Mounting parent and administrator resistance to using computerized data to improve student performance has brought down a Gates-Foundation funded national education organization.
inBloom made the decision after New York state, its final client, withdrew its partnership. The state Education Department was under pressure from parents, school officials and lawmakers—particularly from the Hudson Valley and Long Island—who rejected the state's rollout of easy-to-use computer portals that would let parents and educators analyze student data for patterns to improve student success.
A group of parents had even sued the state, saying that storing the data on "third-party vendors" such as inBloom violated the state's Personal Privacy Protection Law.
"...building public acceptance for the solution will require more time and resources than anyone could have anticipated," said CEO Iwan Streichenberger on the inBloom website. "Therefore, in full alignment with the inBloom Board of Directors and funders, I have made the decision to wind down the organization over the coming months. It wasn’t an easy decision, and the unavailability of this technology is a real missed opportunity for teachers and school districts seeking to improve student learning."
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