Scholastic just caved in ... will ABC follow??

[snowbear]

"After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online
to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did
not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues".....

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-07-2006/0004428789&EDATE=

[miketorse]

1. GREAT!!

I'll believe it when I see it as far as ABC is concerned.

[MADem]

18. THEY DID NOT CAVE, see my post below. NT

[LiviaOlivia]

105. Count your fingers after shaking hands with these guys ...

You are absolutely right and my apologies for the Reagan quote.

[MADem]

111. Not your fault, they conned everyone with a bullshit top paragraph

It made it LOOK like they were backing off, when instead, they were telling everyone to still ASSIGN the crap as homework, and then, if you have time between teaching to mandatory tests, correct any lies...!! Or mention that their might have been a few in there!

And they'll post their new lesson plan tomorrow, to give complainers NO TIME before the weekend to gripe about it!!

[BootinUp]

2. Awesome!

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Good decision

Maybe ABC will see the light.

[LSparkle]

4. GOOD -- now I can buy the next Harry Potter book

otherwise, I was going to stay away ...

[MADem]

29. Not unless you get it in the UK--they did NOT cave, see below. NT

[European Socialist]

5. K&R

[ShortnFiery]

6. YES!

May God continue to bless those who make use of Critical Thinking Skills! :applause:

[MoonRiver]

7. YES!

Keep the pressure up people! Fight like your freedom depends on winning, and it does!
:woohoo::kick::kick::woohoo:

[MADem]

21. NO....NO...they rewrote the study guide, they DID NOT CAVE NT

[MoonRiver]

68. Then we really need to keep up the pressure.

They are clearly starting to cave.

[MADem]

75. Yes, thank you!!!! Here is their website, keep up the good fight

Remember their cash cow, Harry Potter. Mention it if you can find a way to slip it in your comments, make their gonads shrink: http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/offices/

[AtomicKitten]

8. high standards indeed

more like gutter politics!

good find, larissa :)

[IChing]

9. good n/t

[lyonn]

10. Score one for our side!

[annabanana]

11. Whew!

There's one big battle taken care of..

[Frustratedlady]

The power of the people and the almighty dollar comes through.

Maybe people will begin to get the message.

[liberal N proud]

12. Excellent example

Now will ABC follow their lead?

[MADem]

13. BULLSHIT, they did NOT CAVE--they WIPED their greasy hands

"After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online
to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did
not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues," said
Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic. "At the same
time, we believe that developing critical thinking and media literacy
skills is crucial for students in today's society in order to participate
fully in our democracy and that a program such as 'The Path to 9/11'
provides a very 'teachable moment' for developing these skills at the high
school level. We encourage teachers not to shy away from the controversy
surrounding the program, but rather to engage their students in meaningful,
in-depth discussion."
The new guide clearly states that Scholastic had no involvement with
developing the ABC docudrama, and that the company is not promoting the
program, but that the program can provide a springboard to discussion about
the issues leading up to 9/11, terrorism and the Middle East. The guide
will focus on three issues:
1. Media Literacy -- what is a docudrama; how does it differ from a
documentary; what are the differences between factual reporting and a
dramatization?

2. Background to 9/11 -- what are some of the causes of unrest in the
Middle East and other parts of the world that give rise to attacks on
the U.S. and other countries?

3. Geography and Culture -- there is a long history of conflict in the
Middle East. How well do students understand each of the countries
involved and what influences their behavior?
Scholastic has been providing free educational materials for use in the
classroom in conjunction with television programs and films since the
1950's. Classroom discussion guides have also been created in the past to
support discussion of major events such as the Challenger and Columbia
shuttle disasters, the shootings at Columbine and many others.
"As we have done with many discussion guides in the past related to
major events, we encourage teachers to engage their students in these
important discussions about news, media and public opinion. Understanding
and evaluating media messages can be challenging for adults and young
people alike and developing media literacy skills is critical for students
in order for them to be well-informed participants in our democratic
society," added Robinson.
The Scholastic mission is clearly stated in its credo and editorial
platform which includes the statement: "Good citizens may honestly differ
on important public questions. We believe that all sides of the issues of
our times should be fairly discussed -- with deep respect for facts and
logical thinking -- in classroom magazines, books and other educational
materials used in schools and homes."
The new guide will be available on Friday, September 8 at
http://www.scholastic.com/medialiteracy.
About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (Nasdaq: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher
and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology.
Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and
products for use in school and at home, including children's books,
magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television
programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products
and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary
school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and
direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and
television networks; and the Company's Internet site,
http://www.scholastic.com.


SOURCE Scholastic

I will NOT be satisfied with anything LESS than a total disavowal of this propaganda program. This is BULLSHIT.

Teachable moment, MY ASS.

[ShortnFiery]

34. Not necessarily ... they can point out or have the students point out

the FALSE parts of this POS Docudrama.

It will open their eyes as to how to evaluate what the media throws at us and claims to be "The Unvarnished Truth."

Yes, many scenes within this piece are contrived. The students will benefit from the practice of separating "Truth" from "Fiction."

IMO, it's not a bad move by Scholastic. :hi:

[MADem]

46. And they can also NOT do that. PLEASE.

It is a HORRIBLE move by Scholastic.

Make a kid watch SIX HOURS OF LIES and expect the KID or the TEACHER to pick out the turds? SIX LONG HOURS? It takes THAT long to learn a 'true or false' lesson?

NO WAY.

Come on--a lot of these kids were nine, ten, eleven or twelve when 911 happened. They're gonna remember the politics? They are gonna be able to distinguish?

And an overburdened teacher is gonna have time to point out EVERY falsehood?

PLEASE. They are wiping their filthy hands, they are trying to have it BOTH WAYS. Scholastic sucks, and they are gonna hear from me YET again!!!!! I urge everyone to do so as well: http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/offices/

Nothing less than a full disavowal is appropriate, IMO. :hi:

[Dems Will Win]

72. As long as the materials give the time and date of the movie --

THE BOYCOTT IS STILL ON. NO 6 HOURS OF LIES!

:grr:

[MADem]

101. Damn straight--I posted DISNEY exec EMAIL addresses in another thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2816301&mesg_id=2816301

I wanna break their email boxes!!!!

[krkaufman]

66. Well, true. The Right's support of this program DOES give license ...

... to teachers to discuss how nonsensical the dramatization is, and how far from reality it is. And maybe even open the kids' eyes to the dangers of media consolidation and corporitization.

[loves_dulcinea]

89. i agree with shortnfiery

this would be a valuable tool with which to teach critical thinking wrt the msm.

[MADem]

102. You would force kids to watch SIX HOURS of SHIT, to spend five

minutes telling them they watched SIX HOURS OF SHIT?

Please!!!!!!

This is a HOMEWORK exercise, for DISCUSSION in school--not a video in the classroom where they can skip ahead.

Valuable tool, right--to pick a hard turd out of someone's ass maybe!!!!

[JerseygirlCT]

118. I agree with you. This is the sort of critical thinking our HS

kids should be encouraged to learn and engage in.

Education frustrates the propaganda interests of ABC and the Bush administration. Those with the facts on their side, those who are willing to critically examine the facts, are the ones who will oppose propaganda sold as entertainment for political purposes.

[GOTV]

125. How will the students know the lies from the truth?

[Mountainman]

35. I think they mean to use the film for discussion on what is meant by

critical thinking.


"will focus on three issues:
1. Media Literacy -- what is a docudrama; how does it differ from a
documentary; what are the differences between factual reporting and a
dramatization?

2. Background to 9/11 -- what are some of the causes of unrest in the
Middle East and other parts of the world that give rise to attacks on
the U.S. and other countries?

3. Geography and Culture -- there is a long history of conflict in the
Middle East. How well do students understand each of the countries
involved and what influences their behavior?"

They are saying students should understand what is propaganda and what is the truth through critical thinking. In other words, give them a bull shit meter.

[MADem]

47. Force them to watch SIX HOURS OF BULLSHIT to tune their meter?

That qualifies as TORTURE, IMO.

[Kierkegaard]

97. That's all well and good, but what concerns me is...

how the truth figures into this. How is the object lesson balanced? What is their other 'source' for discerning the differences between this shite and the truth?

There will be any number of students who walk away from this thinking Bush had no responsibility for the attacks and it will all be WJCs fault. No wonder the Drooling Cowboy isn't worried about his legacy... it's all being rewritten to make him out a hero.

[orleans]

123. EXACTLY

"what concerns me is how the truth figures into this. How is the object lesson balanced? What is their other 'source' for discerning the differences between this shite and the truth?

"There will be any number of students who walk away from this thinking Bush had no responsibility for the attacks and it will all be WJCs fault. No wonder the Drooling Cowboy isn't worried about his legacy... it's all being rewritten to make him out a hero."

you are so right on this. let me just quote you again:

"There will be any number of students who walk away from this thinking Bush had no responsibility for the attacks

"There will be any number of students who walk away from this thinking Bush had no responsibility for the attacks

[City Lights]

36. Thanks for posting this, MADem.

I totally agree with you. :hi:

[MADem]

50. Please contact them and tell them Sorry, NOT GOOD ENOUGH

http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/offices/

[City Lights]

80. I just emailed them.

Thanks again, MADem!

[MADem]

85. Thank YOU!

As I said elsewhere, I am living up to my name today...I am one MAD (MAsssachusetts) Dem over this matter!

[City Lights]

87. Your expertise is needed in GD!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2074361

[sundancekid]

136. DONE - thanks for the inspiration, and my email content follows

What you propose is NOT GOOD ENOUGH to offset deliberate, radical propaganda that still aims to sully a particular political administration ... PUHLEEESE, I have been an educator for over 40 years at all learning levels, and YOUR notion of curricula for "critical thinking" fails every single criterion known to the profession or industry.

Now, if you were to pick out specific scenes that demonstrate falsehood in respect to what the film claims to be its CREDIBLE source, i.e. the 9/11 Commission Report, then you might have a case ... BUT to brainwash and require 6 hours of viewing FIRST and without another media film source that would show how it should be done (say, "Goodnight and Goodluck") you are merely whitewashing your public image. The problem at hand does not require a quick-pseudo-fix bandaid, it's about a conscience transplant.

Damage to your brand and bottom line????? Count on it.
I, and countless others will buy all our Harry Potter books, etc. from other countries. Period.
Have you no decency left either????

Dr. XXXXXX

[PoiBoy]

41. Excellent point... thank you, MADem...

we need to get the Teacher's Union involved in this... the teachers will be the ones to stop this crap from getting into the classrooms... thank you for you informative post...! :hi:

[MADem]

Any time--reiterate your concerns to your school districts, teacher's

organizations, and the offenders, themselves: http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/offices/

[cami715]

63. This teacher has already written them.

As a school librarian and National Board Certified Teacher, I have always appreciated the quality of materials Scholastic provides for children. But to develop such a guide based on a presentation that does not adhere to truth, the facts and history is unacceptable. I agree that many teachers, unfortunately, will use this presentation as an opportunity to let their students watch TV (or a video) and will not take the time to teach the meaning of propaganda. Students will therefore come away from this program with a distorted view of what really happened.

[Alpharetta]

57. They are protecting their investment

They don't want to give up this project unless absolutely forced to.

They've sunk too much money and effort into developing and publicizing these materials.

[MADem]

114. They are heavily invested in HARRY POTTER, too--and if you tie

your complaint to a potential boycott of HARRY POTTER books (you can order them from the UK publisher, never fear) that will shape those bums up but quick!!!

[Raksha]

69. If they really mean what they are saying NOW and follow through,

they are performing a public service by teaching the kids the difference between reporting and propaganda.

Re >>
1. Media Literacy -- what is a docudrama; how does it differ from a
documentary; what are the differences between factual reporting and a
dramatization?

2. Background to 9/11 -- what are some of the causes of unrest in the
Middle East and other parts of the world that give rise to attacks on
the U.S. and other countries?

3. Geography and Culture -- there is a long history of conflict in the
Middle East. How well do students understand each of the countries
involved and what influences their behavior?<<

It's a very worthwhile goal if they can actually get the kids to think critically along these lines. Considering that we're all bombarded with advertising and propaganda 24/7, it's good if they can innoculate kids against it by making them conscious of it. BUT I would need to actually see their revised study guide before I'll believe they are working toward these goals. It sounds good, but there's just too damn much kool-aid around to take it on faith.

[MADem]

79. In order to teach this lesson, it requires the students to suffer through

SIX hours of pure propaganda in three hour chunks.

Critical thinking? Their ASSES will be numb. They won't be thinking anything except "Shit I am starving, and WHERE IS THE GODDAMN BATHROOM?"

This is a WASTE of precious teaching time. A waste of HOMEWORK time for kids. A WASTE.

[clmbohdem]

109. MADem IS CORRECT!

I think MADem should make a new thread so we can regroup and fight this by tomorrow. I have already responded to my email from Scholastic using MADem points. Unless the new lesson plans talks of propoganda, Scholastic must not mention this movie.

[Crunchy Frog]

113. Please post this information as a separate thread.

This info needs to get out, and I'm afraid it will get lost in here. :hi:

[MADem]

128. They sorta updated the title on the greatest page, and there's so

much strong info contained in this thread (would that everyone would read the whole thing!)... :hi:

[MissWaverly]

14. Hooray, God Bless America

Something is being done the way it should be done.

:-)

[MADem]

70. Sadly, no--reread the full thread. NT

[MissWaverly]

88. Of course, it's just spin, thanks for the heads up

when will the truth be heard, I was just listening to Ed Schultz, he had one of the commissioners of the 9-11 commission on, he said that they wanted open hearings so that
the American people could make up their own minds, he basically said that as a result
of the secrecy, the hearings never really connected with the American people. He
said the commission was ignored, I feel it was too primarily because so much of the
information was not critically evaluated or not covered in the report. An open hearing
would have put more pressure on those testifying.

[Dinger]

15. Wow, Holy Hell, Just Wow!!!

What exactly is going on here?

[jean]

16. they're creating a new study guide pertaining to ABC's show - - -

from larissa's link, above:

A new classroom discussion guide for high school students is
being created and will focus more specifically on media literacy, critical
thinking, and historical background.

[longship]

17. Didn't "cave-in". They just changed the curriculum guide.

And they are still giving it legitimacy by including it in their educational resources.

I won't be satisfied until they include the bullet items:

* What is political propaganda?
* How does "Path to 9/11" qualify as political propaganda?
* What have we learned from history about the dangers of political propaganda being used on mainstream media outlets?

[progressoid]

19. Critical Thinking and Media Literacy Skills !!!

Scholastic Replaces 'The Path to 9/11' Classroom Guide With New Discussion Materials Focusing on Critical Thinking and Media Literacy Skills

....

The new guide clearly states that Scholastic had no involvement with
developing the ABC docudrama, and that the company is not promoting the
program, but that the program can provide a springboard to discussion about
the issues leading up to 9/11, terrorism and the Middle East. The guide
will focus on three issues:
1. Media Literacy -- what is a docudrama; how does it differ from a
documentary; what are the differences between factual reporting and a
dramatization?

2. Background to 9/11 -- what are some of the causes of unrest in the
Middle East and other parts of the world that give rise to attacks on
the U.S. and other countries?

3. Geography and Culture -- there is a long history of conflict in the
Middle East. How well do students understand each of the countries
involved and what influences their behavior?

[MADem]

26. THAT big BUT is BULLSHIT

The only appropriate response by SCHOLASTIC is to tell teachers to TURN THAT BULLSHIT OFF. That they do NOT endorse a FALSEHOOD.

You DON'T teach LIES to kids and tell them it's a fucking "teachable moment."

BULL, bull, BULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[glitch]

49. You need to teach kids how to spot lies, otherwise they'll grow up repub

Especially lies from so-called trusted authorities. This is a perfect example.
But I agree with another poster, the word "how to identify propaganda" should be included in the study guide, to make the reason for it's inclusion very clear.

[MADem]

54. Force them to watch SIX HOURS of bullshit to learn how to spot it?

Hell, soldiers don't get that much time on the shooting range before they have to go git the enemy.

SIX HOURS of lies, and the teacher has TIME to deconstruct it all?

Come on. Most of these kids were APOLITICAL when 911 happened, yet you expect them to distinguish like seasoned adults?

NO. Scholastic wants their Harry Potter cake, and their NEOCON cake, and they want to eat both too.

I say shove those cakes up their asses. http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/offices/

[glitch]

78. I didn't say that, they need only show them clips to get the point across

10-15 minutes of clips would suffice, most likely.
The movie is being distrubuted for free right? So they don't even need to pay for the privilege of using this film as a fine example of modern propaganda. And they can get into who produced it (maybe even segue into Christian Reconstructionists and Theocracy), how they offered it for free massive distrubution.

I think teaching kids how to spot propaganda is crucial.

And I do appreciate your passion on this issue.

[MADem]

90. NO--the Scholastic thing is a study guide

They ENCOURAGE TEACHERS to order their STUDENTS to WATCH AT HOME.

There IS no film distribution. This is FUCKING HOMEWORK.


I've been out of school for years, hell, we didn't HAVE TV when I first went to school.

But if I were a kid, I would fucking RESENT this "homework." Especially if, after watching SIX HOURS of horseshit, the "lesson" I come away with is that I was watching "bullshit."

And that assumes the teacher isn't a Bush volunteer.

Remember, these kids are fourteen, fifteen, sixteen...how old were they in 1996-98 when Monica was happening and a lot of these events took place? They were just out of their TODDLER YEARS.

They HAVE no contemporaneous political knowledge of the Clinton era...it's HISTORY to them--recent history, but history nonetheless.

I would no more force kids to watch six hours of this crap than six hours of HITLER ranting and raving. A few clips, FINE...ya get the idea. Hours and hours? That's torture.

[glitch]

100. I agree with you on that. I would squawk to high heaven if viewing entire

film via the network showing was required homework (although that would be true of ANY required TV viewing at home that wasn't pbs and ran for over one hour in an evening).

Are you sure this isn't a guide for in-class study? Channel One crap? ABC is distributing the film for free via iTunes, they may be offering dvd/vhs for free to schools and libraries as well.

edit: I had no idea schools were requiring tv viewing as homework. This is appalling.

[MADem]

107. It's HOMEWORK, and the lies are a TEACHABLE moment

http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/news/press_09072006_CP.htm

No school would let a teacher spend SIX HOURS snoozing while kids watch IN SCHOOL. This is fucking HOMEWORK....

Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced that it is removing from its website the materials originally created for classroom use in conjunction with the ABC Television Network docudrama, “The Path to 9/ll,” scheduled to air on the ABC Television Network on September 10 and 11, 2006. A new classroom discussion guide for high school students is being created and will focus more specifically on media literacy, critical thinking, and historical background.

SCHEDULED TO AIR--not "Here's your DVD!!!"


If you look at the above page, they are STILL rewriting their lesson guide and it will be up tomorrow.

About the only thing they can say that satisfies me is "FUCK IT--tell the kids to WATCH FOOTBALL on NBC." No homework on Sunday, kiddos--you catch a break, because we can't endorse propaganda!"

[katty]

20. glad to see this happening!

[kstewart33]

22. Caved?! They absolutely did not cave!

They are still encouraging teachers to assign this movie to their students so they can then talk about it in class. They are still pushing the movie!

How is this caving in?

[IChing]

30. YOU ARE RIGHT THEY DID NOT CAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The new guide clearly states that Scholastic had no involvement with
developing the ABC docudrama, and that the company is not promoting the
program, but that the program can provide a springboard to discussion about
the issues leading up to 9/11, terrorism and the Middle East. The guide
will focus on three issues:

The Path to 9/11'
provides a very 'teachable moment' for developing these skills at the high
school level.

[Janice325]

23. Holy Crap!!

This is great ! :applause: :bounce::applause: :bounce::applause: :bounce::applause: :bounce::applause: :bounce::applause: :bounce::applause: :bounce:

[Avalux]

24. *Please read the whole thing - they're simply revising it.*

The new version will be available on September 8th, although there will be a statement that Scholastic is in no way connected to the making of the film:

"After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online
to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did
not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues," said
Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic. "At the same
time, we believe that developing critical thinking and media literacy
skills is crucial for students in today's society in order to participate
fully in our democracy and that a program such as 'The Path to 9/11'
provides a very 'teachable moment' for developing these skills at the high
school level. We encourage teachers not to shy away from the controversy
surrounding the program, but rather to engage their students in meaningful,
in-depth discussion."
The new guide clearly states that Scholastic had no involvement with
developing the ABC docudrama, and that the company is not promoting the
program, but that the program can provide a springboard to discussion about
the issues leading up to 9/11, terrorism and the Middle East."

The new guide will be available on Friday, September 8 at
http://www.scholastic.com/medialiteracy.

[IChing]

37. I DID AND IT IS STILL HAVING STUDENTS WATCHING 6 HOURS OF THIS

[Mountainman]

25. Hey, I can heat the freeper's heads exploding!

[GOTV]

71. I think that the sound of freeper laughter...

They're still promoting the film.

Tomorrow is Friday and the old guides are already in teachers hands.

THey claim that tHey've only now noticed that the guides were not up to standards after producing and distributing them.

At this point absolutely nothing has changed since this morning.

[Captain Hilts]

27. Yaaaaay !!!! nt

[Roland99]

28. Sounds like the rewrite is still pretty decent. Depends on how teachers

will take it and run with it in their classes.

[MADem]

33. WHAT?????? Say kids, watch SIX HOURS of bullshit, and oh, by the

way, it's PEPPERED with lies!!!

Teachable moment? NONSENSE. They are not off the hook AFAIC. They've dug an even DEEPER HOLE.

[Roland99]

53. Think of it this way:

"Now students. We have an election coming up and the country is currently controlled by one political party that is desperate to retain control of its power. The effort to smear the previous administration to distract from the failures of this one is what is called 'politicization' of an event. The event in this case is the 9/11 attack. Imagine if one of your parents was killed in that attack. How would you feel to see a political party exploit your mom's or dad's death in order for them to retain power?"

[MADem]

58. After SIX HOURS of Tee Vee homework?

How about this instead:

"Kids, that assignment I gave you earlier this week is CANCELLED. There's a Robert DeNiro narrated account of a fireman in the WTC that you can watch on CBS on Sunday, or go ahead and watch the football game on NBC. Fuck it. I won't make you watch two nights worth of ass-numbing propaganda that pretends that the idiot in the White House KNEW what he was doing, because kids, he DIDN'T. He lied, and way too many people have died...and they'll continue to die until we get someone with a brain leading the country."

[snowbear]

31. It just hit Yahoo News.. the righties will soon be complaining

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060907/nyth176.html?.v=44


Per Yahoo release:

"The new guide clearly states that Scholastic had no involvement with developing the ABC docudrama, and that the company is not promoting the program, but that the program can provide a springboard to discussion about the issues leading up to 9/11, terrorism and the Middle East. The guide will focus on three issues:


1. Media Literacy -- what is a docudrama; how does it differ from a
documentary; what are the differences between factual reporting and a
dramatization?

2. Background to 9/11 -- what are some of the causes of unrest in the
Middle East and other parts of the world that give rise to attacks on
the U.S. and other countries?

3. Geography and Culture -- there is a long history of conflict in the
Middle East. How well do students understand each of the countries
involved and what influences their behavior?

[MADem]

42. The only way this can provide a springboard is if kids are forced to WATCH

six hours of goddamned lies.

Gee, let's watch a week's worth of Hitler film, and then spend ten minutes saying "Gosh, he wasn't so swell, was he?"

This is only a TEACHABLE MOMENT if kids are first, forced to view propaganda, AND if the teacher is prompt about pointing out the bullshit.

Do you actually SEE that happening in these "No Time to Teach Kids the TEST QUESTIONS, and the poor shits are always in danger of being left BEHIND" environment?

[Raksha]

86. I agree - the goal is worthwhile, but the springboard sucks.

Re >>The only way this can provide a springboard is if kids are forced to WATCH six hours of goddamned lies.<<

So how about a better springboard? I KNOW!!! If they REALLY want the kids to develop critical thinking skills about 9/11, they can assign Mike Ruppert's "Crossing the Rubicon." Now wouldn't THAT start a major shitstorm!!!

[leveymg]

32. Outasight! It was the 1000s of e-mails from teachers and parents

Not everything we wanted. But, this shows we're not just the fringe. We're behaving like a genuine PTA pressure group. And, it gets results - let's do more of this!

[MADem]

91. Write to them again, and tell them anything shy of total disavowal is

not acceptable. http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/offices/

[Totally Committed]

38. Seriously... Thank you to everyone who who called or e-mailed them

with your concerns. ABC/Disney needs to be next.

Stay engaged, everyone. This IS about the '06 AND the '08 elections, as well as posterity!

TC

[Brotherjohn]

39. I respect Scholastic. I think they realized what they had become tied to..

... and (perhaps belatedly) got the hell out.

They naively thought a major network wouldn't peddle political propaganda in the guise of an unbiased docu-drama on such an important event. When they saw the result, and the backlash, they realized they should wash their hands of it.

I think their statement, and specifically changing curriculum to "media literacy" and "critical thinking skills" is a clear slap down at ABC for what they now realize is a film that demonstrates neither. How else do these lessons apply to this docu-drama except in the very ways we have been arguing?

I feel Scholastic are now among the good guys in this, and just got tied up in something they never expected (probably some contractual link w/ ABC to provide educational material). Any company that publishes The Magic School Bus can't be Bush cronies. If anything, their management probably leans pretty left.

[Celebration]

55. I think I agree with you

Hard to say until it plays out. Clearly they are *trying*.

[GOTV]

74. They are not out...

... they are still in as they were this morning.

[MADem]

93. Someone who worked for them posted on another thread

and noted that their CLINTON material was laden with words like 'scandal' and discussions of the Lewinsky matter, but their REAGAN material had no Iran-Contra or other negative material, and was excessively praiseworthy.

So, I'd hold the praise for now, anyway.

[kpete]

40. I am a teacher

so this REALLY made me happy

Thanks for the info!!!

[Avalux]

43. Did you read the entire statement?

They are only revising the study guide, not pulling out of their collaboration with ABC.

[leveymg]

44. Thank you, kpete. You're a teacher to 90,000 of us!

We revere good teachers here at DU, and you're top of the class.

[MADem]

59. It should make you SICK, if you read the whole thing NT

[kerstin]

77. They need to disavow it altogether.

So they're going to leave it to the individual teacher to separate fact from fiction after six hours of Hollywood-caliber emotional and psychological manipulation? Regardless of any disclaimers, this thing will ultimately implant false memories in people too young to effectively defend against this sort of indoctrination.

Half of Americans and the majority of Republicans still believe Saddam was involved in 9/11 and that WMD's were found in Iraq.

[MADem]

81. I am living up to my name today, I am one MAD Democrat!!!

And disavowal is the only solution to this disgrace.

Bill Cohen (R-SECDEF/CLINTON) is on CNN right now calling it TOTAL CRAP.

[kerstin]

98. Good for you, MADem!

As far as I'm concerned, any other response to this type of moral obscenity is downright abnormal.

[Polemicist]

45. Scholastic hasn't caved, this is a misdirection farce....

They must totally withdraw from any participation in any promotion or discussion of a documentary that is little more than fictional propaganda. We can't tolerate the promotion of propaganda to schoolchildren and the involvement of a textbook manufacturer in this propaganda effort is egregious.

Nothing short to total capitulation is acceptable. They must withdraw from any and all participation in this propaganda film project.

[Celebration]

52. I would prefer that they withdrew

However, if they really are changing the curriculum to discuss propaganda, maybe it isn't *so* bad.

[snowbear]

48. TPM Muckracker: " Scholastic Veers from "Path to 9/11"

Educational media giant Scholastic, Inc. announced it's dropping its original classroom companion guides to a controversial new docudrama, and replacing them with materials stressing critical thinking and media literacy.


http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001483.php

Good for them!

(The news still hasn't hit the rightie-sites yet.. but I'm checking Google News to see which is the first to bitch about it )

[Bitwit1234]

51. Scholastic

That's because they have been bombarded with emails and calls telling them they are going to have all support dropped if they continue to furnish this partisan republican poopoganda.

[Brotherjohn]

56. See the obvious, people. By changing their curriculum to media literacy...

... critical thinking, and asking questions such as "why is a docu-drama not a documentary", they might as well be saying "Why is Path to 9-11 bullshit?" And you can bet most teachers will take that tack with it.

They said it didn't meet their high standards for a docu-drama... not even for a documentary!

This is a strong slap-down of ABC. I'd bet Scholastic is under some contractual obligation to provide curriculum associated w/ this "film", and have to do so (ABC could easily sue them to extinction). But if this is how they're honoring that, it's pretty ingenious, if you ask me.

[MADem]

61. That assumes FOLLOW through, and also requires the kids to WATCH

the bullshit to PARTICIPATE in the discussion.

SIX HOURS of watching crap, to spend five minutes telling them it is shit?

Come on. As I said above, kids going off to kill the enemy in wartime don't get six hours on the range to learn to shoot their weapon. But you are gonna waste six hours of a kid's life over two nights to have them pick out the turds?

Most of these kids were apolitical when the towers fell. They were KIDS. Yet they would need a political understanding of the mid to late 90's to appreciate how badly the MOCKumentary fucks the facts.

[frylock]

99. it wouldn't surprise me to find out it's tied to nclb somehow..

like funding could be withheld if they don't include this in thier curriculum.

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

60. I can see where they're coming from.

I think Scholastic is probably feeling right now the way I did when I realized that the 2000 USD I invested in Enron was turning into dust before my eyes.

They need to dump their investment in this debacle, cut their losses, and find another "teachable moment".

Perhaps the directors of Scholastic should oversee the design of a new "critical thinking" curriculum, and SIT THRU IT themselves!

[yorkiemommie1]

62. a freeper teacher isn't about to point out distortions

they'll just ignore them and stress what they want to stress.

[femrap]

64. I don't have children of the age that would be asked

to watch this propaganda on TV....BUT, if I did, I would call the Superintendent of the School Board and tell him/her that my child isn't watching this propaganda nor participating in a governmental exercise of authoritarianism.

Leftist parents can scream just as loud as the stupid 'Abstenance Only' group of radical rightwingers. Parents....raise a stink LOCALLY!

[Cerridwen]

65. Not quite caved - having cake and eating it, too.

They modified the study guide; though I noticed they didn't use the term "propaganda" in said study guide, and now they get to keep the clients who were threatening to discontinue purchasing from them while still being able to peddle/promote this piece of crap.

But, I wouldn't worry too much, as many so frequently say "hey, it's just business" :sarcasm:

[GOTV]

67. No victory here!

Why are we so quick to cheer these non-victories? Stockholm syndrome?

[lady lib]

104. I totally agree, GOTV. This is

NOT.GOOD.ENOUGH.

[aggiesal]

73. I agree with MADEM, this does us no good.

As it stands now, most High Schoolers can't vote.
So what if they practice critical thinking?
How is their critical thinking going to effect the general election in November if they can't vote?
This program is designed to sway back those sheep that have strayed to far from the flock.

Those that need the critical thinking are those sheep out of High School.
This Scholastic program will not affect them in any way, shape, or form.

[MADem]

76. And if it is ASSIGNED HOMEWORK in families that don't have a ton

of tee vees, you could git uncritical Maw and Paw watching it as well...instead of the football game on NBC!!!!!!

[aggiesal]

Exxxxaaacctllly!!! n/t

[Just-plain-Kathy]

82. I am so proud!!

Our letter writing is working!!

This is the best feeling!! :patriot:

[VP505]

83. Seems like a better

lesson and discussion for students would be WHY ABC is so determined to rewrite history and how students can fine tune their "bullshit detectors" so that when ABC or any other MSM outlet and or Government tries to feed them propaganda, the students will recognize it.

[Straight Shooter]

84. Bottom line: Propaganda does not belong in the classroom.

Would Scholastic be willing to invest their dollars in creating a parallel "study guide to develop critical thinking skills" by working with Michael Moore in presenting Farenheit 9/11 to students?

Nope. Didn't think so.

Path to 9/11, if viewed at all, should be viewed in the home, used as a springboard for discussion between parents and children. Consider that there are teachers with a highly supportive view of bush and teachers with a highly critical view of bush; will they skew the discussions toward their own political agenda and influence the developing political perceptions of the students?

Keep this crap out of the classroom. Period.

[Botany]

92. Good God ... they had a study guide to go with this campaign of lies?

Sure, they did not mean to inculcate the lies into the youth.

[jbpdx]

95. Contact local ABC affiliates to complain

Anyone is Portland interested in picketing KATU?

[MADem]

108. THEY sure DID!! And they are putting up a new one tomorrow...

Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced that it is removing from its website the materials originally created for classroom use in conjunction with the ABC Television Network docudrama, “The Path to 9/ll,” scheduled to air on the ABC Television Network on September 10 and 11, 2006. A new classroom discussion guide for high school students is being created and will focus more specifically on media literacy, critical thinking, and historical background........The new guide will be available on Friday, September 8 at www.scholastic.com/medialiteracy . http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/news/press_09072006_CP.htm

[AZBlue]

94. AZ Governor's Office released a curriculum guide for 9/11.

It was released last month and is, obviously, completely independent of this show - it's actually a guide that could be used every year on the anniversary. It's part of Arizona's September 11th Memorial Commission:
http://www.ade.state.az.us/SBTL/sdi/September11activities.pdf

Do other states have the same thing? If they need help on handling 9/11 in the classroom, let's suggest (strongly) that teachers use these instead!

[derby378]

96. A small victory - but the "Big Whee" is still before us

:toast:

[jilln]

103. No advance copies for liberal blogs, the editing isn't done yet... but

Scholastic had time to write and distribute accompanying study guides?

Give me a break.

[Cobalt-60]

106. Hoorah!

Can this be a display of integrity?
It's been so long its hard to recognize.

[MADem]

110. you need to read the whole thread....it's bad news, not good NT

[Cobalt-60]

131. Damn, too quick on the draw

Thanks for the correction

[Yukari Yakumo]

112. Agreed, this isn't caving in...

... more like backpedalling.

But seriously, what teachers, beyond grade school, has 6 hours to show this thing?

[savemefromdumbya]

115. Good

[dogday]

116. It's a freaking start

NOT....

On edit... nope, just more shit for the shinola....

[calimary]

117. NO SHIT!!!

Maybe Harry Potter or Hermione Granger worked their magic. The "Harry Potter" books are published in this country by Scholastic.

[1monster]

119. Woo Hoo! This planned replacement program is exactly the kind

of educational projects we need in our schools today. I hope they follow through with accuracy and quality information and material.

The new guide clearly states that Scholastic had no involvement with
developing the ABC docudrama, and that the company is not promoting the
program, but that the program can provide a springboard to discussion about
the issues leading up to 9/11, terrorism and the Middle East. The guide
will focus on three issues:
1. Media Literacy -- what is a docudrama; how does it differ from a
documentary; what are the differences between factual reporting and a
dramatization?

2. Background to 9/11 -- what are some of the causes of unrest in the
Middle East and other parts of the world that give rise to attacks on
the U.S. and other countries?

3. Geography and Culture -- there is a long history of conflict in the
Middle East. How well do students understand each of the countries
involved and what influences their behavior?

:woohoo: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[MADem]

129. Go back and reread the whole thread, there's no caving, just stepping

away from the pile of dogshit. They still want kids to spend six hours watching lies, so they can spend FIVE MINUTES impressing those three points on them. And that assumes the teacher isn't a foaming at the mouth neocon.

No woo hoo here...more like WOE, WOE.....

[1monster]

132. I did better. I checked out the new lesson plans and they are GREAT!

Check 'em out for yourself.

http://content.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=424

[MADem]

133. No, it still SUCKS and YOU WERE CONNED--this is HORRIBLE

This exercise requires CHILDREN, who were babes when these events took place, below the age or reason, most of them, to WATCH SIX HOURS OF DRIVEL TO PARTICIPATE.

Then, they can spend twenty minutes in the classroom doing this shit:

Students will apply what they've learned above to participate in a classroom discussion or debate on how scenes from The Path to 9/11 Have your students select a scene from The Path to 9/11 miniseries, such as the depiction of the USS Cole bombing in Yemen. Instruct your students to write a brief summary of the event as shown in the miniseries.
Then have students visit http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/index.htm to download a free copy of the 9/11 Commission Report. Students should search the report for information pertaining to the same event they selected in step 1.
Once the students have found the information in the 9/11 Commission Report, have them compare the depiction of the event in the miniseries to its representation in the report.

Have students consult a second print news source for another example of how the event is portrayed in print media versus the miniseries and report.

Have students summarize their comparisons in a short essay. Remind them to include specific examples from the miniseries and the report as they write their essays.
were depicted and how they and other sources affected their understanding of the event. ....As part of this debate, have your students consider if they feel that event depicted in the scene they have chosen was a contributing factor for the terrorist attacks and why....

HOW could a FICTIONAL SCENE CONTRIBUTE TO A TERROR ATTACK?????

Sorry, and I am not shouting at YOU AT ALL when I say this, but I MUST say it forcefully:

REQUIRING CHILDREN TO WATCH SIX LONG HOURS OF PROPAGANDA AND THEN DO A LESSON ABOUT IT IS WRONG.

[1monster]

134. I wasn't conned. I'm a teacher who has been told thta I can't tell the

kids they are being lied to. This lesson plan opens the door to letting them find out for themselves just how reliable "docudramas" are and even ties into the fact that the news media is at best slanting the news too.

Regardless of what Scholastic does, ABC will show the same six hours of propaganda. At least this way they will be able to discern the truth.

Nothing else Scholastic could do would have the same impact of allowing the students to learn for themselves that the truth is rarely found on the idiot box.

And, by the way, it is very rare that a student cannot arrange an alternative assignment when the requirement is for a television show.

And I also doubt that the teachers will require the entire six hours as a homework assignment. In the schools I've been in, most of the students have too many extra curricular activities and jobs to enable them to watch six hours of tellevision on school nights. For that reason alone, it is unlikely that many will "REQUIRE" their students to watch the entire six hours.

Plus the assignment alerts the students to watch for lies. It's a great lesson plan.

[MADem]

135. And the only way this can be a teachable moment is if you make kids

WATCH it. If you FORCE them to view it.

If it isn't assigned homework, you can't DISCUSS it. You can't make kids write essays on things they have not seen.

You actually think it is OK for a teacher--A TEACHER--to require kids to watch this, and then spend half a period saying "well, some of it is bullshit?" That kind of teacher should be FIRED, IMO. That kind of teacher drags poor scholarship AND partisan politics into the classroom.

It's a LOUSY lesson plan. It SUCKS. There are not enough hours in the day, or days in the week to pound the shit kids need into their little heads so they pass the state mandated tests, and you think wasting SIX FULL HOURS OVER TWO NIGHTS is good use of time?

This lesson can be taught with any old twelve minute propaganda film. Heck, you could even tell the little farts to write their OWN. But to make them watch SIX HOURS OF LIES to find a golden nugget of corn in a massive pile of shit--that's ABSURD.

SCHOLASTIC should have DISASSOCIATED THEMSELVES COMPLETELY from this farce. Without hesitating. This is Mock-u-history. There's no excuse for the poor quality and the level of total horseshit. NONE.

Your arguments do not wash, they're lame. Are you employed by these cretins?

No REASONABLE person could buy forcing children to suffer for SIX HOURS for a few minutes of a lesson. And by saying "Oh, well, they can get an alternative" is bullshit. That's how you make kids stick out from their peers who have inattentive or dumbass parents in class. These kids pay for being different by getting beaten to shit on the way home from school.

You cannot put lipstick on this pig. It's a hideous propaganda effort, pumped up and marketed by a supposedly "educational" agency.

Fuck them, and Harry Potter too. The gloves are off. No quarter. They're trying to have it both ways, because they are INVESTED in this disgrace.

[bluedog]

120. -Scholastic funded by American Petro Institute(Exxon)

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2006/9/4/154549/9233



........... research took me to see who the current corporate owners of Scholastic Education Materials are. Imagine my dismay when I discovered this venerated educational firm was now partnered with The American Petroleum Institute.

In the May/June 2005 edition of Mother Jones there is an excellent of list of 40 other organizations affiliated with, or funded by Exxon/Mobile, but American Petroleum Institute is not mentioned. Not happy with insidiously invading grades K-12 in the school system, this oil company is now using their partnering with Educational firms to target our toddlers.

[NotGivingUp]

121. LOVE IT!!!

[file83]

122. Wait, so Scholastic is still going to be involved with the project even

though they admit that the production is TOTAL PROPAGANDA??? WTF?!?

They should just pull all involvement with project. Scrap it.

If Scholastic is so concerned about propaganda, then why don't they offer an "Critical Analysis" program surrounding the "9/11 Commission Report"?

[MADem]

130. Yes. Write to them. Tell them HARRY POTTER GETS IT if they don't

back off!!!!!!

[johnlal]

124. Good for them! Their decision was brave and right.

They stated that the materials did not meet their high standards. I guess this may have been an indictment of the movie as well.

[MADem]

127. No, BAD FOR THEM...they aren't letting the truth get in the way of

their shitty lesson plan. Reread this whole thread, and vomit. They want kids to watch six hours of shit, and spend five minutes talking about how sometimes docudramas fudge the truth.

Gimme a break....

[npincus]

126. did NOT cave- introducing "Path to 9-11" to kids thru the back door

as a "refocus" on critical thinking and the "difference between docucrama and documentary". BULLSHIT.

In that case, they should include "Fahrenheit 9-11" in this guide.