- On EdTech Newsletter
- Posts
- Friday Follow Up
Friday Follow Up
BS survey, BS legislation, and backup from Politico on my ED predictions
Phil Hill
April 04, 2025
Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Sign up, and get your own copy of the news that matters sent to your inbox every week. Sign up for the On EdTech newsletter. Interested in additional analysis? Try with our 30-day free trial and Upgrade to the On EdTech+ newsletter.
Early morning, April four
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky.
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride.
BS Survey
On Tuesday I will debate Stephanie Hall - previously from The Century Foundation, then Center for American Progress, now the Student Borrower Protection Center (all part of the Arnold Ventures-funded coalition) - in “a riveting conversation on how much regulation is needed in today’s rapidly evolving landscape—and who really holds the reins of power” at ASU+GSV. The trigger for this session was my criticisms of agenda-driven “research” (scare quotes intentional) meant to steer education policy. Well, last week we got another great example that you might hear me bring up next week.
The Century Foundation along with Morning Consult apparently did a highly-credible survey with surprising findings: “New Polling Reveals Support for Strengthening, Not Weakening, Protections for Online College Students.” TCF’s long-standing attacks on online education are popular! Let’s look at the details.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? - The federal government should do more to protect students from predatory institutions that lie to prospective applicants to get them to enroll.
That doesn’t even mention online education. At all. And the question phrasing is akin to “should police do more to crack down on pederasts?” Well, maybe there’s more support for TCF’s big claims.
Question 2: Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? - Students in online-only college programs should have the same consumer protections as in-person college students.
Ah, the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is evil angle. Given this general question, sure, all students should be protected. But what is the actual question, and should the general public understand the intricacies of reciprocity agreements and state authorization and domicile vs. residence consumer protection? No.
This is a classic case of asking vague and leading questions that the advocates describe as clear support of their detailed position. And it is embarrassing for Morning Consult to agree to this type of polling.
BS Legislation
We at On EdTech have long pointed out that the battle trying to rein in online education would increasing move to the state level, highlighting Minnesota and California examples. There’s a new one that I didn’t expect, as Ohio joins the club but for different reasons. From House Bill 96 and a section on authorization [emphasis added]:
