AlterNet reports that StudentsFirst has found a new project. It is seeking people willing to flood social media with anti-union, anti-public school, “reform” views.
The
new group is called “The Truth Campaign for Teachers.” The email that landed on
AlterNet’s doorstep is targeted on New Mexico, but the writer assumes that
other states may have the same campaign.
Here’s
a copy of the email we received from a source who says it appeared over the
summer:
The
Truth Campaign for Teachers (TCT) is looking for:
·3-5
New Mexicans who are willing to blog at least twice/week on a variety of
pro-reform issues
·3-5
New Mexicans who are willing to comment on/promote content on social media
Bloggers
·TCT
would supply them with:
-Daily
emails with suggested content and they would choose which topics to write on
-Before
posts are final, a TCT write will provide feedback on post to form a compelling
blog post
-(Help
set up blog if person does not have one yet)
·Prefer
that individual is willing to be named but we can work with anonymous bloggers
as well
·Trying
to get as many volunteers as possible
Politico had more on this
new astroturf group, which is off to a slow start:
SEEDING
THE FIELD: Eager to amplify voices in support of education reform,
StudentsFirst has backed an initiative to nurture – and compensate – a new crop
of online activists.
The organization, founded by former D.C. Chancellor
Michelle Rhee, has been providing staff support and fundraising help to the
Truth Campaign [http://bit.ly/19xK15c ], which publishes a blog highly critical
of teachers unions.
The Truth Campaign, in turn, urges supporters to get active
promoting ed reform on social media. When they do, they can earn money from the
campaign, though Recruitment Manager Drew Hazouri won’t say how much.
He won’t
say, either, where the group gets its funding – only that StudentsFirst has
been supportive. “Our mission is to create voices,” Hazouri said. “We’re
creating a community.”
–
So far, Hazouri said he’s launched at least 10 online activists. None appears
to have caught fire on social media – at least, not yet. Jonathan Piliser, a former
Teach for America corps member, has posted thousands of tweets but has just 78
followers.
Maggie Paynich, an Atlanta real estate agent, launched her blog
[http://bit.ly/1CIgLUI] with a flurry of posts but only had time for one so far
in April.
Still, the activists say they believe they’re making a difference.
Piliser said he’s getting “several thousand hits a week” on his blog [ http://bit.ly/1afbWI0%5D, which in recent
weeks has advocated for merit pay and in favor of the PARCC exams.
No one tells
him what to write, he said: “It’s my voice.” As for the stipend, neither
Piliser or Paynich would discuss it, except to say that it’s not a full-time
salary. “When I become important enough to have my salary posted publicly,”
Paynich said, “then I guess you’ll know how much I make.”