The Public Education Shock Doctrine

Over the past several months, I have had this nagging feeling of déjà vu. As the nation divides into competing camps over the implementation of Common Core, I am constantly left with a feeling that we have already been down this path. That everything we are fighting about has been fought over already. That this has all happened before and the techniques being used by the government and the big educational corporations have been used to gain support and momentum in the past. And then it occurred to me, the buildup of the war on public education is strikingly similar to the buildup of support for the war in Iraq. And even further, there appears to be a similar goal- the corporate profiteering from a public good.

In Naomi Klein’s 2007 book, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, she details the ways in which the laissez-faire philosophies of neo-liberal economists, such as Milton Friedman, had a direct influence on the political policies and practices of many Latin American coups and also the Bush administration’s push for the invasion of Iraq in 2002-03. Klein goes through mounds of data to make connections between CIA’s experiments and the ways in which the major western economic powers utilized these practices to create blank slate countries in which they could create developing economies favorable to corporatist regimes. In particular, she applies these theories to the buildup to the war in Iraq and the United States’ drive to gain access to Iraq’s vast nationalized oil reserves for corporate profit.

With the target of Iraqi oil reserves set, the next step in the process was the development of a crisis. In this case, As the Bush administration ramped up its push to overthrow Saddam Hussein in the fall of 2002 and winter of 2003, the tactics they used to gain public support and the outcomes sought were strikingly transparent and flimsy. Rationale’s wavered from weapons of mass destruction, the war on terror, human rights violations, democratization and the ultimate goal of peace in the Middle East. Regardless, the crisis was established and the rationale for action was “legitimized”. 

What followed was a process of social, political and economic destruction, a “blank slate” as Klein describes it, and the imposition of new institutions, often corporate, to replace those destroyed through the employment of “shock and awe” techniques. In the final stage, a new corporatist state would be secured to the benefit of western economic elites and shareholders.

Here is a quick summary of the basic process according to Klein:

STEP ONE- Identify target

STEP TWO- Invent crisis to expose popular weakness in the target

STEP THREE- Destruction of the existing order

STEP FOUR- Create new corporatist state

In the fight for the American public education system, the similarities to the buildup to the war in Iraq are striking. The TARGET in this case is the school system itself. For decades, a publicly funded holdout to corporate “reforms” and supported by the collectivist teacher unions; it’s the last bastion for privatization and its potential for financial gain is potentially astronomical.

The CRISIS in this arena is the manufactured and hyped up inequalities and inefficiencies of “failing schools”. With the public outcry over declining scores on the PISA test and cries of mediocrity on the NAEP, all fueled by an eager and willing corporate media structure, politicians and corporate reformers have found common ground on which to fight to save our children and prepare them for “college and career readiness”. However, these tests do not tell a full or even legitimate account of student performance since these scores do not take into account impacts of outside factors, such as socio-economic disparities. 

In an analysis of the 2009  PISA scores, Martin Carnoy and Richard Rothstein found that when accounting for socio-economic disparities, the scores for students in the  United States  jumped dramatically. In Reading, the students jumped from 14^th to 4^th and in Mathematics from 25^th to 10^th. Enormous gains ignored. Why? Because officials go to great length to ignore and minimize these statistical factors since they highlight two very important things- the ongoing divide between social classes in America and a failure to focus on the true crisis facing public education- poverty and income inequality.  

The DESTRUCTION OF THE EXISTING ORDER, perhaps the most insidious component of this progression, is taking place in school districts around the country. With the “evidence” of declining test scores, the politicians, corporate financiers and monied interests wage war on public education and the status quo; all with a glorified mission of rising up the impoverished through their philanthropic deeds and charter schools. By bringing testing scores to the fore, these reform minded forces can chip away at the multitude of labor protections that have prevented them from privatizing the system earlier- labor unions, collective bargaining, tenure laws- while holding high their moral certitude of providing a quality education for all students. Because in the view of the reformers, these aren’t just the factors holding back privatization, these are also the factors that hold back our children- just look at those falling test scores!

With the elimination of collective bargaining and tenure laws, the decline of labor unions as a political and financial counter-force is nearly eliminated. This ushers in the final stage in the process- establishment of a CORPORATIST STATE. Corporatism is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the organization of a society into industrial and professional corporations serving as organs of political representation and exercising control over persons and activities within their jurisdiction”. Simply put, the government is run by and for the benefit of corporations and their shareholders. No longer a democratically functioning tool, the government institutions simply work as elected arms of the corporations. In this final stage, corporations create laws and secure their passage and implementation. They buy entre through political donations, manipulate legal wording through lobbyists and maintain power through the funneling of funds to special-interests. Then they establish their own set of laws, through the Common Core State Standards, that simultaneously create a tool for demonizing schools and teachers while providing a framework for profits.

Finally, society becomes segregated by what Klein describes as “disaster apartheid”, in this case a form of educational apartheid. Following the privatization of schools, we will have a system that provides opportunities for the few at the expense of the many. This is hardly an exaggerated concept. Simply look at the impacts charter schools have had in several urban communities and you see the ways in which a new class order is being formed. Children who are lucky enough to win the charter lotteries are just the start. In order to stay in the charters they must demonstrate behavioral and academic norms that meet the expectations of the charter organization. This is something you simply can’t (and wouldn’t) do at a public school. In the end, the reformers succeed in streamlining class divisions based on socio-economic standards and academic achievement. Further fueling a rebirth of the civil rights era battles for equality. Except this time, the divisions are about economic standing as much as they are about race.

Every step in this process for educational privatization has followed a clear and steady plan. Built on the past success in other political areas, the corporations are playing by the same rules. However, as Naomi Klein describes in the final chapter of her book, the unintended consequences lie in the backlash that rises up against the corporations and the forces that work with them. At some point, the shroud of benevolent illusion is lifted only to reveal the true nature of the corporate beast. As testing increases and public schools face further funding cuts, the parents, teachers, administrators, politicians and community-minded organizers will work effortlessly to strike down the new order and reveal it for what it truly is.

Already we are seeing the roots of this movement. All across the country parent groups and teachers unions are organizing to fight for our children and the future of their schools. Courageous Administrators are taking brave stands in outing the tests and the standards for what they truly represent. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are combating the power-grab through new attempts at legislation that either restricts the impact of tests on teachers or withdraws their states from Common Core altogether.

The monetary and political alliances are being exposed and the media farce is becoming its own circus. As groups organize to oppose the Common Core, through meaningless standardized testing and the teacher evaluations that are based upon them, they develop the political power to overthrow this current regime. The political and financial motives of the “reformers” are not that complex. With opponents on the political right and left, perhaps the one thing they didn’t count on was the full spectrum of opposition that faces them today. 

Lesson's From the World's Best Public School?

Lesson's From the World's Best Public School

http://www.newsweek.com/2014/05/09/shanghai-high-confidential-249224.html

I have long stated that the fundamental flaw of the school reform crowd lies in their oft-repeated claim that American public schools are in crisis- that scores range anywhere from being in free-fall to stagnant when compared to scores of public schools from around the world- as if that means something. Many better informed academics have made better arguments than I am capable here, however, it continues to be frustrating to be faced with a constant barrage of claims that all start with this same premise.

The Newsweek article, Lesson's From the World's Best Public School, does a remarkable job at both highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of the public school system in Shanghai, China. The initial entry into the article starts by providing the reader with the idea that this will simply repeat the same old schtick about foreign schools- higher expectations, cultural pressures, talented and effective teachers, committed and involved parents- and it does. But buried beneath this sheen, is a damning critique of the international assessment process.

So, let's explore Shanghai's public school programs and the impact in students and their families:

Time- 16 hour days (school plus study/homework) during the week and only one day to enjoy human existence on the weekend. Perhaps it's just me, but I think human existence goes well beyond work load and time commitment. When do these kids get to be kids? And I don't mean that in a whiny over-parenting way. I mean it in a developmentally healthy way. All work and no play . . . . ?

Homework- Upwards of 5 hours of homework/night plus 10 hours on Sunday? That's a full-time job after your full-time job! Would American parents actually stand for this sort of drive toward excellence? Hardly. This actually happened: One day last semester, I went to the Main Office at the beginning of the school day to drop off work for an absent student. While I was there I decided to check my mailbox. In my mailbox was a copy of the new "Bible for homework hating parents: "The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing" by Alfie Kohn. Attached to the front cover was a yellow sticky-note that simply stated- "To Mr. Shaver- FYI!!!!!" 

I didn't need to read the book to get the not-so-subtle and passively aggressive statement. By the way- this was from an honors level parent in a class where the students have on average THREE homework assignments per week. Each taking about 20-30 minutes to complete. I even provide the students with ALL of their homework assignments in a packet the first day or two of the unit so that they can complete them at their leisure. The problem- MOST of the students (admittedly upwards of 70%) wait until the last day or two to complete the 16 or so assignments. Suddenly, a manageable task becomes overwhelming as little Janie and Johnny try to cram a unit's worth of work into a single marathon session. Serves them right? Wrong. Let the parental hate mail fly! It's not their children's fault, it's the teachers fault for providing so little time.

Parental Involvement- One of the cure-all's that we consistently hear about in education circles is the impact of parental involvement in their children's education. Unfortunately, most parents have no idea what this is supposed to look like. Do they attend everything at school? Do they advocate for their child? If so, to what degree? Should they help with homework? But what if they don't understand it themselves? Tiger Mom's? Helicopter Parents? All of it just another version of bad. We've raised a generation of narcissists and then we wonder why they don't do what we ask. 

Mostly what schools need from parents, is constant reinforcement of the school and teacher roles in learning; guidance toward time management and organization; an occasional nudge and spark to stay on task/study, and most of all- a safe, healthy and nurturing home. You want to know where America fails in educating it's children, look no further. For as long as I have been a teacher, there have been students who wait outside the school doors every morning longing to get in because their home lives are so miserable or unsafe. Sometimes arriving up to two hours prior to the start of school, these kids need a place to go and school is the best, and sometimes only, option. And then we expect these kids to be college and career ready?

Respect for Teachers- "A teacher is the most exalted figure of respect outside of a student’s parents. The teacher speaks, the student listens. More than listen, the student memorizes and needs to be able to spit back virtually everything he or she is taught." I think we all know where teachers stand on this one. See above. When I started out teaching in the late 90's, I felt genuinely well-respected. However, throughout the 2000's, the climate took a noticeable and drastic change in the opposite direction. Suddenly, teachers were the problem to all of societies ills- economic, social, political . . . a scapegoat of sorts. So when you're the scapegoat at family homes, it's pretty easy to be less than respected at school.

Schooling- As described in the article, Shanghai and other public school systems around the world, have tiered public schools. These tiers are determined by a range of factors from socio-economic status, ethnic grouping, testing ability and childhood development. The advanced students move into one track, while the others move elsewhere. In some countries, this may include 3-4 different tracks. For testing purposes, the PISA and other test administrators focus their energies on the college or university bound groups. In the United States, this means everyone. In states like New York, every single student is educated with a college-bound curriculum. No longer available are the local diplomas that allowed lower ability students to graduate with pride. Today, the ONLY options for graduation are college-ready or GED. Not quite one-size fits all, but pretty close. 

So pretty much apples-to-oranges when we talk comparing student achievement levels. In most US school districts, there is a healthy chunk of students you're just happy got out! 

Overall, programs like PISA do nothing to advance the idea that some countries are better at educating their children. Some are better at it, and there is plenty we could learn from many of them. However, when you politicize a flawed system to leverage it for economic gain, we all lose.

Opt-Out Movement is a Form of Protest

On May 4, 2014, the Glens Falls daily, The Post-Star, published the following BOO in their weekly Boos and Bravos segment concerning the Opt-Out movement:

Parents continue to opt out of Common Core testing

Boos to those parents who continue to opt out of the Common Core testing for grades three through eight. Since the results won’t count on any student’s record, there seems to be nothing gained from opting out of the test. It appears the tests are here to stay, and just because they are more difficult is not a reason to boycott them. Raising the bar on educational standards will take years, and it starts by making the curriculum more challenging. The new standards should be given a fair chance, and we don’t expect children will be traumatized by a more difficult format.

Although I normally have disdain for letter writers and the garbage they spew, I felt compelled to reply given the Post-Star's track record on glib and flippant commentary toward educational issues. Here is my published reply (fighting glibness with sarcasm?):

Opt-Out movement is a form of protest

Editor:

Thank you for taking the time to highlight your dissatisfaction with the Opt-Out movement. Thank you also for reminding your readers that you lack even a basic understanding of an important educational issue that is impacting our society.

In one short paragraph, you managed to simplify a very complex issue into a very compelling argument, “Hey, the tests are here, deal with it!” If only our civil rights leaders had accepted that simple and sound advice! 

In reality, the Opt-Out movement is a diverse collection of parents, educators, administrators and politicians, all of whom have disparate reasons for objecting to the Common Core and the resulting tests. The arguments take much more space than is allotted here, but they start with the failed premise that American education is in decline and crisis and ends with the opposition to corporate profiteering from our children, testing schemes and curriculum materials. In between is a host of concerns about curricular content, developmental appropriateness, scripted lesson planning, the loss of local control of public education and much more. The Opt-Out movement is as much a practice in nonviolent protest as it is a challenge to a corrupt public policy.

Boo to The Post-Star for not understanding this important public movement and the scope of its impact and for further failing to report on the true nature of this issue. Although my wife and I have not opted our own children out of the state tests, I do have deep concerns surrounding the cause and effect principles inherent in such a dramatic and ill-conceived policy and strongly support those who make the difficult decision to opt their own children out of the tests.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” -Aristotle

MICHAEL SHAVER

Queensbury

The Education-Industrial Complex

Below is the first piece I had written concerning the Common Core State Standards. I was inspired to write this piece following an eye-opening and extremely informative conversation with Kris Nielsen of, "I (used to ) Love Teaching" fame. After posting a comment on Facebook, I received a request to publish my thoughts for The Chronicle, a local weekly newspaper. Here it is:

The Education-Industrial Complex
August 19, 2013

On August 7th, the New York State Department of Education released the first round of student scores using the Common Core Standards based tests in English and math. Statewide, the passing rate for these tests was abominable with just a 31% passing rate. That represents a drop of nearly 25% since last year. This overall drop in passing rates has led to a mixture of reactions. The most dominant theme coming from the politicians and corporate leaders promoted the test was an expectation for failure. How can it ever be beneficial to create a system with expectations of failure? The problem lies in the way these tests have been developed- without any empirical data to support the tests- and the nature of the motivations behind such testing.

Failure and disappointment can oftentimes be beneficial. In fact, I would say they are necessary for proper growth and development. I would even go so far as to say that our society has mistreated failure by insulating our children from many negative impacts. However, I will say that constant failure, despite proper and studious preparation, can have devastating impacts on students, teachers and communities alike. Our children are guinea pigs in a great educational experiment with high stakes for them and their teachers. But once again, why would we expose our students to such a failure and the stress that accompanies it?

In 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of a growing military-industrial complex.  Over the past 50 years, we have seen his warning of a political and industrial behemoth come to fruition. Today, we face a growing educational-industrial complex with similar warnings coming from both ends of the political spectrum. For some, public education is the final frontier; the last stronghold of public control that is ripe for privatization and profiteering.

Here’s how such a system is meant to work:

STEP ONE- Make false claims about the “failing American educational system”. Many of the proponents of the Common Core Standards are corporate leaders who claim American education is in crisis when compared to international competition. However, when viewed through value-added measures for poverty and ethnicity, American students actually end up ranked among the top tier of global students. In addition, in the most recent TIMMS tests for math and science (2011) American students continued to show growth in these areas. In the case of math, students have shown continuous and progressive growth since the test was first introduced in 1995. We don’t have an education crisis per se; we have a poverty crisis.

STEP TWO- Create a test that proves you're right. In this case, politicians and corporate leaders heralded a new curriculum tied to college and career readiness. What business leaders want most, are workers with the ability to collaborate, use of oral and written communication skills and critical thinking skills. Much of the Core curriculum does just that.  However, the tests that were administered don’t assess these skills. These multiple choice tests are inappropriate when compared to the goals of the curriculum.

STEP THREE- Use the disastrous test scores to claim there is a need for further reform.  As the state tests result in high failure rates, many proponents of privatization will inevitably cry for more private access to educate our children. Forget that such experiments have shown little result of improved academic performance when compared to public school performance. In this case, it’s about the money. There is big money to be made in testing, curriculum materials and privatization. Corporations such as Pearson, McGraw, Apple, The College Board, and many others stand to make billions of dollars through materials and development.

STEP FOUR- Kill the unions. Quite simply put, teachers unions are powerful. They collect massive amounts of money from tens of thousands of members who are politically active and highly motivated. These unions represent the last vestige of resistance to these privatization overhauls while maintaining their professional ranks, promised benefits and middle class wages. This group represents “lost” capital to the government and corporate powers and they don’t like it. Oddly enough, the two major teachers unions have partnered in this endeavor thanks to large endowments for collaboration from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

STEP FIVE- Create a permanent working class. In the end, the worst thing that may come out of this is the actual dumbing-down of American students. Due to the weight of the test results toward teacher evaluation and school success, teachers are forced to focus their time and efforts into assessment achievement rather than the college and career readiness skills the Core curriculum calls for.  Spending 4-6 weeks of the academic year preparing for a test is unacceptable. Who benefits from an uneducated populace; one that can’t actually think critically about the political, social and economic world that affects them?

Unfortunately, this is the culture we have allowed to thrive. As we move forward, there will certainly be continuing discussion about where we go from here. As an educator, I welcome rigorous curriculum and a goal of high achievement for all our students. College and true career readiness (including vocational training) should always be a goal for our public education system. Yet, it is also important that we achieve these goals responsibly and with the best interests of our children at heart. Unfortunately, the Common Core State Standards, and in particular, the tests being developed through consortiums like PARCC and SMARTER Balanced simply do not help us achieve these goals. Our children, our families and our communities deserve better.