Who Isn't a Special Interest Group!?!?

Initially, when I prepared for this week, I asked myself "What interest group(s) am I going to focus on?" The more I thought about it, I couldn't help but wonder isn't anyone who is bringing something to education a special interest group? My first thoughts went to the unions (which exhibit an enormous amount of power in states other than Virginia) and then I thought of the testing companies. Both groups have a considerable amount of lobbying power to get what they want (and what they want is most often not what is best) and they often DO get what they want!

The group I was most interested in this week is the "think tank." These groups have the phrase "scientifically-based research" to back up a lot of what these groups are trying to promote. What is most frightening is that the "research" they share may be very slanted to promote the mission of what they in fact are trying to sell.

I wonder, when are students going to be their own Special Interest Group?