Townsend’s Death of Public Education Bill Gets A Senate Vote Today…Say What?

I should have been paying closer attention.  Delaware Senator Bryan Townsend introduced a bill on May 5th.  It cleared the Elections and Government Affairs Committee on May 17th.  Now it is up for a Senate vote today.  Let me be very clear: for all intents and purposes, this legislation will eventually destroy public education.

Senate Bill 69 would change the Delaware General Corporation Law to allow for Blockchain Technology.  Whether intended or not, Blockchain will become the “Kill Bill” of public education.  Why is this such a big deal for Delaware?  Only because we incorporate the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies in the country.  And don’t kid yourself, corporations will STAY in Delaware once Blockchain hits because of the laws we are writing today.

I’m not necessarily against Blockchain if it is used for its intended purpose.  Okay, I just made myself laugh.  Blockchain will radically transform education into something unrecognizable.  And that is NOT a good thing.  Delaware is in a huge rush to get this through because we have to be competitive with other states.  When Carney talks about this and people tend to laugh, he isn’t talking about what is going on now but rather the future.  For now, it is imperative Delaware gets in on the ground floor for Blockchain technology.  This will be a HUGE moneymaker for Delaware.  So much so that talk of budget deficits, I predict, will become a thing of the past in coming years.

But for now, while most people have no clue what the hell it even is, let’s look at the bill with a ton of bi-partisan support.  A week before Townsend introduced the bill, I wrote an update on where Delaware is with Blockchain.  This one is going to fly through the House of Representatives.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see it on a House Committee tomorrow and then up for a vote in the House on Thursday.  That’s how they roll.

I can hear you saying it now, “So Blogger Boy, how does this signal the death of public education?  You wearin’ that tin hat again?”  Yes, I am.  Proudly.  Except my tin hat is more like an ear muff, designed specifically to weed out the political rhetoric and bs I hear these days.  Did you read the link I put in the second paragraph?  If not, go back up now.  I’ll wait…

Did you read the second link?  I’ll wait…

Now do you get it?  All this talk of personalized learning, digital technology, coding, social-emotional learning, Pathways to Prosperity, etc.  They are setting it all up right before our eyes.  The corporate reformers know this, so they hijacked terminology to excite teachers.  The data-tracking machine was already set up with changes to FERPA the same time every single state set up their longitudinal data systems.  It’s the end of the world as we know it and I don’t feel fine.  But those are just my words.  Why should you believe what the little blogger says?

Over the coming months and years, you will hear people praising Blockchain technology to the high heavens.  Especially when it comes to education.  It already started in some areas, such as this article about Blockchain which talks about learning is earning.  But Blockchain will DESTROY the current way of teacher instruction.  Don’t believe me?

The definition of a lecture has become the process in which the notes of the teacher go to the notes of the student without going through the brains of either. This is no longer appropriate for the digital age and for a new generation of students who represent the future of learning. Young people want to converse when they learn. They like to share. Immersed in digital technology, they are keen to try new things, often at high speed. They want their education to be fun and interesting. So they should enjoy the delight of discovering things for themselves.

That all sounds great for college.  But what about a 3rd grader?  Don’t think it can happen there?  It can and it will.  When we hear about technology taking over, we think robots or artificial intelligence.  But that’s not really what it is.  It’s about surrendering everything so the technology guides us with everything we do.  That is Blockchain technology.  This is the nightmare that has the power to make that happen.

Prophet or profit?  I’ve said it before.  Who are the prophets?  Who makes the profits?  Usually, they are one and the same.  Profit doesn’t just have to be about money.  It is also about power.  Remember that.  Always.