Carole Marshall is a retired teacher who taught in the schools of Providence, Rhode Island. She was invited to participate in shaping Rhode Island “strategic plan” for 2015-2020, but soon became disillusioned when she realized that the designers of the strategic plan were going through the motions, pretending to listen to the public. Before they even started the process, they knew exactly what they wanted. They surveyed parents but ignored their strong wishes for schools that emphasized student creativity and self-motivation. The ultimate plan proclaimed what the planners wanted all along: blended learning, where students spend hours on a computer and fewer teachers are needed.
The strategic plan was produced by a California organization called “the Learning Accelerator.” The leaders wrote recently that the state’s plan for 2015-2020 was created by thousands of Rhode Islanders “through a process that is built upon the principles of transparency, engagement, empowerment and respect.” But in reality the public has been kept in the dark about what is really happening and why. The process was not at all transparent, and what looked like engagement was really a dog and pony show with a completely different agenda.
The “sole method” of this organization, Marshall writes, is to sell blended learning through disruptive innovation.
Marshall warns that the plan sounds good but it is not. Who will benefit? Not teachers or students, but venture capitalists and vendors of technology products.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
They will pretend to hear what everyone has to say, even appoint a committee of sycophants who know what is expected of them, will pretend that the final decision is the result of a consensus of opinion by those who “closely studied” all the pros and cons, then they will implement what they set out to do. A year later people will wonder,”How did this happen” How do I know this? Because I have seen it happen over and over. I hope the people of Rhode Island wake up to what is happening (if they haven’t already) and stop it in its tracks. The manipulators are following a tried and true script that has worked across the country.
I am honored to know Carole personally, and have the greatest respect for her integrity and her ability to convey vital information clearly. Her piece is one of the most important pieces to expose the hypocrisy of RI’s governor, Gina Raimondo. (Raimondo’s husband is Andy Moffit, a former TFA who works for McKinsey and co-wrote Deliverology 101 with Sir Michael Barber.) The RI public needs to understand that this Strategic Plan is antithetical to what children need. The fact that Raimondo chose Ken Wagner from NY State to become the Education Commissioner seals the fate of Rhode Island public schools if we do not wake people up. Kudos to Carole for participating in the “process” and seeing through the deception. Here is my comment to her piece: Thank you for your brilliant sleuthing to bring this to light. When people in power brag about transparency and consensus gathering, they are using Orwellian-speak that really means secrecy and control. Blended learning and computerized “personalization” have not only not been researched and found effective, they fit the bill of the ed/tech companies and hedge funders that are chomping at the bit to siphon off huge amounts of taxpayers’ money that needs to go to impoverished public schools. The damage to children’s education is shocking and inexcusable, but the data collection and data mining that is going along with the online “learning” are chilling. We need journalists to do what journalists are supposed to do–investigative reporting. The moneyed interests that have infected public education (from ALEC and the Kochs, to Eli Broad, to the Walton family, to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) need to be exposed and thwarted. Our children and our democracy are too precious to be undermined and controlled for greed and power.
Carole might want to contact people in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. The public school district was targeted by national and ed reform lobbying groups for “transformation” along the same lines. It’s the same ed reform orgs we always hear about, and of course the Obama Administration did the required cheerleading and pom pom waving.
There was a lot of community push-back to the take-over of their schools. The teachers went on strike, complete chaos, the whole ed reform package.
“National blended learning expert Anthony Kim will discuss the opportunities and challenges of implementing blended learning in the nation’s schools Friday at Reynoldsburg High School’s Summit Campus.
“We are delighted to partner with Ohio’s educational thought leaders, to design some of the most innovative education programs in the country. We expect Ohio to become an inspiration of new models of schools which promote differentiation and an integrated use of technology, to create more personalized learning environments and sustainable school programs” said Kim, recently named Entrepreneur of the Year by the NewSchools Venture Fund.
Kim’s presentation comes on the heels of Ohio Governor John Kasich’s signing of education legislation that welcomed digital and blended learning into the official lexicon of education in Ohio. SB 316 included definitions for digital and blended learning and allows school districts and community schools to create blended schools or convert traditional schools into blended learning schools.
“Passing blended learning legislation in Ohio was an important first step,” said Terry Ryan, Vice President for Ohio Programs at Thomas B. Fordham Institute. “Harder is successfully implementing blended learning programs, and it is in the nuts and bolts of the work that Ohio can benefit from building on the lessons and experiences of those further along than we are.”
This is what happened next:
“One in 5 teachers won’t return to Reynoldsburg this fall, similar to the turnover rate after the 2013-14 school year. In two years, 139 teachers have either resigned or retired. The district employs more than 360 teachers.
Having that much turnover can be disruptive, said Richard Ingersoll, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies teacher turnover.
Schools lose their sense of family and belonging if there’s a revolving door for teachers. It can affect the morale of staff members who remain in the building, he said.”
“And that is where Rhode Island’s Strategic Plan for Education comes in. It is the product of a California organization called The Learning Accelerator, founded by a Christiansen devotee, whose sole mission is to promote blended learning through disruptive innovation. The Learning Accelerator has put together a detailed set of steps a state “must take” to promote blended learning.”
The Learning Accelerator was also involved in the Reynoldsburg take-over.
Why are these people so vulnerable to bandwagons and fads? I thought we were teaching kids critical thinking. Why do they all follow along like lemmings whenever someone markets this stuff? Is it some kind of peer pressure effect?
Thanks for all this information, Chiara. If it’s all right with you, I’m going to take your comments and do my best to spread the word of what’s happened in Reynoldsburg.
“Blended learning”…these guys are all about marketing. Interesting, in an era in which students spend too much time on social media, we should go in the opposite direction….It’s not being anti-technolgy, by rather asserting that the most powerful in-school agent for education is a passionate, knowledgable teacher. Students, especially those that we deem at risk for dropout etc., need adult concern and mentoring all that much more.
We need to work on developing a more cogent counter-narrative.
If you have any ideas about developing a more cogent counter-narrative, Chuck, I’m very interested. There are a few of us here in Rhode Island who are feeling the same way.
And a sidebar note:The Secretary of Commerce in RI is now Stefan Pryor, former Commissioner of Education in my state of CT. He left CT at the end of 2014 following continuing disclosure of charter school scandals through 2013-14. He has found a soft landing and a secure berth in RI. He has operated charter schools. Tragically, Rhode Island public school advocates and wonderful teachers like Carole face even more challenging times than they can imagine. Stefan is to be closely watched.
Hiring Stefan Pryor was the first sign of what our new governor was planning. If there was any doubt, now we have Ken Wagner from New York as our new commissioner.
It is interesting to learn EDreformers’ tactic in misleading public view. That is how communists’ strategy in Viet Nam, China, …
In this internet age, or in the informational age, intelligent people need to use the human principles and Buddha’s four principles to detect the ORIGINAL SOURCE or INTENTION in order to filter, to detect, and to eliminate THE TRASH.
Here are Buddha’s four principles:
DO NOT quickly believe in the saying from:
1. People with authority, scientific knowledge, and wealth (due to THEIR OWN gain)
2. People with old age, claimed to be a Wise-man (due to HIS LUST for control and power)
3. Any written old testaments (due to it is possibly fake)
4. Any mystery, unfounded truth, and lack of proof of science (due to rumor or legendary).
Here 3 human principles:
1) Life: understanding the DEEP MEANING OF KARMA = the chain of ORIGINAL cycle of re-incarnation.
2) Liberty: body – mind – spirit need to be cultivated/educated in civilized manner.
3) The pursuit of happiness: appreciate the differences, mutual respect and giving a helping hand to one another within our capacity through wisdom, knowledge and experience WITHOUT monetary involvement.
In short, I prefer to stay away from all ambitious evils. The best thing in life is that we live without fear. So, do whatever we could to provide students with confidence, honesty, and the love of learning and reading. This is the only way we, educators will win over all barbarous tycoons. Back2basic
Reaction to Rhode Island’s strategic planning process is interesting. Having also been involved in the process and having been in education for forty seven years, I am not in agreement with the article which created the reactions seen here.
If blended learning is the issue, as it seems to be, then those responding have little understanding of the concept. For one, they assume teaching and teachers are required for learning. Nothing could be further from the truth as witnessed by the knowledge achieved by children before they ever enter the school house door. There are those who would argue entering the school house actually slows down the learning process.
Blended learning does not imply replacing teachers with technology. Teaching previously used textbooks as the source of information. Textbooks are static (and textbook publishers have reaped huge profits from same). If one thinks of technology as dynamic texts, one gets closer to the concept of blended learning. If one looks at the typical elementary school classroom with its groupings of students, some working in independent groups others with the teacher, one can visualize a blended learning classroom.
Those tied to a teacher centric classroom will oppose blended learning. Those who aspire to classrooms centered on learning – especially learning in a world dominated by the potential of technology – will see blended learning as a natural evolution in the educational process.
As I wrote, just because a concept sounds good, doesn’t mean it is. Technology on its own is not a panacea, but a teacher can turn it to good use given adequate training as well as an understanding that comes from experience of how to engage students in learning.Lastly, Joseph, I challenge you to find one person who has successfully escaped poverty and built a rewarding life who will not point to at least one teacher as their means to success.
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
To Joseph H. Crowley:
The human principle is NOT the basic principle.
People (=students) should be inspired to learn with JOY, to strive to be better and well rounded in body – mind – spirit.
Traditional, modern or blended methods of teaching are welcome. However, particularly, in education, people (=students, learners) should be cultivated appropriately, transparently, and principally about humanity = mutual respect, mutual appreciation of the differences in humans, and mutual recognition of different talents that will be individually developed at different paces or stages in people’s (=students’) lives.
Today, NCLB, Rttt, and CCSS are invalid policies from its beginning. These concepts including blended learning are too good to be true. These concepts violate the human principle because the authorities do not recognize, nor respect the nature in human beings. We were not born to be all leaders, nor followers. We were not meant to be all scientists, or mathematicians like Albert Einstein. We were not designated to be Socrates or Plato, or Aristotle. We were not to be Popes, Buddha or Jesus.
Yes, we will ONLY learn and be absorbed whatever is interested or suits our body – mind and spirit regardless of the earning income.
In conclusion, please ask you a question WHY do authorities in education create CCSS to punish and fail students, as well as to create VAM to shut down all public schools and to promote/ fund PRIVATIZATION from PUBLIC TAX PAYERS fund?
If any policy is truly EXCELLENT, people will approve heartily. For example, when people are hungry, they love to go a buffet and they take what they love to eat.
Meat eaters look for beef, chicken, pork and sea food whereas vegetarians look for fruits and salad. Everyone is happy and healthy. Business tycoon can enjoy eating filet mignon in Las Vegas setting whereas strict priests or zen masters JUST enjoy plain dry bread in a quiet forest setting.
Similarly, in curriculum, all students will excel in different subjects. As a result, people learn to self-respect and mutual respect one to another for their own talents regardless of their future earning potential. Therefore, a country will only be prosperous and strong whenever citizens are well contented in their own skills and mutual respect the civility = humanity. Back2basic