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Ignite! Sparks More Controversy
Ignite!, Neil Bush's educational company, has received thousands of dollars from school districts through the federal No Child Left Behind program even though it doesn't meet the program's standards, a DC watchdog group reported today.
"NCLB requires any kind of educational products to have been scientifically peer-reviewed, and Ignite! has not," Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told me. Today CREW sent a letter to the Dept. of Ed Inspector General asking him to investigate the company. "NCLB is really benefiting cronies rather than kids," Sloan added. "I frankly don't understand why so many Democratic senators and congressmen, like George Miller and Kennedy are being so supportive [of NCLB] in the face of these problems."
Ignite! did not return a call from Mother Jones.
Neil Bush, the family's ne'er do well, is best known for his adventures in the savings and loan industry, which led to a taxpayer-funded bailout of $1.3 billion and a lifetime ban from the banking industry. In 1999, with no educational experience, he founded Ignite! with money from his family and international investors. For years Ignite has been dogged by questions about its effectiveness, and its reliance on donations from foundations to fund its purchase in schools. Last year, the Houston Chronicle reported that a donation from Barbara Bush to a Katrina relief fund was earmarked to Ignite! None of this has really slowed the company down of course. As of late it has been working in Russia and China, where I'd expect business will soon be booming.
Comments
I thought his brother George W. was the family ne'er do well.
There probably isn’t peer review because no scientist will give a pass to intelligent design. But then again, “evolution” is just a theory. So is democracy in Iraq.
Posted by: kirkbrew on 09/13/07 at 8:02 AM Respond
You folks should look at this Ignite material. It is really crazy. I started looking at their Science brochure looking for a ref to Intelligent Design (I made the previous comment as a joke). http://www.ignitelearning.com/curriculum/2007_Science_for_email.pdf
Nothing on ID, but found other disturbing material.
First of all, I think that the picture they show of the atom (Nitrogen actually) which is not really accurate. An atoms electron shell order should have a maximum number of electrons of 2, 8, 8, 18, 18, 32, 32. When you fill up one “shell”, you move out a layer and start to fill up the next “shell”. Theirs shows 2 then 5 more electrons. It appears that the next 5 electrons really do not fill a “shell” and instead just hover on the outer area going between shells 3, 4 and 5.
Also look at how the atom is being presented by a DJ. You know, kids learn so well to hip-hop. If it wasn’t for rap, Einstein would have stayed at the patent office and never even thought about the quantum nature of light.
The other thing is that homework done for the class is as if they were working for a company and they need to issue a report to. The company is Reality Inc and their boss as a shady figure named Mortimer Gravitas.
And their “Cow” which is a projector to present all of the lessons. When I was a kid, we use to totally blow off movies. They did me no good in school. Now, that is the solution. You get shitty teachers who can run a projector and grade a paper. That being said, Schoolhouse Rock does help me remember the difference between an adjective and adverb.
Where I get pissed is that I am a degreed engineer trying to go from the industry environment to teach math and science. I talk to teachers and administrators and they all say, “That’s great, we need people like you”. I go to the state and universities trying to get certification, and there is nothing but roadblocks. Then there are hacks out there like this.
Posted by: kirkbrew on 09/13/07 at 8:32 AM Respond
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Posted by: Jonathan Stein on 09/13/07 at 6:34 AM Respond