Mainstream media is far, far behind ordinary folks, bloggers, and alternative media in investigating the education reform industry. You'd think they would be embarrassed.
A reminder that profiteering from NCLB was one of the top censored stories for 2009 (from Project Censored):
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/12-bush-profiteers-collect-billions-from-no-child-left-behind/ And believe me, the profiteers cross the political spectrum
From Daily Censored, by Guest Blogger George Thompson
Education Reform Is The Best Stock On The Market
Numerous corporations such as Microsoft and ETS (Education Testing Service) use philanthropy to influence education policies in such a way as to create demands for their products. To take but one example of how this works, consider how Pearson PLC, is expanding its current markets through the push for national standards. (
http://www.corestandards.org/) After increasing profits by 46% at the height of the recession, based largely on its stake in the burgeoning school improvement industry, Pearson is now in a position to profit even more from “Obama’s push for common state standards in math and reading”, according to CEO, Marjorie Scardino.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704754604575094751085387736.htmlThe Wall Street Journal explains that “The implementation of core standards would reduce the burden Pearson faces in adapting materials to individual state requirements. It could also open up an opportunity for Pearson to win a new contract measuring the progress of that common-standards initiative.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704754604575094751085387736.htmlPearson also plans to cash in on Obama’s “Race to the Top”, which will require “Data systems that measure student success” which, according to Scardino is “one of Pearson’s key areas.”
Pearson, like other for-profit education corporations has been far from a passive recipient of its lucrative education contracts. It actively uses its tax-free philanthropy funding to finance research, policy papers and other media which push for government reforms that both heighten competition for “achievement” and the need to for tools to measure it, which they just happen to sell.
Those who are interested can read the rest of Thompson's article at:
http://dailycensored.com/2010/03/25/education-reform-is-the-best-stock-on-the-market/
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