Triangulation Man: Education Edition

President Barack Obama has said he wants to listen to ideas from all sides. It seems the side that Obama listens to has powerful lobbyists. Technically, SKDKnickerbocker is not a lobbying firm or a basketball team. It seems the law lets you get away with lobbying if you call yourself a consulting firm or a historian. SKDKnicker brings in conservative groups to the White House. How conservative? How about conservative enough to be funded by Rupert Murdoch.

SKDKnickerbocker represents consulting for Students First, a lobbying group aimed at destroying collective bargaining, and replacing public education with a mix of charters, private schools, and online learning companies. According to documents revealed the blog At The Chalk Face, Students First helped craft bills in Michigan to break teachers unions by severely limiting collective bargaining.

SKDKnickerbocker is run by former Obama communications director Anita Dunn. Hillary Rosen also is employed with SKDKnickerbocker. The only question is how much lobbying did Dunn and Rosen had to do for a President who thinks bashing unions is good politics.

But Rhee couldn't have done it alone. Then-candidate Barack Obama endorsed Rhee in a 2008 debate as a "wonderful new superintendent" and later applauded the firing of every single unionized teacher at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island. (The teachers were later rehired.)

The Washington D.C. teachers were rehired because Rhee violated their contract. I often think Obama must have been a terrible law professor. Students First is run by conservative education darling Michelle Rhee. Gov. Rick Scott hired Rhee to work on his transition team. I would love to hear Obama supporters defend or deny that Obama has supported Rhee's education agenda. Any claim that Obama is progressive on education is a blatant lie.

Side note: A local Students First employee, Catherine Robinson, has taken her blog Out In Left Field offline. Litbrit and I have been having a blast using Way Back Machine to read Catherine's past literary masterpieces. Since Way Back Machine is down you can read the description of Robinson's book Learning Curves.

At first, Carolyn found meaning as an educator, helping students who grew to appreciate her enthusiasm and passion for learning. Carolyn's caring and dedicated co-workers also became her closest friends. But she noticed a certain trend. Many teachers turned to drugs i order to deal with the stress of low pay and impossibly high demands. Others lost themselves in illicit affairs, conducted in unused or empty classrooms, and a few risked it all by seducing their own students.

Carolyn tried to ignore the sexually charged atmosphere and cling to her happy marriage, but when an attractive and flirtatious teacher pursued her, Carolyn got swept up in a scandal of her own.

I don't know about you, but nothing screams education reform like "sexually charged atmosphere."

Catherine Robinson is Not a Progressive

Blogger Catherine Durkin Robinson billed herself as a progressive. That is rich. Robinson wrote a post titled "Who's the progressive party now?" Robinson praised John McCain for selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Smart move, Old Man.

Palin was unprepared to be a heart beat away from the presidency. Polls showed that voters were less likely to vote for McCain with Palin on the ballot. Dumb move.

Robinson claims she is against xenophobia. Robinson went to a Democratic dinner. Robinson attempted to portray herself as a hero in her post. Robinson claims she came to the defense of immigration officer. Robinson almost had to courage to insult Hispanics to their face.

Almost turned to the Latinos and said, "Put that in your mojitos and slump'em down, b*tches. Next time - show some g*ddamn respect."

Printing out curse words in their entirety is bad. Racial remarks are perfectly acceptable.

Robinson also wrote, "The Mexicans had Mexican on the brain. They wouldn't shut up about themselves." Robinson also refered to a woman at the Democratic dinner as a "bimbo." Robinson made this assessment because the woman was in the back of the room and had to yell her question. If you doubt the intent of Robinson's post was racist then ask yourself why she would title the post "Democratic Dinner or Race Riot - You Decide."

If you still have doubt about Robinson not being a progressive, ask yourself why is Robinson an employee of StudentsFirst. The nonprofit is run by Michelle Rhee. Rhee worked on Gov. Rick Scott's transition team. No one ever accused anyone employed by Scott as being a progressive.

Rhee's so-called has education reform policies only teachers'-union-hating Republicans could love. Rhee fired 165 Washington D.C. teachers without giving them proper evaluations. 75 teachers were reinstated because Rhee fired them without giving the teachers a reason. Short answer: Rhee just wanted to fire the teachers. Reasons be damned.

I know of no progressive organizations or activists who support Rhee's union-busting and dracanian education policies.

Robinson's educational positions are equally disturbing. In a Washington Post op-ed, Robinson advocates for parents to be arrested if a child skips too many days of school. The main goal of the op-ed was to bring attention to her failed nonprofit the National Coalition for Accountable Parenting. Robinson came out in support of Florida legislation that would take away a parent's driver's licence, if the child cheated on a driver's test.

Exactly what is suppose to be accomplished by these policies? How are parent suppose to get to work if they can't drive? Who takes care of the child if both parents are in jail? The Department of Child & Families have had many child gone missing or turn up dead. Is putting children in a foster home going to save the taxpayers money? The DCF is already underfunded and mismanaged. It is obvious that Robinson has never given these considerations a second thought.

Robinson writes on the NCAP web site that she has been lobbying for legislation in Florida. That statement is false. Robinson is not a registered lobbyist in Florida for the years 2011 or 2012 Her organization NCAP has no physical address. The NCAP web site is a Wordpress blog designed by her husband. It appears that Robinson tried to get a Rhee-style 501 group off the ground and eventually threw in the towel.

Progressive bloggers need to stop running Robinson's NCAP press releases. (Stogie and Florida Progressive Coalition) Robinson is not a progressive.

Update: Robinson admits that she could vote for a Republican.

In about a month, school will be over. My children cannot wait. Me? I’d consider voting for a gun-toting, pro-life Republican (is there any other kind?) if he promised to make year-round schooling a reality.

Robinson goes on to admit she would never support year-round schooling, if she was still teaching. No hypocrisy there.