Uncovering Right-Wing Influence in Education

159 Education Building - also offered online
@ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
https://go.wisc.edu/epsevents

Right-wing billionaires have spent the last few decades funding and coordinating a network of tax-exempt organizations, astroturf operations, and bill mills to influence education policy with the long-term goal of privatizing the United States education system. This has manifested in privatization schemes like vouchers and education savings accounts (ESAs), and so-called parents’ rights groups like Moms for Liberty and Parents Defending Education. How do academics and public school advocates go about researching and exposing right-wing networks? What methods and resources can be used to make connections between groups, funders, and policy changes? This workshop will provide you with the resources and methodology to aid you in researching these complex networks.

David Armiak is research director and an investigative journalist with the Center for Media and Democracy. David joined CMD in 2015, has conducted extensive investigations on dark money, corporate corruption, and right-wing networks, and is responsible for filing and analyzing hundreds of public records requests every year. David has a strong research interest in social movements and political power, and has delivered many talks on the subject. He has a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy and anthropology from Boston University and a Master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he concluded his studies ABD.