Scholastic drops Path To 9/11 support.
“After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues,” said Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic, in a press release. (via TPMmuckraker)
UPDATE: Rep. George Miller (D-CA), ranking member on the House education committee, has more.
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[…] UPDATE: Scholastic has announced that it is dropping support for Path to 9/11. […]
September 7th, 2006 at 4:45 pmWonderful. I can retain my faith in Scholastic a while longer.
ABC should take a hint here. IE: this ‘product’ is ‘not safe for children.’
September 7th, 2006 at 4:46 pmNice determination at Scholastic. You seem to have realized this peice is not “scholastic” at all, its bulltripe. Nice to see someone has a conscience.
September 7th, 2006 at 4:47 pmthis is good news. I’ve always felt good about Scholastic… this retains my confidence.
ABC: please read this rejection as “not safe for young children” and then look yourselves in the mirror. Hmm… Disney products not safe for children? What does that do to your branding?
September 7th, 2006 at 4:48 pmYeah, but have they
destroyed the
lying G.O.P. bought and paid for
propaganda print materials?
September 7th, 2006 at 4:48 pmNow we just need to keep pounding on ABC to get this damnable movie off the air.
September 7th, 2006 at 4:49 pmAmerica’s Least Wanted
Yeah?
But have the destroyed the
G.O.P. bought and paid for bundle of
lies printed materials yet?
THEY’RE NOT OFF THE MEAT HOOK YET!
NEVER BELIEVE TILL YOU SEE!
September 7th, 2006 at 4:50 pmYea! Go bloggers. I will now call my child’s scholl again and let them know that this has been dropped by Scholastic.
September 7th, 2006 at 4:51 pmBoycott Disney. Boycott ABC.
It’s as easy as saying “no” to these entertainment media giants and all their advertisers.
September 7th, 2006 at 4:51 pmScholastic is a good company that made a stupid mistake. And I do think it was just a mistake. They deserve credit for owning up to it and trying to fix it. It very much appears that they realized their mistake, rather than merely bowing to public pressure.
ABC, like Bush, is “staying the course”. Props to Scholastic for thinking on their feet.
September 7th, 2006 at 4:53 pmI can remember being in the third grade [no not last year!=] and we had this teacher that would have us watch the vietnam war on TV….How many killed, or shot down, planes, helicopters lost, pretty gnarly stuff for a third grader, come to think of it I don’t think the Principals ever knew nor did we think to tell them.
Was very odd to go to school and watch it, our parents would have hit the roof if they had known. This 9/11 thing, thank goodness, won’t be shown in schools.
September 7th, 2006 at 4:55 pmI like to think it was my email that oushed htem over the edge!
September 7th, 2006 at 4:57 pmToo bad Disney does not have such high standards for dealing with controversial issues
September 7th, 2006 at 4:58 pmI like to think it was my email that oushed htem over the edge! - - I wonder if they could decipher your e-mail. ;)
September 7th, 2006 at 5:01 pmThat’s what collective letter writing/phone calling will do! At least they are empathetic to the views of the outraged american public. Thanks go to the blogger who provided all the Scholastic emails!
September 7th, 2006 at 5:02 pmKos just reported this, too. I called Scholastic about 20 minutes ago and got a third party (prolly an intern) who was just as clueless as I was.
September 7th, 2006 at 5:03 pmWhat’s telling is that the intern with whom I’d just spoken was just as clueless as I was about whether or not Scholastic had pulled their propaganda.
September 7th, 2006 at 5:05 pmit’s a start… but don’t let abc off the hook, they’re the real villians in this tragedy.
September 7th, 2006 at 5:12 pm“it’s a start… but don’t let abc off the hook, they’re the real villians in this tragedy.”
Joe you’re forgetting about the Bush PNAC Cabal - the REAL villians.
September 7th, 2006 at 5:18 pmAgain, praise upon praise to THinkProgress. Without your leadership this might not have made it to the big time!
September 7th, 2006 at 5:21 pmThanks TP!
September 7th, 2006 at 5:47 pmGood job guys. Pats on the back for everyone.
Kudos to Scholastic for doing the right thing.
September 7th, 2006 at 5:47 pmA few hours ago I called Scholastic and canceled my monthly subscription of Disney books that I get for my five year old nephew. While on the phone with customer service I was asked why I was canceling. I told them simply because of their “Discussion Guide Path to 9/11″ and the errors it contains. The man on the phone said he was not aware of any such material. Yeah, right!
SUBSCRIPTION CANCELED!!!!!
I wonder how many others canceled theirs?
September 7th, 2006 at 5:48 pmOK, here the names, titles and email addresses for a number of key senior Disney decision makers I found, starting at the top
with the CEO and board of directors are at the bottom.
Let’s make our voices heard and see if we can get these guys to pull this blatantly obvious Bush propaganda. ABC may profit from the predictable controversy but airing a film designed to obfuscate Bush’s responsibility for 9/11 will cause ABC to suffer greatly in the estimation of serious people.
Disney and ABC should leave the RNC propaganda to Fox, it’s not ABC’s demographic.
Robert Iger - CEO - robert.a.iger@disney.com
Rich Ross - President of Disney Channel Worldwide - rich.ross@disney.com
Sean Cocchia - VP/Business Development, Disney Channel Worldwide- sean.cocchia@disney.com
Gary Marsh - Disney Channel Worldwide President of Entertainment - gary.marsh@disney.com
Sarah Shelton - Assistant to Gary Marshsarah - shelton@disney.com
Scott Garner - SVP/Programming, Disney Channel - scott.garner@disney.com
Karen Myer - Assistant to Scott Garner - karen.myer@disney.com
Meredith Metz - Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs, Walt Disney Television Animation - meredith.metz@disney.com
Lisa Salamone - The Head of Animation Production, Disney Channel - lisa.salamone@disney.com
Joanna Spak - The Head of Finance, Planning, etc., Disney Channel - joanna.spak@disney.com
Mark Kenchelian - The Head of Business and Legal Affairs, Disney Channel -mark.kenchelian@disney.com
Jewell Engstrom - CFO and Executive VP for Disney-ABC Cable Group - jewell.engstrom@disney.com
Olivia Stafford - Assistant to Jewell Engstrom - olivia.stafford@disney.com
Albert Cheng - EVP/Digital Media, Disney-ABC Television Group - albert.cheng@disney.com
Karen Hobson - Digital Media Communications Office, Disney-ABC Television Group - karen.hobson@disney.com
George Bodenheimer - Co-Chairman Media Networks Group - george.bodenheimer@disney.com
Nicole Nichols - Senior VP of Entertainment Communications, Disney-ABC Television Group - nicole.nichols@disney.com
Aime Wolfe - Assistant to Nicole Nichols - aime.wolfe@disney.com
Patti McTeague - VP of Kids Communications - patti.mcteague@disney.com
Siobhan Kenny - Acting Head of International Communications - siobhan.kenny@disney.com
Paul Lee - ABC Family Channel - paul.lee@disney.com
Annie Fort - ABC Family Media Relations - annie.fort@disney.com
Alex Wallau - President of Network Operations & Administration - alex.wallau@disney.com
David Westin - ABC News President - david.westin@disney.com
Mike Shaw - ABC Sales and Marketing President - mike.shaw@disney.com
Fred Kuperberg - Disney/ABC Executive VP of Business and Legal Affairs - fred.kuperberg@disney.com
Kara Rousseau - VP of Ad Sales Marketing for Disney/ABC Kids Networks - kara.rousseau@disney.com
Kim Harbin - Buena Vista Media Relations - kim.harbin@disney.com
Anne Gates - Disney Consumer Products Executive VP & CFO - anne.gates@disney.com
James Fielding - Senior VP, Retail Sales and Marketing for DCP - james.fielding@disney.com
Deborah Dugan - President of Disney Publishing - deborah.dugan@disney.com
Graham Hopper - Senior VP and General Manager of Buena Vista Games - graham.hopper@disney.com
Angela Emery - Director of Public Relations, Buena Vista Games - angela.emery@disney.com
Chris Bess - Buena Vista Home Entertainment - chris.bess@disney.com
Peter Murphy - Senior Adviser to Mr. Iger - peter.murphy@disney.com
Judy Estrin - Board of Directors - jestrin@packetdesign.com
John Bryson - Board of Directors - john.bryson@edisonintl.com
Monica Lozano - Board of Directors - monica.lozano@laopinion.com
John Chen - Board of Directors - john.chen@sybase.com
Gary Wilson - Board of Directors - gary.wilson@nwa.com
Leo Odonova - Board of Directors - leo.odonovan@mbna.com
Thomas Staggs - CFO/Senior V.P. - tom.staggs@disney.com
David K. Thompson - Senior Vice President - David.
September 7th, 2006 at 5:56 pmWoo-Hoo! Good news indeed.
My main objection to the whole business was when they decided to try to tell schoolchildren that this is historically accurate. And that would have been the only justification for showing it to shoolchildren because otherwise it would be your tax dollars wasted showing propaganda films to kids. They certainly have the right to tell an inaccurate, unbalanced story loosely based on the events of 9/11. But don’t try to tell people it’s based entirely on the 9/11 Commission Report, when some of the scenes (from what we’ve heard) clearly contradict their source.
Now that the school side of this has been dropped (hopefully), all that’s left is for ABC to totally renounce any claims they made before about this film being historically accurate (assuming they went that far.) Or, failing that, they should at least make clear throughout the film that some of this shit was just plain made up out of whole cloth and bears no resemblance to the truth. Wouldn’t it be nice if a little “BS” symbol came up in the corner whenever a scene that was totally fabricated was on? Then the stupider viewers would know it wasn’t true.
But I’m still not going to watch ABC, or catch any baseball scores or football games on ESPN, or watch “Whose Line is it Anyway” on ABC Family, or watch “The Tick” on the Disney Channel. That’s it. They’ve lost me as a customer.
September 7th, 2006 at 5:56 pmstupider? I think you may be one of them.
September 7th, 2006 at 6:06 pmScholastic is revising the materials to focus on critical thinking and media literacy skills. They plan, according to their press release, to post it online at http://www.thinkprogress.org/medialiteracy
As an educator who works for an online curriculum company, I can tell you that it is impossible to write materials overnight to accompany a one hour program, let alone a 6 hour program. Also, remember that the final version of the movie is not finished, according to ABC.
In order to write a good supplement to a movie, plenty of support and resources need to be provided. The 9/11 commission report is 585 pages. Students and teachers will need help navigating that document in the context of the movie. They will need additional materials that show the movie’s inaccuracies and biases.
Schools need the proper tools before they let their students watch this movie; I’m not convinced they’ll get them.
September 7th, 2006 at 6:38 pmSCHOLASTIC HAS DONE NOTHING TO CHANGE THE FACT THEY ARE STILL PROMOTING AND ENCOURAGING PROPAGANDA.
Scholastic said it is “changing it’s teachers guide wording”. Do you see anywhere in that statement that they have disavowed themselves from showing this film to children. NO NO NO
Further, the original teacher’s guide has already been sent to thousands of teachers.
Do NOT give praise to Scholastic, like Disney, they intend to promote and encourage this seriouly flawed film as history OR specifically in the case of Scholastic “a teaching tool for critical thinking” Bullshit is bullshit no matter how you spell it.
September 7th, 2006 at 6:46 pmWe did it! Thousands of Emails to Scholastic forced them to rethink their intention to use this propaganda as a “teaching tool,” which is what I was told in a reply to my Email.
September 7th, 2006 at 8:00 pmWe can make things happen - with a little help from Congress. We must not cease the pressure on ABC, Disney and George Mitchell.
It is my hope that Scholastic has learned that it will not prostitute themselves for political purposes.
I think Ted Koppel has a documentary (a real one) on Discovery Channel Sunday evening - at the same time as the mockumentary.
September 7th, 2006 at 8:02 pmIsn’t Monday night - football night on NBC?
What would Sister Wendy say about this ordeal?
September 7th, 2006 at 8:15 pmThis situation seems like an argument about whether Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is either real violent or sorta violent. This is really Pandora’s box when it comes to qualifying content as factual or fictional without establishing any standards for what is entertainment or not. So the sub-market forces , i.e. the blogs have become the new arbiters for choice? So just because someone has an issue with the content of a visual medium , even after the creators have told people what it is not there is an lynch mob out to silence the messenger and it’s accomplices. If these are the new rules I’m concerned where the lines can be drawn regarding what people have the choice to view and what their responsibilities are to monitoring their own children’s education. Why couldn’t it just run and everyone judge it for what it was in totality. It’s not pretty what people have decided prematurely and with such absolute conviction about a Television program, regardless of it’s story line or subject matter. Birth of a Nation this apparently was not, of course we don’t know, we haven’t seen it.
September 7th, 2006 at 8:46 pm#26
stupider? I think you may be one of them.
Comment by Ben — September 7, 2006 @ 6:06 pm
Yes, Ben, you are stupider than you thought!
stu‧pid  /ˈstupɪd, ˈstyu‑/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[stoo-pid, styoo‑] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, -er, -est, noun
September 7th, 2006 at 9:48 pm–adjective
1. lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; dull.
2. characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless: a stupid question.
3. tediously dull, esp. due to lack of meaning or sense; inane; pointless: a stupid party.
4. annoying or irritating; troublesome: Turn off that stupid radio.
5. in a state of stupor; stupefied: stupid from fatigue.
6. Slang. excellent; terrific.
–noun
7. Informal. a stupid person.
[Origin: 1535–45;
#26
stupider? I think you may be one of them.
Comment by Ben — September 7, 2006 @ 6:06 pm
Yes, Ben, you are stupider than you thought!
stu‧pid  /ˈstupɪd, ˈstyu‑/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[stoo-pid, styoo‑] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, -er, -est, noun
September 7th, 2006 at 9:55 pm–adjective
1. lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; dull.
2. characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless: a stupid question.
3. tediously dull, esp. due to lack of meaning or sense; inane; pointless: a stupid party.
4. annoying or irritating; troublesome: Turn off that stupid radio.
5. in a state of stupor; stupefied: stupid from fatigue.
6. Slang. excellent; terrific.
–noun
7. Informal. a stupid person.
[Origin: 1535–45;
Here’s another reference Ben.
American Heritage Dictionary -
stu·pid (stpd, sty-) Pronunciation Key Audio pronunciation of “Stupider” [P]
adj. stu·pid·er, stu·pid·est
1. Slow to learn or understand; obtuse.
September 7th, 2006 at 10:02 pm2. Tending to make poor decisions or careless mistakes.
3. Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless: a stupid mistake.
4. Dazed, stunned, or stupefied.
5. Pointless; worthless: a stupid job.
Regarding Scholastic’s high standards, why didn’t Scholastic review the guide before publishing it?
September 7th, 2006 at 11:57 pmI am worried that the press release does NOT say that they are not supplying the DVD to classrooms… it only says they will revise the study guide. it looks to me like Scholastic might be trying to get us off their backs with evasive wording. I will be curious to see whether or not they truly disassociate from the propaganda.
if they do not, let’s start calling our schoolboards to insist they indefinitely suspend or cancel their business dealings with scholastic…
at least until they provide the same distribution to something of opposite spin. or two. the problem there, though, seems to be giving equal weight to truth and lies. given the average caliber of critical thinking in US classrooms, that means that flashier production values wins.
September 8th, 2006 at 12:57 am[…] Either Scholastic has more decency than ABC/Disney, or it knows a public relations disaster when it sees one. It is pulling out: “After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues,†said Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic, in a press release. […]
September 8th, 2006 at 2:08 pm[A Follow Up Letter to Scholastic Regarding its Latest Announcement]
“I read your press announcement regarding “Path to 9/11,” and I find it unsatisfactory, and actually outrageous. What you call a “teachable moment” still fails to address the central issue that the dramatization is blatant, partisan propaganda, i.e., LIES intended to defame specific individuals, and in doing so desecrates the memory of the thousands who died on 9/11.
There’s no “controversy.” This isn’t an issue of critical media consumption and the difference between a “docu-drama” and a “documentary.” This is an issue of intentional distortion as part of a concerted effort by partisan activists to rewrite history for partisan advantage. It’s sick.
And for you to whitewash your involvement by repositioning your product as a “teachable moment” only underscores your complicity, probably because you can’t stand to lose the money you’ve already invested in the materials. The only acceptable solution is to disassociate yourself from the project. Shut it down. Walk away. Don’t whitewash your involvement. Don’t try to weasel, while covering your backsides. The only place these materials belong is in the shredder. It’s a shame that you continue to damage Scholastic’s good reputation.”
By ukenuke
September 8th, 2006 at 6:16 pmIt is now 8:40 PM CST on Friday September 8 and the 9/11 material is still on the Scholastic site. If they are going to drop it/not support it, shouldn’t it be off their web site by now?
I have been teaching since 1977 and have decided I can live the rest of my career without Scholastic products. Nine years until reitrement and Scholastic-free
September 8th, 2006 at 9:31 pmScholastic will pretty much just sell the teacher guide. By promoting the teacher guide, they are also promoting teachers to show this movie to the students. It does not matter what they say, they are promoting it. Not more scholastic products for my family.
September 9th, 2006 at 1:43 pmThe “open-minded, tolerant” left (rofl) yet again exposes its true nature, as a mere made-for-tv movie reveals how flimsy the Clinton legacy really is.
Only one administration had several chances to capture or kill bin Laden, and that is not an opinion. The Clinton administration took the war on terror as seriously as…wait, there was no war on terror until the Clintons left the White House. Their entire foreign policy was to take no risks, anywhere, and they left all the important issues for the next administration.
Argue all you want about how Clinton’s refusal to do anything about terrorism is portrayed in a made-for-tv movie. It won’t change the salient fact that Clinton refused to do anything about terrorism.
In his last position paper in December 2000, President Clinton wrote that America had “no overriding external threats abroad”. Now he, and the Democratic party, and their herd of followers laughably want us to believe that Bill Clinton took seriously the very threat that did not exist according to…Bill Clinton.
And you people bought the whole sorry, pathetic act. Pitiful, but not a surprise.
September 9th, 2006 at 6:36 pmThis “Docudrama” is a sleazy way of doing propaganda. When people point out their lies, they would say it is just a story. One cannot even sue them. On the other hand, it will implant these lies as facts to lot of people. Sadly, lot of america in this country still believed that Saddam had nuclear weapons and he worked with Al Quaeda. Those are the people who would buy in the propaganda. It is very irresponsible for ABC to make this program. I will not be that angry if they do a documentary because at most, they can only mislead people but not plain lie.
September 11th, 2006 at 4:09 am[…] Thankfully, those materials have been pulled. But without watchdogs like you and me, that could’ve slipped right past and ridiculous fictional events could then be perceived as truth and debated across the country. […]
September 11th, 2006 at 2:45 pm