Roxana Marachi, professor of education at San Jose State University in California, recently testified at a public hearing on ESSA about the dangers to children of excessive exposure to wireless radiation. She also expressed concern about the invalidity of the assessments now in use:
She wrote:
My letters outline grave concerns regarding unfair test administrations, security and privacy issues related to test data, violations of students’ rights, delivery of the tests on faulty networks and technology, and long-term motivational problems that are likely to result from misdiagnosing students with assessments unfit for use. In the medical community, such practices would constitute fraud.
Professor Marachi cites the latest scientific research about the effects of wireless radiation:
As of December 1st, two hundred seventeen scientists from forty nations have signed the International EMF Scientist Appeal. All have published peer-reviewed research on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and biology or health. The petition calls on the United Nations, the UN member states, and the World Health Organization (WHO) to adopt more protective exposure guidelines for EMF and wireless technology in the face of increasing evidence of health risks.
The scientists cite a 2011 study which documents how the industry-designed process for evaluating microwave radiation from phones results in children absorbing twice the radiation to their heads, up to triple in their brain’s hippocampus and hypothalamus, greater absorption in their eyes, and as much as 10 times more in their bone marrow when compared to adults.
Off-topic but somewhat related: http://www.texasobserver.org/walter-stroup-standardized-testing-pearson/ This article was published in September of 2014 but I don’t remember seeing it around that time. A Texas professor found that 72% of test scores are impervious to anything a teacher or school might do. Students’ scores are remarkably consistent over time and across subjects. It’s just a constancy factor based on how well students take tests. Of course, it would have been interesting to take that a step further and look at just which kids take tests well and which kids don’t, but this article doesn’t really go there. But it does offer an instructive story about how Pearson went after the professor who discovered this.
Dienne, I posted about Stroup and Pearson. A sad and scary story.
So glad Miami Dade County just spent millions equipping school buses with Wi-fi.
Good grief. Miami Dade has SO much money that it can afford to waste money putting wi fi in school buses? (Sarcasm)
I really prefer to see someone who is more an expert in the field discuss the issue of EMF radiation. I think Marachi could present herself as a credible expert in testing and educational assessments, though.
Fantastic work!
Over 200 scientists are stating wireless might not be safe at ALL ? Why are schools deploying these systems?
At one DC metropolitan school district over 13 experts have written the district stating the wifi should be removed.
Read it here at the parents blog on tech. They have the Government of Cyprus PSA up. Really awesome.
These scientists detail the science quite well.
http://safetechforschoolsmaryland.blogspot.com
http://wifiinschools.org.uk/4.html
Excellent link, thank you, and just added to the collection.
Thank you, Diane for sharing and wdf1 for your comment. The original statement refers directly to the experts, scientists, and medical doctors, many of whom had already written in late 2015 to the Department of Education with concerns and recommendations. My testimony submitted to the Federal register includes a copy of their Open Letter and links to the UN/World Health Organization appeal and related research. I thought it important that there be public record documenting that the Department of Education has been informed of the risks so they can’t pull a Snyder and say they “didn’t know” should they choose not to act on the scientists’ recommendations. Here is a link to Dr. Moskowitz’ presentation at UCLA http://bit.ly/wirelessradiationUCLA102215 and two additional collections for those interested to learn more: http://bit.ly/wifi_research and http://bit.ly/testing_testing.
Roxana you remind me of Bill Moyers in your advocacy work on behalf of vulnerable children. Thank you!!
Dr. Marachi,
Thanks for your links to these resources. For personal reasons, I have been following the debate over the potential risks of our electronic devices.
My experience has been that up until now, the medical establishment has been relatively silent regarding the possible links between the electromagnetic radiation emitted from these devices and the physical effects that may result. Essentially, the perception seems to be that if you are concerned about the potential effects of these devices, you are relegated to the same position as those who deny the impact of climate change.
But perhaps that model is appropriate, as it has taken considerable time and continued research to establish a body of knowledge linking carbon emissions to climate change. And still there remain those who continue to deny that link – in spite of the growing scientific consensus about both the short and long term impact. It may very well be that we are still in the initial phase of discovering the potential health risks created by the rapid adoption of our electronic devices.
Thank you for your efforts to include this issue in the public record. The resources you have provided for the increasing scientific evidence and concerns about the biologic effects of these sources of electromagnetic radiation help to validate my personal concerns and experience.
And that’s without thinking about how the nature of electronic devices makes for poor attention spans and weaker reading stamina.
Then there’s the content most children encounter online… So thus we find ourselves in the post-literate Electronic Dark Ages.
The push for tech in schools, blithely ignoring all scientific research, empirical evidence, and common sense makes my blood boil almost as much as the push for GMOs in our food. Bill Gates and the political industrial complex make me sick, figuratively and literally.