{"id":3216,"date":"2014-03-06T15:16:01","date_gmt":"2014-03-06T20:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=3216"},"modified":"2024-08-29T22:04:09","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T03:04:09","slug":"the-day-my-google-alert-went-crazy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=3216","title":{"rendered":"The Day My Google Alert Went Crazy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’ve been online since 1983 and my own web site dates back to the first term of the Clinton presidency. Along the way, I may have ruffled a few feathers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me tell you about one of my all-time favorite social media brouhahas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On December 17, 2008, The Huffington Post published an article I wrote entitled, “Obama Practices Social Promotion.<\/a>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I began the article…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“A curious cartel of billionaire bullies, power hungry politicians and tough-talking school superintendents wage an eternal battle against social promotion<\/a> — for the good of our children of course. Social promotion, a divisive political term with no basis in reality, like partial-birth abortion, is one of the most popular talking points among the the most vocal critics of public education. The “end of social promotion” has caused tens of thousands of kids as young as 3rd grade to be left-back, despite overwhelming evidence that this practice harms children and increases the drop-out rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, social promotion is a godsend to urban school superintendents in this age of privatization. It is truly bizarre that the public education system, which at least in-part is dedicated to preparing people for careers and life, would devalue expertise.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

…and went on to say…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“Arne Duncan Fails Upward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today’s nomination of Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan to be the Barack Obama’s Secretary Education is a spectacular example of social promotion. Duncan, who as been the CEO or Chief of Staff of the Chicago Public Schools for the past ten years has done such a swell job of “reform” that his best friend and basketball buddy, Barack Obama, would not send his own children to the public schools. President-elect Obama is like Eli Broad, Bill Gates and the members of the Business Roundtable<\/a> who kill public schools with their kindness while turning them into the sort of joyless test-prep sweatshops unworthy of children they love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arne Duncan is a darling of the charter school movement, Eli Broad<\/a>, the right-wing Thomas B. Fordham Foundation<\/a>, anti-union “Democrats<\/a>” and I kid you not — Hooked-on-Phonics<\/a>. President-elect Obama eagerly awaits recommendations on nuclear proliferation from Billy Mays<\/a>, Ron Popeil<\/a> and the ShamWow guy<\/a>.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

All of my assertions (especially the inflammatory ones), contained links to supporting evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it happened<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A few days later, right around Christmas, my Google Alert started sounding. Soon it was like a bell warning of  four-alarm fire and the alarm sounded for several straight days. What could possibly have caused such sudden popularity for Little ‘ol me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems that the CEO of Hooked-on-Phonics\u00ae was so offended by my joke comparing their qualifications to endorse a federal Secreatary of Education to the ShamWow guy that the company paid a public relations firm to issue a global press release condemning me. “Hooked on Phonics(R) CEO Responds to Gary Stager’s Criticism of President-elect Obama’s Choice of Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education<\/a>,” was released in dozens of countries around the world. Every time one of those press releases went public, my Google alert rang again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is so golden about that misguided attempt to make me famous is the lengths to which the CEO of Hooked-on-Phonics\u00ae went to avoid offending the ShamWow guy<\/a> (probably a wise idea since he apparently beat up a cannibal hooker<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“Gary Stager is entitled to his opinions regarding President-elect Obama’s selection of Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education and education policy generally. However, it is unfortunate he has tried to trivialize my views by likening my company and its product — Hooked on Phonics, a product that has helped millions of children learn to read — to a sponge (with all due respect to the folks at ShamWow).”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Read the entire condemnation of me here<\/a>. I could not be prouder! (PDF<\/a> version) It’s worth noting that Hooked on Phonics employed the same PR firm, I believe, as Saddam Hussein and the CIA. I wonder what it cost to call me a big meanie poo-poo head across the globe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My only regret is that the predictions I made about President-Elect Obama’s education policies and his nominee for Secretary of Education turned out to be even worse than I had feared. Read the original 2008 article for yourself here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ve been online since 1983 and my own web site dates back to the first term of the Clinton presidency. Along the way, I may … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1142,427,425,431],"tags":[517,1389,1386],"class_list":["post-3216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-about-gary","category-education-policy","category-politics","category-teaching","tag-arne-duncan","tag-education-policy","tag-obama"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Day My Google Alert Went Crazy - Stager-to-Go<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stager.tv\/?p=3216\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Day My Google Alert Went Crazy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sorry, not sorry for causing a global PR emergency. 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