Parents Across America http://goo.gl/KAA3w
Response from the Change.org “help desk” re deceptive Rhee petition
Goldenberg’s earlier post on this matter is here. If you’d like to weigh in on whether change.org should continue diverting nearly ALL signers of progressive education petitions to Michelle Rhee’s, promoting the elimination of teacher seniority protections, deceptively entitled “Save Great Teachers,” send a message to ben@change.org and cc. nonprofits@change.org Also check out Rheefirst.org on more on the Rhee record.from Michael Paul Goldenberg, PAA member to Change.org: You’ve likely received other messages informing you of the exchange I recently had with the head of the Michigan Senate Education Committee that was spurred by my mistaking an anti-seniority petition from Michelle Rhee and her associates for one that was actually about SUPPORTING Michigan teachers and public education.
That petition was unceremoniously thrust in front of me in rapid fire order after I’d signed a different petition via your site. Normally, I’m rather circumspect about putting my name to something, but somehow the fact that it SEEMED on the surface to be in favor of something I do support (quality education) and that it came via your organization misled me.
In future, I will be very hesitant to consider signing other petitions that come my way from Change.org lest I be similarly sucked into supporting Rhee or anyone like her. I consider her to be one of the most dangerous, dishonest people with a loud voice in the fight to privatize US public education. Her group, “Students First,” is hypocritically named and has nothing to do with what it would like to mislead the public into think it is focused upon. Ms. Rhee is about Ms. Rhee and Ms. Rhee’s career and bank account.
Rhee’s absolute failure to properly investigate the cheating scandal she helped cause speaks volumes about her lack of principles and willingness to do anything to keep herself in the public eye as another fraudulent “miracle worker.” The only miracle about Ms. Rhee is that she’s still getting away with it. If your group allows her to mislead your readers, I’m afraid you’re going to lose quite a lot of support, at least if I have anything to say about it.
Sincerely, Michael Paul Goldenberg
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from Arturo Holloway, The Change.org Help Desk: Hi Michael, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this. We fully realize the current education debate is a complicated one, with many people that feel strongly about Students First — both in support and opposition. As an open platform that enables social change organizations to promote causes to people around the world, Change.org doesn’t take a position on the means or tactics those organizations use to achieve their goals. You can read our full client policy here:
http://www.change.org/about/client_policy
Thanks again for getting in touch about your concerns. I’ve made sure your communication was shared with the appropriate people on our team.
Best Regards, Arturo
Hmm, I used to love change.org for the informative articles I found there. I stopped visiting because the site was very slow.
ReplyDeleteI just now went back after reading this post, and found ... nothing but petitions. It's like finding a skeleton. I went through all the education petitions, but didn't see the one referenced in this post. If someone can help me find that, I'd be grateful.
Arturo's response is sad to me. Is change.org going to have anti-gay petitions alongside the gay rights ones? ... anti-abortion petitions alongside the right to choose petitions? ... petitions to stop affirmative action?
And worse than not taking a stand on the issues is the fact that they don't "take a position on the means or tactics those organizations use to achieve their goals". Yikes! That seems tantamount to promoting deception. Ever read The Prince? Ever read the competing ballot proposals on a California ballot?
Change.org started out great. Was it growing pains that brought it to this sad state?