Thomas Ultican has written a series of posts about attacks on public schools and their federal, state, and local funding streams. During this awful pandemic, most parents, teachers, and students have recognized that depersonalized remote learning is no substitute for real teachers. Nonetheless, the edtech industry continues to promote its products, which in most cases are intended to substitute for live teachers.
Especially concerning to Ultican is that the edtech industry has gained a strong foothold within the inner circle of the Biden campaign. A committee appointed by the campaign to advise the incoming administration was packed with edtech privateers and profiteers. The last thing that educators, parents and students want or need right now is a re-emphasis on digital learning.
Ultican is especially concerned about a corporation called digiLEARN, launched by former North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue, which was funded by…who else?…the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
To do the heavy lifting at digiLEARN, Purdue brought in her advisor on e-learning and innovation, Myra Best. Prior to joining the Governor’s office, Best served as Director of the Business Education Technology Alliance (BETA) which established North Carolina’s first statewide Virtual Public School. BETA was a committee of 27 business, political and education leaders established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2002. The chair of the committee was Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue...
digiLEARN lined up heavy hitters in the edtech industry:
In 1997, the vice chair, Jim Geringer, was one of the governors who established the non-profit Western Governors University in Salt Lake City. It was an early adopter of cyber education and competency based education. In a lengthy interview for the Wyoming State archives, Geringer spoke glowingly about the school and its methods.
The membership of the first digiLEARN board of governors made it clear that it was politically connected and aligned with the goals of the edtech industry. In addition to Geringer and Perdue former West Virginia Governor Bob Wise became a founding director on the board.
In 2010, Jeb Bush and Bob Wise launched the Digital Learning Council which promoted cyber schooling and “personalized learning.” In 2015, North Carolina State University honored Wise at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation’s Friday Medal presentation. The institute notes, “The Friday Medal is awarded annually in honor of William C. Friday to recognize significant, distinguished and enduring contributions to education and beyond through advocating innovation, advancing education and imparting inspiration.”
Besides the three ex-governors, two North Carolina State Representatives – Craig Horn and Joe Tolson – were on the original board. Also on the board was one of edtech industries most widely published advocates, Tom Vander Ark…
Billionaires like Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg and Laurene Jobs Powell have spent lavishly to create an education publishing group to get out their message of school choice and edtech. Both Perdue and Vander Ark are regular contributors to The 74 Million and Perdue is featured at The Education Post. One of her early posts for Education Post was “A Nation At Risk 2.0.” In it Perdue echoed the calamity rhetoric of 1983’s “A Nation At Risk” declaring, “Right now, alarm bells should be clanging all over America louder than they were for President Reagan and business leaders more than 30 years ago.” She was decrying the slow implementation of edtech in schools...
Prompted by an article I had written about North Carolina being ravaged with edtech spending, a profoundly shaken person contacted me to share their experience on Biden’s Education Policy Commission. As the new administration prepares to take charge, many groups are meeting to develop an agenda to move America forward.
In the Education Policy Commission, there was a tech sub-committee chaired by Bev Perdue. Reportedly the sub-committee had a large North Carolina contingent including Myra Best. There were twenty members on the committee and at least seventeen of them were edtech supporters. Many members were people with backgrounds like former Amazon web-services director.
The committees attitude toward student privacy was unacceptable especially their positions on sharing data. My source described the sub-committee as the proverbial “foxes in the hen house.”
Edtech can be a wonderful thing for students and educators, but if the point is to make large profits off data and replace teachers with digital screens, edtech becomes a great evil. Unfortunately, Bev Perdue and digiLEARN are promoting the evil brand of edtech. Let’s hope the incoming administration can successfully filter out this tainted input.
Given what America’s parents, teachers, and students have learned about edtech during the pandemic, the Biden team should be wary about taking the advice of its leading lobbyists.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I guess we can believe the group is lobbying against staffing the Department of Education with anyone who “gets” the importance of public education to a vibrant democracy. CBK
Tom must have access to the names of Biden’s “Education Policy Commission.” I wish he would give us a link to the names on this list, assuming these are not the same people that I briefly profiled in an earlier post.
In any case. His research on the foxes in Biden’s Education hen house are detailed and not good news.
Everyone on the Policy Committee had to agree to nondisclosure. The foxes in the henhouse are disturbingly secretive. Remember in 2008, DFER got to then President elect Obama behind closed doors. Tech companies do everything in secret; it’s just not appropriate for a democratic domestic policy committee. The Education Policy Committee wasn’t discussing top secret national security issues. Why all the NDAs? A government of secrets is not a good government. What the tech industry is doing behind closed doors is an increasingly dangerous problem. Break those companies up.
This is REALLY depressing. Everybody sing:
When will they ever learn?
When will they eeeever learn?
Don’t be depressed and don’t sing. Write to all your Democratic representatives and fight this, as I am. Fighting and militancy and forming large groups is the way to go. Write to Randi . . .
While others here are not fond of criticizing the Democrats and calling them out on things, those same others have encouraged our civic participation in shaping the DNC. That’s a wonderful mindset, if you ask me!
There is also an educators’ group you can join at Movement for a People’s Party, headed up by Cornell West, who, unfortunately, has not had as much exposure on the blog as I think he merits.
I love Cornell West!
Love your attitude, Robert!
And, what Yvonne said!
Yeah, Cornell is where it is at!
Mr. Biden’s picks so far have not been reassuring, especially with the nomination of Neera Tanden. She was a cheerleader for the formation of the “Catfood Commission” to strike a “Grand Bargain” for Obama and the GOP to sign off on. She has displayed nothing but contempt for those of us on the left.
Seems like we may be headed for an Obama third term, which will pave the way for a smarter, more civil version of Trump in 2024.
Wall Street is giddy with joy.
Tanden is terrible but Biden first wanted Bruce Reed in OMB. He would be 1000 times worse than Tanden- he’s a deficit hawk, wants to privatize SS, cut social services. If Biden doesn’t plan to strengthen these agencies and protect them from trump inflicted decay or corporate capture, we collectively should begin planning to fight back today.
The one thing teachers have in their power is their labor- especially withholding labor. Without teachers schools can’t open & Biden’s secret ed-techies & DFER friends need to hear that. All options should be on the table.
Bruce Reed was president of the Broad Foundation.
Eleanor, don’t worry, the right wing Republicans who want to completely privatize social security and privatize Medicare hate Neera Tanden even more than you do.
Eleanor, why don’t you post on right wing Republican boards to explain to the deluded Republicans who hate Neera Tanden a lot more than you do that you know better than they do and she is really their BFF and will do their bidding.
All special interest groups are lining up on Biden’s doorstep. There is nothing new about this practice. It is up to Biden and his team to look at evidence before they decide to jump on any bandwagon. I hope Dr. Jill Biden and Biden’s team have the good sense to “filter out the toxic input.”
Personalized learning is an profiteer’s delight. It is privatization from the inside out with the eventual goal of replacing in person education with machines. There is nothing new about it, and calling it a hoax seems justified. It is simply the old failed mastery learning of the 1970s with glossy digital graphics. By distilling education down to a bunch of discrete skills, students can earn badges instead of degrees. When they have obtained a certain number of badges, they will be ready for the union free, low wage workforce. Career educators understand that education is so much more than a discrete set of skills. In addition to basic skills, students need to study the humanities and social sciences. They need to interact with others, and learn to how think critically and be responsible citizens. There is more to life than being a cog in the wheel of capitalism. If we keep going down this dystopian rabbit hole, Americans will be jumping out of windows in corporate operated dormatories.
This is beautifully said and spot on. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful that you see through the bulk of the computerized instruction crap as discredited Behaviorist Mastery Learning repackaged with flashy graphics. We have customizable student study group avatars!!! Put vinegar in wine bottles and it is still vinegar.
Biden cannot simultaneously heed the oligarchs and rebuild a union movement in this country. He must choose.
three essential words: He Must Choose. No more pretense.
retired 1984 never really died. CBK
https://bobshepherdonline.wordpress.com/2019/05/11/he-sees-you-when-youre-sleeping-2/
https://bobshepherdonline.wordpress.com/stories/he-sees-you-when-youre-sleeping-a-short-story/
https://bobshepherdonline.wordpress.com/2019/03/17/my-candidate-for-the-most-important-book-you-could-ever-read/
It’s sad for kids how many prominent adults have swallowed the marketing of the ed tech industry and just regurgitate it uncritically.
The kids THEMSELVES are savvier and more skeptical about this stuff than the adult “leaders”.
My son’s rural public high school cut some in-person language instruction due to budget cuts and the students were onto it immediately. They knew it was a cheap junk replacement for a teacher. They would speed thru the “lessons” and the collaborate on the tests. They weren’t learning anything but the programs salespeople counted participants and declared it a big success.
Isn’t ed reform packed full of academics? Why don’t they ever question anything? What kind of college professors are we producing where they all swallow slick marketing as if it’s fact?
And how many teachers, who have learned to collaborate with the Deformer occupation of our schools.
I see it every day – the politics inside a public school system. Some teachers (especially the newer ones) buy it, promote it and want to be a future leaders so they can’t see the forest through the trees. Others “go along to get along” and others….. like many have mentioned in this blog – try to do what’s best for children while checking off a few boxes for admin.
Many ed reformers are excited about the aftermath of the pandemic because they see it as an opportunity to jam still more cheap junk ed tech into lower and middle class schools and reduce staffing costs.
One of them announced rural public schools wouldn’t have to hire math and science teachers because they could all share one of each.
Go look at the private schools these people send THEIR children to. They’re not sitting in a front of a screen all day. They only push this junk on low and middle income PUBLIC school kids.
Arne Duncan used to crow that ed tech was a “9 billion dollar industry”. It is impossible to tell the difference between the companies selling the products and ed reform “policy” people. They’re ALL marketing.
I just cannot imagine how disconnected and depressed kids will be if ed reformers succeed in plunking them all in front of screens and getting rid of schools.
It’s dystopian. The thin connections to a community they have now will completely disappear.
It’s disappointing. I really hoped Biden wouldn’t rely on the same old stale roster of ed reformers who have dominated US policy for the last 20 years.
I was hoping he’d cast a slightly wider net. I guess we’re getting Jeb Bush’s education dogma. Again. George W Bush= Jeb Bush education policy. Obama= Jeb Bush education policy. Trump= Jeb Bush education policy. Biden makes 4 in a row.
Biden will be the fourth US President in a row to hire the same 150 people who all come of the ed reform “movement”
It’s an echo chamber. Does she tell everyone to “learn to code”? I think that’s required in the “movement”.
How many utter failures of Ed Tech does it take? Aie yie yie. Always the same trajectory for the hype curve.
“America’s first graders today need a vastly different education than the first graders did in 1983, 2003, or even in 2013. They must be prepared for a life of continual learning and innovation precipitated by constant technological change in the workplace. Many of today’s jobs will either not exist or look vastly different by 2030.
The career skills needed for a work lifespan of 50 or 60 years, driven by exponential technological change, demands a re-engineering of personal outcomes for America’s future workforce. In 1983, we were in an embryonic stage of technology change. Now these seismic shifts are happening practically overnight.”
Pure baloney generated at elite thinks tanks.
The people who invented the ed tech all these former politicians are selling all got a traditional education. It didn’t stop them from inventing anything.
These ridiculous people ACTUALLY BELIEVE 6 year olds in 2020 are somehow fundamentally different than 6 year olds in 1983. And this garbage is spewed at America’s most expensive private universities.
Fads, gimmicks and pseudo-science nonsense. Cheap quick fixes in place of real investment and effort.
This is simply well funded marketing, hype and spin. If they keep telling lies long enough, they hope their lies will be accepted as truth.
Chiara “. . . for America’s future workforce.” <–Do these people really think that whole idea isn’t already set in a much broader and more comprehensive field of what “culture” means? CBK
First graders need an environment that is safe, social, where they feel they belong and can play . . . . the time and space to read, create stories….. understand how words work, build and explore and have hands on experience with math concepts.
How is this different than the 1980’s?
If Biden wants to lose working class people like Obama did, he couldn’t do a better job of that than hiring this same stale roster of out of touch clueless technocrats again.
Find someone who has actually applied for a job in the last 20 years. These people know nothing about “the workplace” or technical skills or skilled trades or anything real.
If Biden wants to lose working class people like Obama did, he couldn’t do a better job of that than hiring this same stale roster of out of touch clueless technocrats again.
exactly
The Educational Technology hype curve. Here’s what almost always happens.
Very high: It’s the magic elixir, says the salesperson. We have “research”! Lots of lobbying of state department people, district administrators.
Very high: District or school adopts the new online program. Lots of money that could have been spent on art and science supplies and eyeglasses and warm winter coats for poor kids goes out the window. Hypes it to teachers. And mandates it. And provides “trainings.” Roll over. Sit up. Bark. Good boy.
Moderate: Teacher introduces the new program to kids. It’s something new, so they are game.
Crash: Lots of trouble onboarding. Eventually, after dealing with tech support and the school tech person, the kids are all on.
Moderate: Kids start using the program. Again, it’s something new, so for 2 days, they’re good with it.
Total, abysmal crash: After a week, kids would rather have all the hair on their bodies plucked out, one by one, with tweezers than to log onto this crap again. After a year of this nonsense (there’s a contract, alas), the district or school drops the program and replaces it.
Very high: It’s the magic elixir, says the salesperson, but now with new scrubbing bubbles! We have Chippy the Paper Clip study helpers and balanced scorecard personalized data dashboards! We have “research”! Lots of lobbying of state department people, district administrators.
This happens over and over and over and over and over again, and no one learns from the experience.
Bob Don’t you know?. . . it’s because teachers just don’t understand and they implement badly because of it. But also, they just don’t want to change. When WILL they ever “get it”? CBK
Bob I know this, BTW, because Bill Gates said so. CBK
When the planet has been completely trashed by the oligarchs peddling this garbage, they all will have “gotten it.” This Ed Tech is good enough education for Prole children which, if successful in its actual purpose, will transform the entire working class (there will be only two classes) into do-bots trained to apply themselves gritfully to whatever alienating, mindless task put in front of them by their Overlords.
OK, well, if Mastuh Gates says so. . . .
Bob Kidding aside, Gates actually did say that (I paraphrased) in the 2014 talk he gave, and that was posted here in another section. I have hope in Jill’s contrary experience? CBK
Yeah, I know the piece. &@%@(#@((#($&@^@#!!!!
Yes. They are “resistant to change” and like their summers “off.”
😉
beachteach And of course, teachers are in it for the money. CBK
Depersonalized learning! Good enough for Prole children! Get yours now!!!
Much to be said for these three pieces of educational technology: a book, paper, and a pencil.
Agreed! That’s how education was conducted for centuries, and it is still the gold standard.
When do I get to say I told you so?
When do we get to say “I told you so” to you about Trump?
By the way, before you say “I told you so”, you might want to wait to make sure that the Supreme Court you condoned doesn’t re-install Trump and DeVos and simply abolish public schools altogether. Not to mention imprison anyone who objects, and riles up their followers to execute progressives like AOC who support public schools.
AOC said it best — anyone who thinks the progressive movement has a better chance of success under Trump, as you do, is simply not a progressive.
When do we get to say “I told you so” about the Supreme Court?
If you want to get others to your side, it’s much better to admit you were wrong about something than to keep insisting you were right.
We all knew that there were fights to be had to defend public schools. You are the only one who thought those fights would be more successful with a far right Supreme Court and President who want to end democracy. When do we get to say “I told you so”? When do you admit you were wrong? After Trump is re-installed?
There is a complete “I told you so” legitimacy, and now it becomes all of our responsibility to do two things:
Advocate as civic participants to change the DNC.
Support parties, old and new – of your choice – outside the duopoly.
I support Movement for a People’s Party, as one of a few approaches to advocacy.
This is about our efforts and not about the Trumps and Bidens of this world.
Robert,
We have to come to grips with the fact that most voters are not leftists. 70 million votes for a racist con man of small brain. An even larger number voted for Biden, who is centrist, not left.
We will fight for the future but not by being deluded.
Robert Rendo,
What an obnoxious and condescending thing to say.
How does someone who normalizes Trump have the right to say “I told to you so” to Diane Ravitch and everyone else who recognized the dangers of Trump?
Diane Ravitch posted this because she speaks out when she sees wrong doing by Democrats and Republicans like Trump. To have those who refused to see the dangers of Trump in 2016 — those who have spent the last 4 years insisting that Trump had been totally exonerated and all criticisms of him were a “nothing burger” — lecturing to Diane Ravitch and the rest of us that “I told you so” is repellent. For you do condone that makes me think less of you and wonder at what you teach your students that this kind of arguing is acceptable to you becxause someone wh ose poilitical views yoh tghink you agree with does it.
Dishonesty is wrong when Trump supporters do it, and it is wrong when people who claim they don’t support Trump do it.
I repeat, we don’t need someone to say “I told you so” which presumes tyhe lie that people supported Biden because they thought he was to the left of AOC.
AOC is a real progressive. Those who defend Trump and only attack Democrats are not, even if they claim that their rabid defense of Trump is only because they know in their heart that Trump has done nothing wrong and the real evil-doer is Joe Biden.
This is not the way to get parents to support public education. If you are condoning the dishonesty of this poster because you believe she has the same political viewpoint as you do, I think less of you.
^^sorry for numerous typos.
I repeat – anyone who believes Diane Ravitch needs an “I told you so” lecture from a rabid Trump-defender is part of the problem, not the solution. Robert Rendo, you should not condone this.
Diane, I am a progressive. Does that make me a radical? I don’t understand what you mean by radical? Please expand, unpack . . .
Were radicals that ones who helped legalize gay marriage, get the right for women to vote, outlaw slavery, create the right to form unions, legalize the right for blacks to attend schools with whites? Was that radical? Was it radical to create a SS system black in the 1930s to prevent geriatric poverty? All those folks had to come to grips with severe injustices.
What does radical mean to you, Diane?
Let me restate that for you, Robert. Most people in this country do not see themselves on the left. You do. I do. Nearly half voted for an outright racist. The other 52% voted for the most conservative Democrat. We have to think about this going forward.
Robert, I changed the word radical to leftists. I am a leftist.
Robert Rendo,
LBJ and FDR and Truman were not “leftists” and yet they were the presidents under whose watch a lot of progressive legislation happened. If they were running today, our resident “I told you so” sayer would have demanded that those “not progressive enough” politicians be defeated even if that meant Hoover or Goldwater won. And this country would never have had that progressive legislation.
We live in a country where progressive legislation has never succeeded when “leftists” worked hard to defeat Democrats and helped to empower far right Republicans. I wonder how much worse off this country would have been had Hoover been re-elected or had Goldwater defeated LBJ. I once believed that the progressive ideas I supported would flourish as long as I made sure Jimmy Carter was defeated but seeing the damage done by 8 years of Reagan made me realize how wrong I was.
This country is still suffering because of 8 years of Reagan and the slow dismantling of the progressive government of LBJ and while Jimmy Carter may have been a neoliberal who believed too much in free markets and didn’t support progressive ideas, he is not to blame. Those who support progressive ideas need to fight for them but not by insuring the election of right wingers who will never listen to them and would rather disenfranchise those who don’t agree with the right wing agenda than allow them to convince voters to support progressive legislation.
For those who post or think:
“This is not the way to get parents to support public education. If you are condoning the dishonesty of this poster because you believe she has the same political viewpoint as you do, I think less of you.”
The poster was not dishonest. Smug perhaps, yes, but not dishonest. In fact, she’s so honest, that her honesty hurts. Her honesty is painful, chilling, and utterly terrifying. But I’m an adult and I am not going to behave like a parent of the DNC and think that my “child” is golden and can do no wrong. I speak strictly for myself.
All I can say is that if there is any label I really use for myself, I am a humanist first and foremost, and I believe (I use those operative words “I believe”) that we are hard pressed to turn the DNC considerably more leftist than it is or support third parties who will get the job done.
Just as importantly, when I hear things like “I think less of you”, let me put it to you diplomatically: I don’t give a flying _______ what you think of me. You don’t pay my bills or employ me, so please take your assessment of me and stick it in a place you probably don’t let too may people know about . . .
Robert, I share your annoyance with people who write to tell me—online and offline—that they “think less of me” because I don’t agree with them. The height of condescension.
Robert Rendo,
I’m sorry you took my remark about thinking less of you that way. The reason I used those words is because you are someone who I respect because you often post very cogent and interesting replies that I enjoy reading. I would never post that I think less of people who devote themselves to defending some reprehensible Trump action because I expect only dishonesty from them. But I apologize for using that phrase.
But since I do have high expectations for you, I will just say that the fact that you believe that the person who told Diane Ravitch “I told you so” — which is something that is said by children when they believe that the person they are speaking to was stupidly wrong and didn’t listen to their much smarter and much more correct opinion — speaks for itself.
Feel free to go on defending this Trump-normalizing person you have canonized as speaking only the most honest words — you seem to believe that this “honest” person was right when she told Diane Ravitch “I told you so”.
But you are not being honest yourself if you think that Diane Ravitch does not fully understand the limitations of Biden and needs this “honest” Trump-normalizing person to lecture to her about Biden’s flaws. You are not being honest yourself if you think that without your favorite “honest” poster telling us “I told you so”, we would all be lavishing non-stop praise on everything Biden does and demand that no one say a word of criticism. I can’t imagine why you think Diane Ravitch even posted this criticism of Biden given how strongly you support the right of Trump defenders to remind us that those Trump defenders “told us so” about Biden not being perfect because we are all deluded and we believe with all of our heart that Biden is perfect. We need to be reminded by the “honest” people who defend Trump that Biden is not perfect, because without the reminder from the “honest” people who defend Trump, we would not know that.
Biden will do some good things and won’t do other good things. I will expect a lecture from you and your favorite Trump-defending poster telling us “I told you so” every time Biden does not meet the progressive ideal. It will be so pleasant to look forward to because you seem to believe we all are deluded and need that reminder from “honest” people so much. No matter how many times we tell you that we know that Biden is not the progressive savior, you and your “honest” friend clearly believe that we need reminding and an “I told you so”.
“Robert, I share your annoyance with people who write to tell me—online and offline—that they “think less of me” because I don’t agree with them. The height of condescension.”
Oh, my, Diane!
Once the pandemic lifts, we should get together for coffee out on Long Island and exchange stories on how often that condescension happens to either of us. And I am far less public than you . . . Thankfully.
That’s a hoot and a half . . .
Teacher: digiLearn?
Student: No, I didn’t.
The transition team loaded with the monsters in the tech & financial industries are a major concern and we could see a Bush/Obama redux in the Dept of Ed. CAP is still promoting annual testing in spite of the pandemic.
Worse yet, CAP claims we need a “new” path ahead in education with “Opportunity Grants”. OGs for states will promote “equity” (their words, not mine.) Read it carefully. It’s nearly identical to Race to the Top.
It’s odd that none of CAP’s links will post. Word Press consistently rejects them, so search for this title in CAP – education:
Fact Sheet: Public Education Opportunity Grants
By Scott Sargrad, Lisette Partelow, Jessica Yin, and Khalilah M. Harris
Is there a word for “change” that means it stays the same as before?
The more things change, the more they stay the same = one word
If it exists, what is that word?
There are times when I think that Bill Clinton, G. W. Bush, and Obama were all the same president. At least they were not Trump.
Amen to what dienne said yesterday & to everything that Robert Rendo said on this post.
Thanks! I really appreciate your sentiment. We can all have our “I told you so” moment, and it’s right to do so! And at the same time, it does have a shelf life and we must press on and advocate to make our country better, even if that advocacy within and under the same tent varies. And vary it does.
The logic that criticism of the DNC equals support for Trump shows an overly simplistic and almost caricature-like perception of politics and people, both of which are far more nuanced and complex than what is pushed for and sometimes facilitated on this blog.
But hey! That’s that damn intellect of mine speaking. I should be more American and simmer it down . . . I should maybe defer to what slimy Spiro Agnew once said?
For the record:
Robert Rendo, I agree with you 100% that criticism of the DNC does not equal support for Trump. I don’t understand why you are under the misapprehension that Diane Ravitch or anyone else who posts here believes that criticism of the DNC equals support for Trump.
The logic that choosing to vote for Biden to defeat Trump equals a belief that Biden and the DNC are perfect shows an overly simplistic and almost caricature-like perception of politics and, both of which are far more nuanced and complex than what is pushed for and sometimes facilitated by certain posters on this blog.
The logic that we who understood that Trump is not a normal politician and that electing Biden was important to safeguard democracy need to be reminded regularly “I told you so” from those who normalized and defended Trump shows an overly simplistic and almost caricature-like perception of politics and people.
As those of us who don’t have an overly simplistic and almost caricature-like perception of politics always understood, Biden will do some good things and some bad things. One of the good things Biden just did is nominate as Secretary of Health and Human Services someone who has long supported Medicare for All, Xavier Becerra. One of the bad things that Biden MAY do is appoint an EdTech supporter or ed reform supporter as Secretary of Education. It is important that when Biden does something that is bad, that we criticize and work to oppose it. But we already knew that when we voted for Biden over the reprehensible Trump. So when someone who believes Trump was totally exonerated by the Mueller report posts “I told you so”, what exactly do you think she “told” us that you believe we were too ignorant to know before she “told” us? That Biden is no better than Trump, just like she “told” us over and over again?
In my opinion, the people who have an overly simplistic and almost caricature-like perception of politics are those who were certain that having 4 years of Trump was no big deal and those who thought that having 8 years of Trump was also no big deal. In my opinion, the people who have an overly simplistic and almost caricature-like perception of politics are those who believed that because Biden was not progressive, it was more important to work to defeat Biden than to defeat Trump. So I don’t understand why you keep posting that those overly simplistic people with their caricature-like perception of politics are admirably “honest”. We shall have to agree to disagree about that.
And the leader of the Proud Boys gets a special tour of the White House today before the big rally to “stop the steal” — with Trump’s full approval for the Proud Boys supporting him in helping to “stop the steal” and presumably to help Trump severely punish everyone who committing the crime of “stealing” his rightful victory.
Is violence next?
When do I get to say “I told you so” about how dangerous Trump is? When did Jews get to say “I told you so” to the smug Germans who lectured them to shut up and stop criticizing Hitler and join them in demonizing all of Hitler’s opponents for not being good enough?
Sorry, but whether or not Trump succeeds in his coup attempt to end democracy is irrelevant. Trump is DANGEROUS. We told you so in 2016 and we told you so in 2020 but some people kept telling us Trump was a normal politician and they demanded we stop all criticism of Trump and instead focus intense hatred at democrats.
Trump already succeeded in packing the Supreme Court and federal judiciary with some of the most right wing justices and judges in history. They have lifetime appointments and will prevent progressive legislation with every vote. I told you so. But the person who you said is “honest” kept telling us that did not matter.
Trump is dangerous whether he succeeds in fomenting violence or not. Those who told us that electing Trump for 4 years or 8 years is no big deal told us nothing but a lie.
NYC Parent I think so many of us have lived in the clear air of democratic ideals that, when Trump broke them time and again, no one could really believe it. We were all aghast forever.
But I have to say, besides just disliking Trump before (I never saw what the attraction was even in the entertainment field), I remember when they changed the plank in the Republican Platform about Russia . . . for me, that’s when red flags went up all over the place. Only a couple of people I know noticed it, but most just went on their merry way . . . breathing what THEY THOUGHT was still “the clear air of democratic ideals.”
Though we’ve already had some violence, we still wonder about the cornered bully fascist. I think he murdered that man on death row out of spite, anger, and misplaced revenge. Fortunately, it looks like there may be no more room under the bus.
You read my mind, though: Is violence next?
Also, and as an aside, I thought the original “I told you so” was a fine example of adolescent expression. CBK
Thank you, CBK. It is still scary times!
I am so glad that Diane Ravitch posted this valid and important criticism warning of the EdTech foxes inside the Biden henhouse. We need to stay vigilant about speaking out when Biden embraces ed reform.
But did anyone here need to hear that adolescent expression of “I told you so”, which is insulting and unwarranted? It is wrong for anyone to mischaracterize as “honest” that ugly innuendo that we were all idiots for not realizing that Biden wasn’t a progressive and criticizing us for not joining the “honest” movement to demonize Biden and normalize Trump to help Trump get re-elected.
Maybe some people actually think that it would be better for us all if Biden had been defeated because then Trump supporters wouldn’t have to kill and execute progressives and everyone else to opposed Trump. Scary times if that is their view – and it is scary times that now they post adolescent things like “I told you so” to tell us that they were right and we should have joined them to demonize Biden because they believed with all their heart that the Mueller Report exonerated Trump and Trump is just a normal politician who isn’t so bad.