School Officials Using Technology For Advocacy
District officials urge parents to take action against reform using Capwiz system
During the lame duck legislation session, the Oakland Schools official Twitter account was active tweeting anti-reform messages.
The Oakland Schools account retweeted a post by the Michigan House Democrats and the official school district account also linked to liberal news sites with stories about Michigan’s political right-to-work debate.
In the past, public school administrators were limited to letters or the school district website when trying to influence parents to act on legislation.
However, more and more public schools are using school resources such as official school district Twitter accounts and an advocacy site named Capwiz to display partisan views.
Capwiz sends email alerts to parents and community residents that directs people to a website that has partisan news articles. For example, the school reform Senate Bill 1358 and House Bill 6004 were described in one Capwiz alert as “reckless and dangerous.” The site also has written letters with a prescribed point of view ready to be sent to legislators with a click of a button. Capwiz is the latest online resource that is being used more and more by superintendents trying to influence parents.
Oakland Schools also used Twitter to send out a link to Capwiz and allow parents to send out a prepared letter to legislators asking them not to act on education reform legislation.
Campaign finance law says school officials cannot use public resources for elections.
Troy School District Superintendent Barbara Fowler promoted Capwiz in a letter sent to parents.
Fowler wrote: “Here’s what I’m asking you to do. First, sign up for Capwiz, a service that will keep you informed about potential action in Lansing — and give you the ability to contact your legislator with the click of a button to make your voice heard on these critical issues. We need as many parents as possible to let Lansing know that these bills will destroy the Troy education you have worked so hard to give your children:”
Bloomfield Public Schools Superintendent Rob Glass also asked parents to register for Capwiz in a recent letter.
Leon Drolet, chairman of the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance, said school administrators are abusing their position. He said sites like Capwiz give an unbalanced view of events and are lobbying tools not legitimate information sites.
“The technology is new but the tactics are not,” Drolet said. “Public schools have been doing this for decades.”
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See also:
Superintendents Spread Inaccurate Information On Education Reform Bills
Superintendents Falsely Claim Charter Schools Shortchange Poor Children
Public School Officials Use Nonprofit For Political Action
Districts Use Taxpayer Resources To Oppose Education Bills
Debate On Education Bills Focuses On Choice
Public Schools: 'Profit' Bad For Others, Good For Us
Tight security locked out dozens of anti-right-to-work protesters from the State Capitol as Governor Snyder was delivering his "State of the State" address. Protesters tried to disrupt the speech by banging and chanting outside the building.
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FROM MICHIGAN HOME HELP PROGRAM PROVIDERS — OFTEN FAMILY MEMBERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL ORDERED THE STATE TO STOP TAKING MONEY ON MAY 25, 2012
opinion May 25, 2012
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) "organized” Michigan's self-employed Home Help Program providers for the purpose of skimming dues from their ailing and disabled clients' Medicaid subsidy checks. The majority of these providers are relatives or friends taking care of loved ones. It’s been estimated that less than 25 percent of the providers are hired in an employment setting.
The first counter tallies SEIU dues skimmed since the union and state officials first launched this scheme in late 2006. The second shows the amount skimmed since June 9, 2011, when the Michigan House passed and sent to the Senate a bill to ban this and all similar “stealth unionization” efforts. The third counter shows the dues skimmed since the Governor signed the bill into law on April 10, 2012. The fourth counter shows the amount skimmed since May 25, 2012, when the Attorney General opinion was announced.
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