A reader writes:
The tactic of breaking meeting attendees into small groups with one staff member per group who runs the group discussion and writes the comments on chart paper is commonly used at the system level in the county where my children attend. They did it for controversial redistricting plans, and when they were acting as if they cared about teacher and parent input regarding conversion to a charter system. The tactic drives me crazy because it is a way to control the crowd, a way to keep the masses at bay. It avoids the opportunity for the “whole” of who cares enough to show up to HEAR from each other and build a discussion that has the potential to become loud enough to BE HEARD. It was so patronizing to be led in these small group discussions, which were largely controlled by the facilitator anyway because they had parameters and categories and ultimately decided what to write on the chart paper. In our system, they then lean heavily on these “town hall meetings” to bolster their decisions because they can SAY they got input. In reality it is just window dressing.
So, it comes as no surprise that they would break such a large group of teachers down to take away the power of your collective voice. They neatly avoided what would have been said, perhaps to thunderous applause and cheers, had they allowed you to stay gathered and build on each others’ comments. I am a psychologist by training, but it doesn’t take a psychologist to see the manipulative ploy for what it is. Democracy at its best, right?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Meetings at my school are run like this quite often under the guise of “gathering input.” Sometimes I think it can be useful in generating ideas, However, I agree with the sentiment of this post.
I forget what post it was, but someone linked a video from the November NYC PEP meeting..it was titled Occupy DOE. The audience had planned a script to disrupt the meeting which was the only way to be heard. It was great! I wish someone would post it again or I will go back and try to find it and paste the link.
This is what Memphis needs to organize…a planned rebellion.
Diane, do you remember which post it was?
Group manipulation. It’s the Delphi Technique. The outcome was set before the meeting ever started. http://www.learn-usa.com/education_transformation/er003.htm
Interesting reading in the link. It never ceases to amaze me to what lengths the christian fundamentalists will go to hide their agenda of turning America into a christofascist state. I had to page through a number of different pages to find that low and behold http://www.learn-usa.com‘s ‘world view is judeo christian and that it’s foundational philosophy is “The belief that man is an individual creation of God; each to be celebrated in his or her own right as an individual with individual rights; that the state serves the individual.”
Out you religious demons, out!!
Christofascist? Seriously? You’re kidding right? Our country WAS founded on Judeo-Christian principles. It wasn’t founded on Islamic princples, not the teachings of Buddha, not the new age gobbledlygook of today. The Founding Fathers were from all different religions, faiths, and backgrounds, they argued bitterly, they called each other out on principle. However, they all agreed on one thing…that all men are created equal in the sight of God and endowed with certain inalienable rights.
Everybody IS a creation of God. The state is SUPPOSED to be accountable to us individuals. We are the ones who elected them. They are accountable to US not to THEMSELVES.
Please, read the “5,000 Year Leap” by Cleon Skusen, read the works of Bastiat, DeToqueville, and others of the early 1800s. Blackstone is another one. Maintain an open mind when you read these. You will see that your statement that “Christian fundamentalists” are out to impose their views on the world is a load of codswollop.
The Founding Fathers were great admirers of Cicero and they used his thinking in developing our Constitution. The Founding Fathers believed in Natural Law. Natural Law comes from God himself. Our Constitution is based on this. There are 28 principles in the 5,000 Year Leap that are supposed to guide us.
If you are a teacher, are you a history teacher? What grade do you teach? If YOU are an example of what is produced from our colleges and an example of a teacher, then our children are in serious trouble and charter schools/parochial schools/vouchers are the least of our worries.
I found the video…go to this post, the 7th comment down…chemtchr. MEMPHIS, Meghan…you MUST watch this!
The Delphi technique is used by Denver Public Schools also. It’s very manipulative and can be quite effective.
Effective how? Who does it benefit?
It benefits those running the meeting.
I know that. I wasn’t sure what she meant by effective. I was hoping she wasn’t implying that this was a good thing. Thanks for the other links on this post by the way….learning lots everyday…maybe this will prevent dementia. Eat blueberries, too. Goodnight.
I wasn’t implying it was “good” just that it works. Those running the meeting often get what they want from it. The public needs to be educated about what is going on and empowered to fight back.
Here is a link to a FB page where some Denver people seem to be reacting to the technique https://www.facebook.com/pages/DPS-Community-Engagement-Is-it-Greek-to-you/272309399517511
this article is exactly correct. I brought this up when experiencing the same thing when I was a teacher and was dismissed as a cynic. I saw it was an effective way to defuse dissent by making persons feel they have a say, but it was all nonsense
I think this technique is used a lot by folks who actually believe that it gathers input and promotes collaboration. Within my experience my sense is that the folks using it actually believe it is democratic – that’s the scary part.
Steve – your are correct. It speaks to the power of the technique: to give the illusion it is democratic. The fact is, teachers have very little status in the school hierarchy. Often they are told they are given powers, but it is all illusion; the powers are taken away as soon as teachers decide to do something administrators don’t want.
If it moved from small groups to a whole group conversation driven by the main small- group discussions, then it would be purposeful. As it’s being used, it’s a means of avoiding owning up to controversial and/or bad ideas.
Read your words, Comments. Know how it feels. Felt the same way, still do. What I found out was, based on all that I can gather from most everyone else, especially educators and those before county supervisors, this is exemplary of the recondite methods that have been put in place by those who would see all as commodity with a primordial price tag. The taking of education, along with everything else. And they come wearing shoes.
An entire facebook page devoted to Denver Public School’s manipulative community engagement process…………DPS manipulates communities by using the Delphi Technique. The goal of the Delphi technique is to lead a targeted group of people to a predetermined outcome, while giving the illusion of taking public input and under the pretext of being accountable to the public.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/DPS-Community-Engagement-Is-it-Greek-to-you/272309399517511
It is a common, universal practice. Staff needs to be onside and by being onside we demonstrate to the outsiders our willingness to embrace all that our overlords have spoken about.
As someone who has done a lot of public involvement on very controversial issues (e.g., nuclear waste), I believe using small groups is often the best way to capture comments, feedback and suggestions. It is less intimidating, and everyone gets a chance to participate. Also, we just used it to discuss the charter school initiative with our Board of Directors; while some of the report-out was similar, each group picked up different issues. So I would suggest that there is value using small groups as one tool in public involvement.
Marie, the issue is the manipulative techniques USED to gain consensus. It’s perceived that the input is wanted and respected when the outcome was determined before the meeting began.
This is commonly used to gain consensus and it’s manipulative and unethical in my opinion.
This is used to shut down any critical opinions instead of looking at all of the GOOD and BAD on an issue.
That does not mean that every meeting is set up in this way or that the way you’ve used falls into this category. It does mean that this manipulation technique is used and one should be aware of it and know how to counter it.
I’m personally offended when someone tries to manipulate me in such a way. I can only imagine how a teacher would feel.
I am retired from teaching, but if I weren’t I would print out copies of The Delphi Technique and much of the material on these pages and distribute it to the faculty. Inundating the populace with this “game plan” should go a long way to dissolving it (or until they come up with another plan) We should all try to rid our schools of this manipulative, phony crap. If teachers are not to have say as to what goes on, then they should just be told this. This is something we can live with. ‘The indignity of these phony condescending games is a huge waste of time and emotional energy that is better spent elsewhere.
Exactly. The more people who know about it, the better they are at identifying it when it happens to them
A sign of a good manager is to have people around them that can offer critical thoughts. The manager will look at all sides and then make the final decision. One can respect and should respect their authority to make the best decision after listening to all ideas, opinions and advice.
This is very different. This is a SALES technique. Administrators are TRAINED by grant foundations in how to sell these reforms to School Boards, parents and teachers.
This isn’t about an administrator getting a good idea, taking it to the teachers, offering info then asking for honest feedback.
This is a manipulation technique USED on those who have NO idea what is going on.
I’ve posted the Delphi Technique on social media sites to make others aware of it. I’ve had it used on me when it came to asking for an evaluation of a program in one of our public schools. I knew what was going on as they were doing it.
My employer is a PRO at using the above-mentioned techniques and I don’t work in the educational setting, I work for a hospital. They say they want to know what the people in the trenches are thinking, how do they appear to the public, etc. The big bosses of the different departments get together and schedule times for everybody to meet with their bosses in small groups. People finally get brave enough to say something, everybody gets on the bandwagon. We think we’re having a good discussion and something good is going to come out of this. Nope…same-oh, same-oh. Nothing ever changes. We had a professional “polling service” come in about 2 months ago and have one of these small group meetings. I don’t think the poor facilitator knew what hit her. She was nice, but she was definitely ovewhelmed. This was all on tape, so there was nothing to write down, so she got off easy.. If it goes like every other meeting, nothing will change. I’ve been there for 7 years and the only difference is I have a new supervisor.
The key word is, facilitator and not LEADER.
MOMwithAbrain, it doesn’t make any difference. Where I work, you can call them a facilitator, leader, or late for dinner. Nothing has changed as a result of any of these meetings. An employer can appear as warm and fuzzy as they want, but if they truly don’t listen to what the employees are saying and don’t actually take time to address employee concerns, and show them the results of their concerns, then they are just going through the motions and nothing truly will ever change.
I understand that. I meant, literally!