Anthony Cody was first to feature a leaked document that advised reformers how to mollify parents who are angry about testing.
But it is well worth reading EduShyster’s hilarious explication of the same document.
She begins:
“Can we talk about testing? And by *talk* I mean the thing where parents offer up reasonable, legitimate and likely heartfelt concerns, which testing advocates then deflect by changing the subject and *pivoting to a higher emotion.* That’s right reader—it’s time for another edition of Say This, Not That.Today’s topic: testing. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll gasp in amazement as our *testing talk* is transformed to appeal to different audiences. But watch out for weeds and rabbit holes!”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
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If the corporate education reformers were using the same tactics used by the military Industrial Inc., then public school teachers would be labeled dangerous terrorists—somehow all linked to fundamentalist Islam—and conservative talk show hosts in addition to Milton Friedman worshipers would be motivating the mobs to drag them out of their classroom and hang them from the nearest tree to save the American dream (of billionaires) mom, apple pie and the flag.
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Pivoting in discussion is a technique of shifting yourself away from topics that could change your mind. You are told the technique is to influence others for good, but it’s really self monitoring. Open exchange of ideas is discouraged so that reformers stay on the corporate message. It’s ironic that reformers believe that they are using a technique on others to influence when really they are stonewalling ideas to keep them from gaining traction in their own heads. Its classic mind control for protecting your asset when they are away from the fold.
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