Who's a Bully?

I have been noticing there is this new meme out there - grown-up bullying.  Do I think it exists? Sure but not in this new expansive definition of one person expressing unhappiness over another person's professional actions and having it called bullying.

I find this especially troubling when it comes to public servants/elected officials.  It's almost a way to deflect any kind of questioning that taxpayers may raise. 

In New York state, an anonymous person/group has created a Wall of Shame for administrators who oppose opt-outs of students in their districts/states.  (And there's another ill-used word - shame.)


I read thru this wall and frankly, didn't see a lot of "shameful" talk.  These administrators have to support testing.  It's part of what they get paid to do.  And most of what is said in the news articles they are quoted in or letters they sent home to parents is fairly benign stuff.  You may not like it but is it shameful? I don't think so.

However, whoever created this website has an absolute First Amendment right to say what they want about these administrators and provide their workplace addresses and e-mails (obviously so people can contact them and provide their own viewpoints).

But apparently, you can no longer express an opinion without being called a bully.  High Achievement New York, a coalition group that supports Common Core (and is financed by the Gates Foundation) says:

"The website, which has posted public images and contact information for multiple educators for the 'offense' of supporting the State’s learning standards and annual tests, has a single purpose: to shame and intimidate educators until they are publicly silenced,"

“If this online bullying happened in our schools or classrooms, it would be widely denounced. And yet, because this intimidation is carried out anonymously against adults, it has been disregarded. Let us be clear: the fact that this website operates anonymously online does not make it any less wrong. If anything, it is even more insidious, operating without any accountability,”

Since when has anyone, in our Internet age, had to account for what they say? It's called the First Amendment. Those "images" are photos the administrators took for their jobs. And, the words used at the Wall of Shame call attention to administrators who are hard-nosed on testing and opting-out.  No one accused them of anything personal or said they kick puppies.

Tactics like this “Wall of Shame” make a real, productive dialogue to resolve this impasse impossible. HANY, along with these victimized educators, stand ready to participate in a rational, productive and fair debate. What we cannot accept is an effort to silence educators and administrators who are simply trying to do what they believe is right by their students.  

We believe the only way for us to move beyond this gridlock is for all stakeholders to work together to improve the state assessments – that begins by ending hurtful sites such as this.

This group, High Achievement New York, sent this letter to state legislators asking them for action (apparently these legislators had sponsored anti-bullying legislation...for students.)

Oh c'mon! There are no "crimes" here.  "Victimized educators?"  Please.

So onn the one side there are people who want to opt their kids out of testing (for whatever reason.) It's called protesting and further, anonymous protesting has gone on since Roman Times (see Life of Brian.) 

On the other side there are administrators doing their jobs (while seemingly having little interest/sympathy for parents' concerns.)  Are these administrators saying they didn't write/say these words in service to their jobs?  There are no threats here at all (save "I'm not testing my kid.")

Lastly, I have my doubts about a "rational, productive and fair debate."  I have seen little evidence that most districts want to do that at all.

Maybe that's how this Wall got created in this first place.