An educator forwarded an email he received, inviting him to apply for a fellowship at Néw York Educator Voice-America Achieve. If accepted, he would gain training in writing opinion pieces, speaking at public forums, and becoming a voice for Common Core. The organization would help him to get invitations to national conferences as a speaker and to become a prominent voice for the profession, on behalf of Common Core.
Here is the invitation:
“Dear Colleagues,
“Happy summer!
“The application deadline for the New York Educator Voice Fellowship is this Friday, July 3rd. The Fellowship is a really great program for teachers and principals who are interested in education policy and looking to make a difference in their communities and across New York. Don’t miss this chance to help one of your favorite teachers take advantage of this opportunity.
“HERE is a link to our application website where you can learn more about the program and submit a nomination.”
The program offers to give teachers “voice,” but the voice must be used to support the corporate reform narrative. This is no voice at all; it is hiring teachers and principals to endorse someone else’s agenda.
The program is paid for by Michael Bloomberg, the Harry and Leona Helmsley Foundation (“queen of mean”), and the Gates Foundation.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
When I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you.
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The program is paid for by Michael Bloomberg, the Harry and Leona Helmsley Foundation (“queen of mean”), and the Gates Foundation.
When I want your opinion I will pay you.
Otherwise I will do as I please to get educational policies I want–your opinion is worthless.
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Exactly and Exactly! When I want your opinion, I will author it, give it to you and pay you to deliver it. Otherwise, put up and shut up. Absolutely disgusting initiative and ripe for infiltration.
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Worth noting that the advocacy is for the standards with no mention of the problematic annual tests. Might this signal a crack in the ranks of the reformsters?
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This smells like more attempts to AstroTurf – we’ll help you with public speaking and political power if you use that voice for grassroots support.
Real grassroots don’t need to be bribed.
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There is a similar program in Tennessee called SCORE, funded by Bill Frist. The application questions make it clear that they are looking for teachers to parrot their agenda.
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SCORE has taken on a life of its own in TN. Their slick website & press releases uses the language manufactured by all fake reformers “research” “original data” “great teaching”, “high standards”, “expectations” Their poll results curiously show strong public support for SCORE initiatives. Of course, well paid CEO Jamie Woodson gives the group a big smile & her TN legislative connections.
Does Frist fund SCORE exclusively? I thought they were funded by public & private dollars. How does an outsider find out their funding sources?
http://tnscore.org/
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Yes, I’m not certain about their funding, but Frist is all over their website and mission.
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“A stipend for the time spent on Fellowship activities
Greater professional exposure in community and state-wide conversations about education
Invitations to present at conferences in the state and across the country
Support and resources for writing op-eds, developing talking points, and utilizing social media
Access to a network of outstanding educators from across the state
Public recognition as an expert on education issues
Opportunities to positively increase public knowledge of college- and career-ready standards”
Why don’t these billionaires ever pay people for work? I would be embarrassed to have so much money and offer a “stipend” to someone they’re claiming to “elevate”.
People who don’t pay for work are really not “telegraphing” respect.
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This is a very clever move by the corporate reformers. With only a “stipend,” they can groom a bunch of real teachers to echo their party line. So when they create a conference, they can invite their well-trained teachers to applaud Common Core, charters, data-based decision making. See, they will say, “real teachers” agree with us!
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And it’s insidious too, because with teachers being as underpaid and not listened to as they are these days, what teacher wouldn’t want a bit more money and a platform to be heard? I’m sure a lot of teachers seriously contemplate making that bargain, even if they know the truth. They may rationalize that maybe once they have a platform they can speak more on what they really believe. Or maybe, in the spirit of today’s “screw it, I’ve got mine, who cares about you” mentality, they might just decide they don’t care.
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You’re not kidding, Diane. Please see my comment below about Teach Plus, which plays the same shenanigans. Here a paid Teach Plus fellow argues in support of Vergara http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tntp/a-teachers-view-on-tenure_b_5946220.html. Many of us had made comments on this post but they were all blocked from public view. So the reformster spin hangs out there with no correction, like truth.
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Well, sure, I get the political hook.
But what does it say about the billionaires directing our public education system that they believe teachers should work for free?
Did the people who set up this ad campaign work for a “stipend”?
I don’t know when the “work for free” fad started but it probably should end, especially given the complete lack of economic security and stagnant wages in this country.
Young people will need every penny they can put toward debt or save.
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Do you suppose they might be looking for a Poet Coreate to do readings at their conferences?
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Gasp! You wouldn’t! (Would you?)
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Poet Coreate, reading the classic, To a belt sander.
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Here’s my application:
Gates is great
Gates is good
We than him for our funds
VAMen (VAMwomen too)
of course, once I was in the belly of the beast at the conferences, I’d do readings from “A DAMthology of Deform”
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On second thought “Gates is God”
would be more likely to land me the position
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Use the information they give you and turn the tables. Those skills can be used on both sides of the fence.
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Pump up the common core and get a free automated hair cutting machine. Automation of learning and automation of hair cutting, two brilliant ideas.
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Sounds like Teach Plus, which I consider to be the most insidious. They come to schools offering free lunch or plates of cookies just to talk, then invite teachers–especially women of color–to become paid (by Gates) fellows, go to roundtables to “develop policy” (without telling them the policy is already written http://www.teachplus.org/), set up meetings for them with Arne, and get their op eds published.
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How much does Campbell Brown make as a spokesperson?
Teachers should ask for that amount.
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They could send you all on an all-expenses paid trip to the Aspen Ideas Festival like these famous edu-experts:
I don’t know why any of them are experts or “thought leaders” anyway.
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Always interesting to have moles on the inside. If I were still working, I’d love to get inside a group like that, just to wreak a little havoc from within. They all love disruption, so maybe they should get a taste of it.
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Interesting idea. I had thought of something similar. Get as many people as possible in the group in order to minimize the number who would actually follow through with their nefarious agenda.
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Application number 2
“The Common Chorus”
Common Chorus: “Praise The Lord
The pearly Gates and MS Word
To David Coleman, raise a toast
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost”
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This is the same thing from the USDE RESPECT program that was put together with help from McKinsey and Co. I have lightly edited it to drop some redundant links. The program from the Directions for Leading. This shows so little confidence in teachers that the program is fully scripted.
A National Conversation about Teaching
Welcome to the National Conversation about the Teaching Profession. Here is a suggested protocol for your discussion.
Setting Up:
→ Arrange chairs so that everyone can be seen and heard.
→ Provide light refreshments (if possible).
→ Make copies of the Discussion Document (for those who didn’t bring theirs).
→ Have the event Sign-in Sheet form available.
→ Set up a computer or television to show the short Video DVD. Or you may access the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9J-wa5ufh8
→ Set out pens/pencils.
→ Set out name tags.
→ Ask a volunteer to take notes during the conversation. Be sure they have materials to do this.
Running the Meeting:
1. Welcome, Introductions, Review of Agenda. (suggested time: 10 minutes) Objectives: Welcome and introduce teachers, pass around information, and share information about the purpose of the event and what to expect.
• Share the purposes of the conversations: 1) to engage teachers in a discussion about ways to transform the profession; 2) to get feedback for the U.S. Department of Education about ideas being considered; and 3) to identify strategies that teachers can take to move the conversation forward in their school/district/state.
• Let teachers know how important it is that they are participating in this discussion.
• Share the format for the meeting.
• Pass out the group Sign-In Sheet and ask teachers to sign in.
2. Overview of the Vision (20 minutes)
Objective: Discuss a possible new vision for the teaching profession.
• Show the short Video DVD of Secretary Duncan describing a vision of teaching (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9J-wa5ufh8). Discuss reactions to the video: To what extent does the Secretary’s vision for teaching reflect your current experience? Why or why not? Is this desirable?
• Ask teachers which, if any, of the background reading materials most resonated with them.
3. Q & A (30 minutes)
Objective: Allow teachers to explore questions that they have about the vision and to generate their own answers to them
• Give teachers about 5 minutes to review the Discussion Document and mark questions.
• Consider taking questions in this order and answering them: clarifying questions (10 minutes) and probing questions (15 minutes).
• Do not worry if you are unsure of how to answer these questions. Instead, turn questions back to the group to get their input. For example, if someone asks, “Are we going back to homogeneously grouping students?” (which is not part of the plan), ask “What in this vision gives you that idea? Is this a good idea or not? What would you recommend?”
4. Deeper Dive Small Group Work (45 minutes)
Objectives: Break teachers into 3-5 smaller groups to give specific feedback on different aspects of the report.
(You may want to have groups report on more than one topic. The topics have been added and explained further at the end of this document.)
➢ ATTRACTING TOP-TALENT INTO EDUCATION AND PREPARING THEM FOR SUCCESS
➢ CREATING A PROFESSIONAL CAREER CONTINUUM WITH COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION
➢ CREATING CONDITIONS FOR TEACHERS TO SUCCEED
➢ EVALUATING AND SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESS OF TEACHERS AND LEADERS
➢ GETTING THE BEST EDUCATORS TO THE STUDENTS WHO NEED THEM MOST
• Ask groups to report: For each topic, what would you: 1) keep? 2) take out? 3) add?
• After each small group shares, discuss what has been presented and ask for comments and questions.
5. Concluding Activities (15 minutes).
Objectives: Collect data/feedback for the U.S. Department of Education. Provide clarity about the issues and closure on the experience.
1. Do quick whip around. Ask each person to answer this question: what is the most important idea you heard today? Go around the room and briefly get answers.
2. Discuss ways that teachers can get involved in educational policy in their state or district. You may want to use Strategies for Teachers to Shape Their Profession on the website.
3. Thank group members for their participation.
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They think teachers are stupid. It seems to constantly surprise them that we are anythinng but. They never expected that regular teachers like Mercedes Schneider, Peter Greene, Anthony Cody would be their most formidable allies. Very telling.
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“Allies” or opponents?
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It was unbelievably arrogant and dumb to take on teachers. For better or for worse, teachers are among the most educated and articulate group of people in the country. They are not rubes, tea-partiers, or dupes and they know how to vote and organize. For another, parents entrust their children to teachers and have enormous respect for them, so that teachers have an enormous sympathetic constituency.
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On June 11, there was a seven hour hearing at the State House in MA, regarding 6 bills to rein in testing. A few “teachers” testifying claimed testing would save lives and improve the economy while ending world hunger. A quick google search revealed they were moles from TeachPlus.
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See?! Teach Plus! We need more exposure for them.
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Fifth columnists should apply in droves.
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This shows how desperate they are and how underhanded they can be. I’ve noticed an increase of several phony online news sources in support of the Common Core. They are creepy.
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You mean CRPE:
http://www.crpe.org
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The irony is not lost on some of us: that they have to use propaganda as their primary means to convince the public to buy into (quite literally) what is supposed to be a great “educational standard”.
Then again, propaganda to sell propaganda makes perfect sense.
“Core Propaganda ”
Propaganda selling
Requires ever more
To really be compelling
You need it at the Core
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Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
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Re: the teacher’s pro-Vergara post, it is interesting that there are NO comments at all. HP nearly always has a comments section. Arianna Huffington was a huge booster for the pro-charter “Waiting for Superman” movie. The Rheeformers know they can’t win on the facts, so they have to block the facts from the public.
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I just watched Campbell Brown’s propaganda film for her 74 million website. What a crock! Perhaps we should badger her at every public appearance as to why she doesn’t send her sons to public schools, as well as publicize that her husband sits on the Students First NY board.
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I just read this disturbing post that ALEC is trying to slip anti-government messaging into a bill that poses as “civics.” https://www.facebook.com/coffeeparty/posts/10154028586098327?comment_tracking={“tn”%3A”O”
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Mock the application. Fill one out with sassy commentary. It only takes five minutes.
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Great idea Linda!
Here are some of my responses:
I want perpetuate the false narrative that New York’s (and America’s) public schools are failing.
One problem that we faced in our school was that our NCLB math and ELA exams were not rigorous enough. My approach to solving the problem was to propose using the SAT as an 8th grade exit exam.
Teaching to college and career standards? Do mean the Common Core “State” (Ha) Standards? Has the common Core brand become so toxic that you can’t even use it when trying to recruit CC cheerleaders?
My experience with Common Core standards/de-facto curriculum/academic death trap tests has been nothing short of orgasmic.
My best students have grown over 3″.
I line my birdcage with assessment data. I then let my parakeet Arne mark any areas that need improvement.
Links to my blog posts here:
https://dianeravitch.net/
Just skim the last two+ years
NY Teacher
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I mocked them with snark:
I would like to join the reformers, Bloomberg and Gates, in bashing all public schools and unionized teachers. Let’s continue to spread the lies about the creation of common core, the importance of constant testing, the shaming of children, teachers and schools. Let’s destroy public education so we can loot and plunder the lower classes and rake in more money for ourselves.
I had to deal with an experienced teacher once and it was so disgusting to listen to her great ideas. She made too much money so I tried really hard to make her look bad so she would get fired.
I am really good at teaching rote memorization and making sure they pick the right bubble. They are not allowed to go to the bathroom until all bubbles are colored in. It’s our motto at success: break the kids at all costs.
All of my students pick the right bubbles and are off the charts when completing the Pearson Corporate mind control tests. Yippee!
We assess all the time and the assessments lead to more assessments and this is great teaching.
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Cheers!
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“My experience with Common Core standards/de-facto curriculum/academic death trap tests has been nothing short of orgasmic.”
Don’t you mean Coregasmic?
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here’s mine (Thanks NY teacher!)
“Reform is Coregasmic”
Coregasmatron for schools
Is Coleman’s Common Core
A lot of #$&@ed up rules
With tests and VAMs galore
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Pardon the typo.
Yes, COREgasmic!
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The COREgasmatron. If Woody Allen (Sleeper) only knew. Just one 30 second spin and you come out college, career, and workplace ready. Thanks for the blast from the past SDP.
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Sleeper is one of my all-time favorite movies — though I haven’t seen it in ages.
What ever happened to Woody anyway?
Other than marrying the adopted daughter of his former lover and other ordinary everyday stuff, that is.
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On January 13, 2015, it was announced Woody Allen will write and direct a half-hour television series for Amazon Studios, marking the first time he has developed a television show. It will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Instant Video, and Amazon Studios has already ordered a full season. Allen said of the series, “I don’t know how I got into this. I have no ideas and I’m not sure where to begin. My guess is that Roy Price will regret this”, a reference to Price, the head of Amazon Studios. At the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, Allen said, in reference to his upcoming Amazon show, “It was a catastrophic mistake. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m floundering. I expect this to be a cosmic embarrassment.”
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March 18, 2015, “Obama Campaign Alumni-Led 270 Strategies…” by Gaius Publius, lists clients like the Gates-funded Educators for Excellence.
Which marketing firm is behind this latest astroturf campaign?
Ken Libby identifies astroturf groups involved in education at Sourcewatch. internet search term, “astroturf education sourcewatch”.
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The former executive director of High Achievement New York is now at JP Morgan Chase. The current director, was formerly, communications director for New Jersey’s, Jon Cozine. In April, Cozine announced he might start a hedge fund. Apparently, Cozine doesn’t think his losses at MF Global and the embarrassment of their review, will adversely affect his standing on Wall Street.
Philanthropy New York says HANY is a coalition of mostly business groups who have plans to spend $500,000.
“Schools-in-a-Box”, as Non-Profit Quarterly, labels the Gates/Pearson/Zuckerberg for-profit product, illustrates a future that 99% of citizens would not want for the next American generation.
Russian oligarchs snatched up key national assets. America’s oligarchs are following their example. Collaborators should expect ill-treatment.
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Linda–welcome back–have missed your “snarky” (loved your answer, way above) & informative comments! Also–to “firstgrademonkey” way up there (hope you check this post again)–excellent idea, to sign-on, & then use it to turn the tables–what Todd & Dan did w/the standardized testing industry. “Know thy enemy.”
Having said that, looking forward to hearing back from those of you who ran w/this suggestion! (& THIS is why Edushyster interviews the folks she does!)
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The Michigan Association of School Superintendents posted the fellowship advertisement, at its site, with no identification of America Achieves’ funders.
The small deductive step between community impact and, oligarchical goals, as illustrated by Walmart’s imprint on Michigan employment and resource depletion, is MIA.
West coast Silicon Valley and east coast Wall Street benefit from plutocratic-funded education transmutation.
Is a map required for Michiganders to figure out the state is in the Midwest?
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