I just received this e-mail from our friends here at the Examiner which disturbed and angered me. It read:
Good afternoon!
We have a wonderful opportunity for you. A new documentary, Waiting for Superman, will soon be released and we are working on getting Examiners free, possibly sneak preview access, to this film. We have chose you because of your great content and standing in the community. We’d like you to participate in screening the film and covering the critical education issues it addresses. We’ll also be promoting content related to the film, profiling profound teachers making a difference. Please let me know if you’re interested and available. These dates may change, but I wanted to send you a tentative schedule. Seats are limited and invitations will go out to those who respond first.
One look at the web site for this film makes it clear that this is a propaganda piece for Race to the Top, charters, and other corporate attacks on our public school system. You don't have to look too far to see Bill Gates and the Walton family behind it.
I replied to the e-mail this way:
This is a deeply disturbing "offer" which goes against everything I write on my Examiner page.
Please take a look, for example, at this entry about school turnarounds, or this letter from parents across American about how Race to the Top shuts out parents.
Race to the Top and the expansion of charter school such as the ones highlighted in this piece of propaganda are what's destroying public education in the US. We know that these schools push out lower-performing students and refuse to even admit many special education or limited English-speaking students. And, overall, research shows that charter and other corporate-run schools are doing a worse job than traditional neighborhood schools.
Why are the Examiner lists being used to promote the corporate takeover of public education? Please explain to me how this happened, and share with me the Examiner's policy on using your member writers to promote specific kinds of political movements.
I'll let you know how they respond.
Comments
It really has nothing to do with the Examiner supporting this film. The Examiner is giving you an opportunity to preview and write about something controversial. That is good for YOU and them. It's about getting exposure, not supporting something. It's much more effective that posting your article link on a social bookmarking site (unless you get really lucky).
Reread their email and see if you get it. Also, not very professional reprinting emails between you and the Examiner, or any other company that purchases your services.
Di, I don't see that publicizing a clearly commercial solicitation from the Examiner is a breach of ethics. I also disagree that this was simply an "opportunity" and didn't suggest support. I did read the e-mail carefully - and I did it in the context of my extensive knowledge of the people and strategies behind this film. My article is part of my ongoing work to expose this attack on public schools.
Incidentally, I did e-mail the Examiner about this and received no response.
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