citizens, despite activities like offshore company profits.
The astroturf groups tend to get a free pass from the corporate press/media, so they will probably be presented to the public as “concerned citizens” or “parents for choice” or the like.
And parents opting out are said to be union shills. Ridiculous!
After conducting a “close reading” of the job requirements, I noticed the word “amplify”. Does anyone else out there see a connection? Hmmmmmmmm……………
This sort of thing is very effective, I think. The best answer is to do the same from the other side. I have heard a number of people, including legislators, repeat the canards of the reform movement. The good side needs to get its talking points out there relentlessly, as well, with catch phrases.
Those who are on the “good” side cannot pay, as the “bad” side can. (I know this “good/bad” may sound ridiculously simplistic, but it is reasonably true.) Selfishness, greed, etc. always buy people to help promote selfishness and greed with lies and
mistortions (distortions with negative intent). However, those on the good side have righteousness on their side.
Let us use the same tactics to help deflate this.
“Inflammatory Trolls”
Inflammatory trolls
With pants and hair on fire
Have sold their very souls
To get what they desire