Dying Mainstream Media Slams Pro-Homeschool,

Anti-Testing, NY State DOE Employee

BY LINDA DOBSON

NY Post chose this photo to portray education change advocate Lisa Nielsen.

It was only a matter of time. In her previous work for the New York State Department of Education, Lisa Nielsen was charged with helping students and families who were having schooling (not necessarily education) problems. After putting the needs of individual children before the comfort of the system in which they were floundering, it was only a matter of time before Ms. Nielsen came to see the damage of increasing standardized testing, among many other schooling practices. It wasn’t that much more of a jump to recognize and suggest homeschool as a viable, healthy, often sanity-saving alternative.

So, what should a couple of fine, upstanding reporters who regularly churn out trash for that beacon of outstanding journalism, the  New York Post do? They write a piece of yellow journalism, dripping with so much bias as to be laughable, slap the word “exclusive” on it, add a photo of their target celebrating a birthday at a wine-tasting party, and publish their “findings” in a Sunday edition. For good measure, they don’t open their online “news report” for comments.

Homeschool and Opting Out of Standardized Testing

This piece of “journalism” provides a great learning opportunity for both parents and children in that it’s a representative example of the dangerous state of today’s journalism. (This problem goes way beyond New York Post hacks.) Hell bent on spreading the bosses’ agenda, truth and civil discourse be damned. On her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, this obvious alcoholic (of course it’s obvious, the picture says so!) wrote that homeschool kids are doing well. Blasphemy. She recommends that parents exercise their rights to eschew the proven detrimental effects of standardized testing. Treason. She has the audacity to suggest that instead of wasting time filling in bubbles, children visit museums, theaters, zoos, and other “real world” venues where they might actually learn something. Heresy! For good measure, these journalistic icons made sure to include a typo. (Let she who has never pushed “publish” too quickly throw the first dictionary.)

Whether You Homeschool or Not, You Can Help

The rabid reporters must have been very disappointed by the New York Department of Education’s response when they called to rat out Ms. Nielsen. “The DOE would not say whether it had been aware of her rebellious views when they named her to the new post. ‘The department is always open to working with people with different ideas,’ said spokeswoman Erin Hughes.”

See also High Stakes Tests: EVERYONE Has Had Enough!

If these jewels of journalism were happy to publish their names on this tripe, they get an F on homework. For had they done just a little bit of Internet searching, they would have found everything that Ms. Nielsen shared on her blog is true. The backlash against high stakes tests that make test publishing and grading companies (think Pearson) super rich at the expense of real education is healthy and growing. So, too, is the interest in and practice of homeschool.

If you would care to let the powers-that-be at this propaganda publisher know the truth, you can write a letter to the editor and send it to letters@nypost.com. Even if this group, like the majority of others at failing MSM outlets, ignore the realities of today’s education, homeschool and all, at least reader responses may help them see that American parents are waking up, which means their days of easy paychecks are just about over.

EDIT: For what it’s worth, comments may be left on the Post’s Facebook page.

 Link to this page

 Link to this page