Leonie Haimson is Néw York City’s one-person Truth Squad.
While Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott was telling anyone who would listen about the stellar education record of the Bloomberg years, Haimson marshaled data to demonstrate that New York City made less academic progress on the federal tests than any city other than Cleveland.
She lacerated the administration for its indifference to class size, now at its highest point in 14 years.
And she shocked her Bronx audience by explaining that the city was releasing confidential student data without parental consent to inBloom, to be mined by vendors.
Haimson is the leader of Class Size Matters and a co-founder of Parents Across America. She is also a director of the Network for Public Education.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
And that, of course, is why all the tabloids delighted in ad hominem attacks against her, and why some genius analyst at Gotham Schools concluded that if the tabloids wrote ad hominem stories, it was OK for everyone to do it.
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My comment is awaiting moderation. I hope you take the time to listen to the CO state education & inBloom discussion that’s linked to my comment that hasn’t posted yet.
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Does it help or hurt our cause?
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I think the webcast is factually correct, Linda. inBloom is willing to work with districts to meet EPIC’s recommendations. There was still concern about not being able to opt-out. It was raised a couple of times by one woman. It’s audio so I can’t see who the person is & I listened to the audio in parts.
The fact that there was a conversation about concerns & an opportunity to discuss is good. Will it change the outcome, meaning will parents be able to opt-out? No. I do hope parents have a better understanding of the cloud & data management after listening to the audio. I’ll link it here again — my other post has 2 links thus the moderation. I did link it yesterday & been tweeting it so maybe you have already heard it..
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeboard/AudioArchive/SBE20130516.htm
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In bloom is worried about their survival which Murdoch and Klein need to rake in millions. Inboom is the “nonprofit” front for amplify. One can’t exist without the other. Opt in opt out. I don’t believe they need our children’s private information. Teachers already have the data they need. This is a stimulus plan to funnel taxpayer money away from public schools.
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Thanks, Sheila. Your posts are always informative, non-polemic, and accurate.
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This was the other link, Linda, to EPIC’s recommendations:
Click to access EPIC-Stmnt-CO-Study-5-13.pdf
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[She shocked her Bronx audience by explaining that the city was releasing confidential student data without parental consent to inBloom, to be mined by vendors.]
Diane, I don’t think it’s fair or truthful to say vendors are mining student data. I know I take a risk questioning this statement on your blog – however I too believe in reporting facts.
If anyone is interested in hearing a 2 hr discussion about inbloom with CO department of education, inBloom & EPIC this link leads to the 2 part discussion:
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeboard/AudioArchive/SBE20130516.htm
Concerned parents should focus on how to protect the data rather than who has the data. inBloom is telling the truth when they say these data are already being collected & shared with vendors separate from inBloom.
I know it’s a shock to many & I too dislike longitudinal databases that we know are going to breached. However this is NOT an exclusive inBloom scenario & breaches are a fact of life.
EPIC’s Khaliah Barnes (lead attorney EPIC v US ED) testified & submitted her comments with recommendations that states might consider.
Click to access EPIC-Stmnt-CO-Study-5-13.pdf
inBloom has expressed a desire to work with states to implement the recommendations.
If parents are REALLY concerned about who has access to their children’s most sensitive data they should exercise their right under FERPA and OPT-OUT of student directory. At least with inBloom data can be tracked. Not so with directory information. Zero restrictions on access & use.
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Sheila,
inBloom has said that it cannot protect the security of the data it collects. Has it said that the data will not be available to vendors? Has it disclaimed any interest in opening up the data for mining by vendors?
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Diane, I don’t think inbloom has said it “can’t protect” the data. I think it’s said it can’t “guarantee” that breaches won’t occur. What can inbloom to do protect data? It can adhere to security protocols that decouple students’ personally identifiable information (name, SS #, address) from other information (e.g., all the data fields about performance, attendance, etc). It can also require third party vendors to agree to adhere to the same protocols. Can it “guarantee” that individual employees or vendors will follow the protocols at all times — e.g. that someone won’t leave data on a laptop without password protection and leave the laptop in an airport? No, as a factual matter. Will it agree to be sued by anyone claiming damages for any breach by third parties? Of course not. The state doesn’t do that, the districts don’t do that, and inbloom certainly won’t. That is a fact of life, and it may well be reason to oppose a project of this scope. But as Sheila has often noted, states and districts already have all kinds of student data that may have far less security.
Either states refuse to participate in this project, or we try to improve the security of the project that’s going to move ahead regardless. If it’s too late or #1, we should be working at #2, and we can’t do that if we can’t even describe the actual features of the security protocols inbloom has proposed.
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Why do we even need inbloom and can Murdoch’s venture exist without inbloom? I see 125 kids a day and I have plenty of “data” at my fingertips….the living, breathing and walking data…the kids themselves.
I don’t need charts in the cloud and spreadsheet in cyberspace. It is a ruse for funneling money elsewhere.
You are all being deceived into believeing that teachers even need cyberdata.
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Linda, you’re confused. I’m not saying you need inBloom. I’m sure you don’t. I don’t.
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It appears your stance is since we can’t fight it just deal with it the best we can.
Or maybe you’re correct I am hopelessly confused. It is maddening.
I must be losing my mind.
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NY state has already signed off on the project. So yes, it’s happening. I believe Sheila and others were involved with trying to draft legislation that would permit parents to opt out of the project altogether. Not sure where that stands, but my recollection is that Sheldon Silver didn’t seem interested. Separately FERPA gives parents the right to opt-out with respect “directory” information. I would recommend reading Sheila’ web site for specifics. Foaming generally about Murdoch and Klein doesn’t really get at any of the specifics. It certainly hasn’t change any minds in the state legislature.
And all the newcomers to this issue should take note of what Sheila has to say.
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Thanks Flerper…foaming about sleazy eduvultures makes me feel better. Sorry if it upsets you. Moving on to work outside. Thanks Sheila for all your help. Both of you…Happy Memorial Day!
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I do my own share of foaming, Linda, so I understand the impulse.
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Please show us where in FERPA it says parents can opt out. When did the state of NY inform parents they could opt out? Tell us sheila why this company needs student data? What are the educational benefits to children, teaching and learning, according to you?
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This is a good resource: http://www.educationnewyork.com/
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Thanks, FLERP! for answering Diane’s questions a lot better than I.
Diane, one protection against data mining from the cloud (even inBloom’s cloud) is “K12 student privacy and cloud computing act”
A.7242/S.5355
http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A07243&term=2013&Summary=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y
inBloom can only share district approved data with vendors. Shame on districts.
I feel for NYC kids & parents. I’m not a big data person. Even apart from inBloom I’m not for SLDS.
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Flerp and Sheila,
There is no mention of parents opting out in any documents, including the link you just posted. If it exists, find it and post here. If you can’t, I am worried.
And still you have not answered whether or not wireless generation can exist without inbloom.
Still waiting.
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I was referring to the directory information opt-out, Linda. Not inBloom opt-out.
I don’t believe the companies need student data. However the RTTT deal, CCSS & FERPA give it to them because it stimulates the economy.
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Linda,
I am not involved with the inBloom opt-out bill. That’s Leonie Haimson’s work.
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Oops, my bad. I should have responded to FLERP! instead of Linda.
The inBloom Opt-Out is Leonie Haimson’s work. Not mine.
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Sheila,
Can wireless generation/amplify exist without Inbloom?
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I don’t think teachers need the data as discussed either, Linda.
Murdoch doesn’t need amplify so whether or not amplify needs inbloom or not isn’t an issue. These are huge corporations. They make money in some areas and lose money in other areas.
I just heard about something new that Murdoch bought and is going to head. Can’t think of it right now…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch
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Well, isn’t it the only job for Joel Klein right now. Maybe this is an employment program for Joel and friends. Murdoch is quoted about salivating for the potential tax dollars waiting to be siphoned his way.
If teachers don’t need the data, what is the gathering of data for? Just a hobby to make money?
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According to professor Jason Frand of UCLA Anderson School of Management:
http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/jason.frand/teacher/technologies/palace/datamining.htm
“Data mining consists of five major elements:
Extract, transform, and load transaction data onto the data warehouse system.
Store and manage the data in a multidimensional database system.
Provide data access to business analysts and information technology professionals.
Analyze the data by application software.
Present the data in a useful format, such as a graph or table.”
From inBloom’s FAQ page:
https://www.inbloom.org/faq
“With inBloom, school districts can bring results back from each of these systems and build solutions that allow teachers to have one system to sign into rather than 30—so all the information they need to help their students will be available in one place. This makes it simpler for teachers to see a more complete picture of student learning and find learning materials that match each student’s learning needs and spark student engagement. It also makes it easier for schools to offer parent dashboards so parents can more easily see what their children are studying and how they’re doing in school.
The way that inBloom is achieving this vision is by building the technology “plumbing” to connect the different tools and systems in use in schools today and enable those products to work better together.”
And finally, from inBloom’s Privacy Commitment:
https://www.inbloom.org/privacy-commitment
“Vendors have no access to student records through inBloom unless authorized by a state or district with legal authority over those student records.”
It is disingenuous, at best, to defend inBloom from allowing vendors access to student databases simply because they themselves do not grant that access. If anyone thinks for one New York minute that the purpose of creating this database is simply for the good of teachers and students then that person is credulous in the extreme.
And how quickly will it unfold that districts with Broad, Bush, and TFA-trained superintendents and school boards with corporate-sponsored members whose budgets have been severely cut by state legislatures and whose coffers are continuously depleted by federal mandates and school “choice” legislation will begin to sell access to “select” vendors to pay for utility bills, teacher salaries, and building maintenance?
The tech marketers who came together to create inBloom are not innocent philanthropists who have no profit-stake in the end product and to claim so is ridiculous.
From inBloom About: History:
https://www.inbloom.org/about-inbloom
“The SLC custom-built all the inBloom software components and has worked with education technology companies and developers to encourage the development of inBloom-compatible applications.”
Those “educational technology companies and developers” have lots of expensive products to sell and it is not a coincidence that this software debuts at the same time that ALEC, the Business Roundtable, the Chamber of Commerce, and the reform foundations are simultaneously pushing very hard to pass laws in all 50 states requiring state departments of education to mandate online learning, online virtual schools, online testing, and adoption of the CCSS which magically requires (see the Special Education Appendix to the CCSS) software that these miraculously philanthropic companies happen to manufacture and sell at great profit margins to the very school districts whom they are promoting the adoption of inBloom. Now that’s a lucky occurrence, isn’t it? Just like the New York State Dept. of Education/Pearson alliance, maybe?
I see that some commenters are accepting that this is a done deal and are saying that we might as well accept it and try to make the best of it. I say nonsense! I echo Linda in saying that we have no valid reason to acquiesce to the data monster at all without a fight. I have yet to see a compelling reason, backed up with real, peer-reviewed research, that proves beyond doubt that this technology and obsession with data and its collection does anything meaningful to help students learn. It is circular logic always: data collection informs teaching, which adapts to teach to the data-collection tests, which reveal which students do well on data-collection tests, which proves that data collection is necessary.
After following this pied piper for over a dozen years we are no better off than we were before. No miraculous changes have taken place. Poverty has increased exponentially rather than been eradicated by all the magical learning that supposedly lifts students out of their generational poverty and our country and its citizens are worse off by any imagined measure than we were before the reform miracles were mandated upon us. How far does this experiment need to go before people begin to realize that we have little more than a naked emperor?
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Chris…thanks for this post of factual sources. Being at the same university, Andersen reports, we know, have value. With your permission I will send this info to colleagues en toto. However, I am in total agreement with your final analysis…which sadly some at Andersen would question since too many are in bed with ALEC,
I was in an on-campus meeting Friday with about 15 non-educators at the table, and when we spoke of technology and privacy issues, I brought up InBloom….to glassy eyed stares. Not one person knew about this…and when I tried to short hand the school reform issues of privatizing schools, testing, and the Broad component, etc., an attorney of note squared off with me and told us all how great Joel Klein is a what a wonderful job he did in NY with Bloomberg…and how spectacular Deasy is in LA. It floored me. I was not able to respond since the Chair moved us along onto the focus issues of this meeting.
If even in our informed university collegial setting this kind of misinformation is promulgated, how will we ever prevail in informing the public about the facts as most educators nationwide see them? Not one person in the room had paid attention to Monica Ratliff and the school board election in LA last week. I left in shock.
Please confirm that I may cut and paste your post above and send it to the each person in attendance at this campus meeting. And thanks again for all this cogent info.
Ellen
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Ellen, please disseminate as you see fit. And thanks for doing your part!
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My deep disillusionment with the state of Public education has put me in a reflective and in fact downright rebelious frame of mind; I think this ongoing blog (a snippet of which is below) is worth reading for people willing to confront the maxims we accept about the value of traditional education:
Children Educate Themselves I: Outline of Some of the Evidence | Psychology Today
When I say that education is children’s responsibility and that they are bynature designed to assume that responsibility, I do not expect you to take that assertion on faith. We live in a world in which that assertion is not the self-evident truth that it once was. We live in a world in which almost all children and adolescents are sent to school, beginning at ever-younger ages and ending at ever-older ages, and in which “school” has a certain standard meaning. We measure education in terms of scores on tests and success in advancing through the school system from one level to the next. Naturally, then, we come almost automatically to think of education as something that is done at schools by specialists trained in the art and science of pedagogy, who know how to put children through the paces that will turn their raw potential into an educated product.
So, I take it as my task to present evidence to support my claim. The most direct lines of evidence come from settings where we can see children educating themselves without anything like what we think of as schooling. Here are three such settings, which I will elaborate on in the next three installments of this weekly blog.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/200807/children-educate-themselves-i-outline-some-the-evidence
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Sorry, Linda. It’s hard to follow the thread. I think I have answered your questions but if not — post them as a post instead of reply.
The data collection is to make money. Read the Software Association’s NPRM:
Click to access Comment_on_FR_Doc_2011_08205_11software.pdf
Again — if I haven’t been clear — parents have the right to opt-out of disclosure of directory information and they don’t. What’s more sensitive than contact info, data & place of birth? A lot — however knowing how to reach a child to harm a child isn’t hard if a parent doesn’t opt-out. And using directory information to profile & sell data to perverts is easy if you don’t opt-out.
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Rangoon: are you talking about much smaller class sizes, a Montessori type of situation, home schooling? What happens to the kids with special needs, the behavior problems, the disruptive kids?
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My frustration isn’t accompanied by any fully formed alternative to conventional ED. I don’t know much about Montessori either. How about the Sudbury concept that the blogger from Psychology Today mentions? Special Education certainly gets short shrift with these alternative schools.
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Leonie Hamison is an incredible woman! I am so thankful for her efforts and her work. There are days I come home from teaching so tired and frustrated, I am glad she is there to fight the good fight for my students and public education.
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Me too. In these reformy times, I’m always grateful for pockets of lucidity.
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Sheila…see below…when I click on the blue link it says she page cannot be found. Help.
Parents and others interested in children’s privacy are encouraged to visit http://www.educationnewyork.com/optout to learn more about:
• The growing problem of child identity theft.
• Current law and legislation protecting children’s privacy.
• Who’s illegally accessing your children’s personal information.
• How opt-out forms can be adapted to give parents more options to protect information.
• What some states are doing to further restrict access to student information.
Education New York is an independent source of education news from around the nation. Education New York was founded in 1995 by Sheila Kaplan, an education and information policy expert and researcher.
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Thanks for bringing the bad link to my attention:
http://educationnewyork.com/dailynews2.aspx?PageId=56
My provider upgraded service & looks like that link is bad. I will fix it. Thanks.
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Thank you sheila. I am reading it now and sending to many.
So why haven’t all NY and NYC parents pursued this option or will they, those who are informed, begin so next year?
Does this prevent information going to inbloom as well? Sorry if I am asking too many questions.
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You’re not asking too many questions, Linda. Directory information can go to ANYONE and that means inBloom.
What I have been discussing recently with someone in the technology industry regarding vendor use of student data — is that when vendors return the data to the school (as inBloom has stated vendors will do) there’s nothing stopping them from retaining the directory information. And it probably wouldn’t be hard to connect to protected student data if you have directory information. I’m not qualified to speak on this topic so please don’t ask me THAT question how. : )
NYC claims they don’t disclose directory information however they do.
I agree NYC parents and parents nationally should opt-out of student directory. I have had opt-out campaigns over the past 2 years urging parents to opt-out. Schools aren’t going to tell them.
Linda — I can’t find the source of the bad link. Must be in a letter…. I recognize the text…
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I found the source of the bad link — it’s in the 2011 letter. thx.
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Linda,
This is what I used this past year & will use it again over the summer. The bracelets are still available.
Click to access 022813-1.pdf
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Yes, I have that. I attended a forum here in CT: Defending public Ed at CCSU. I made many copies and passed it out to parents, teachers, union leadership and journalists. Thank you so much.
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Sheila, Is it okay for me to post your site on my class website so my parents can see what options they have? Thanks!
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Absolutely, Lynda. If there is something specific, I can show you where to find it on the site. There are almost 3000 uncategorized documents that you’ll find in a search that don’t appear on a page.
Everything I do is public domain. My homepage tagline was “Education New York….Information + Access = Equity.”
I still believe that, but the tag line is now about opting out.
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Thanks so much Sheila! Keep up the good fight!
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Thanks, Lynda. I plan on it. My hands will give up before my brain or my mouth, that’s for sure.
The problem with lawmakers these days — they want us to email them. I have been — for 8 years. One staff person claimed to be a visual learner & can’t comprehend verbal conversations so he couldn’t talk to me.
Pretty sad, huh? I wonder how he keeps his job if he doesn’t understand spoken words. It’s also a bit of discrimination against people who have physical limitations & can’t type an email.
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There is nothing like a good fraud buster. I do that here in L.A. and have helped parents in N.Y. get the actual budget for N.Y. City Schools which was according to the latest Deloitte and Touche Audit $23.9 billion and the schools had told them it was $3.9 billion. That is close isn’t it? That is about $21,000/student. D.C. is $29,145 and LAUSD about $10,700/student. How is it that D.C. and N.Y. do so bad with all this money. Well, you have to work hard considering “Porking” your friends above all else. There is no other way to be this big of a loser for our youth and taxpayers. One thing they cannot handle is using their own information against them as they have no way out. I call it locking them in a steel box and welding the door shut. Have fun getting out. You cannot just make statements you must have the documented proof through time. I do it for 10 years.
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Unbelievable amount of good information in under 6 minutes. Thank you Daniel Solove.
Cloud Computing in Education
http://www.safegov.org/2013/1/28/cloud-computing-in-education#.UaJ00MT1qXI.twitter
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I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I sure do not trust these people. I am consulting with my lawyer to protect my young son’s privacy. Orwell’s 1984 seems to be coming to life, if we permit this sort of collection of information without a fight. He only had the year wrong.
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Linda — I was wrong. I do think Amplify means a lot to not just Murdoch.
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Why? Do you have new information?
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Yes. I tweeted about Amplify last night:
https://twitter.com/EducationNY
i am going to spend time tonight going through AMPLIFY releases
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